Vevo Shuttering iOS and Android Apps to Focus Music Video Business on YouTube

Music video platform Vevo has confirmed that it will be shutting down all of its mobile apps and consumer-facing video hosting website, signaling a shift in its business to focus on YouTube (via Variety). Apps affected include those for iOS and Android, but as of now "select" smart TV apps, potentially including Apple TV, will continue to run.

Vevo is well known for being a platform that users can go to watch the latest music videos, but many viewers simply use the company's YouTube channel, leading Vevo's iOS, Android, Apple TV, and other apps to struggle with growth. After the discontinuation of its apps and website, Vevo's YouTube channel will become the primary source of its music video distribution.

Major-label owned Vevo is giving up on plans to build its own music video platform outside of YouTube’s control: Vevo is shutting down its mobile apps and consumer-facing website, the company announced Thursday morning.

“We will phase out elements of our owned and operated platforms,” the company said in a blog post Thursday. “Going forward, Vevo will remain focused on engaging the biggest audiences and pursuing growth opportunities.”

To ensure a smooth transition, Vevo will provide a playlist tool to its mobile app users so they can import their Vevo playlists over to YouTube. In the iOS app [Direct Link] for iPhone and iPad, Vevo offers its users personalized recommendations, user profiles to follow, specific notifications about new videos and live performances, and more -- all of which will now go away.

The announcement comes a few weeks after it was revealed that YouTube and Vevo have a new deal that lets YouTube sell the music video platform's clips directly to advertisers, in an effort to boost ad sales. The sunsetting of Vevo apps also follows months of shakeups at the company, with former CEO Erik Huggers leaving in December, head of product Mark Hall leaving in January, chief technology officer Alex Nunes departing in the spring, and "significant" layoffs to Vevo's product and engineering teams at the same time.

Apple has also been increasing its focus on music videos within its Music app, launching a dedicated "Music Videos" section inside of Apple Music this spring. In the new area, subscribers can find new weekly playlists for various genres, browse through the latest videos, watch exclusive content, and more.

Tag: Vevo

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

adamjackson

14 months ago

Big picture, Vevo was one of the only current players that had an opportunity to actually take on YouTube. Even they are throwing in their hat.

1. Partnerships with labels & artists
2. revenue sharing deasl
3. Apps & Website
4. Plenty of content

They're still succumbing that it's just easier to keep putting it all on YouTube's platform.

It's a shame because there are very few companies who have what it takes to compete with youTube. Vevo was one of them.

When I did watch music videos, I much preferred doing it on Vevo's properties.

Rating: 5 Votes

iSearch

14 months ago

That's unfortunate. What few people realize is that the quality of music videos on the Vevo website is significantly better than on YouTube, especially some of the older videos that Vevo uploaded when it first started.

Rating: 4 Votes

martyjmclean

14 months ago

I don’t know anybody who uses the Vevo app or website.

Rating: 2 Votes

Westside guy

14 months ago

Focussing all your company's efforts on offering your product via a platform which is also a direct competitor... doesn't seem like a good, long-term business decision.

Rating: 2 Votes