PluggedIn Hosts 10,000 Music Videos Online

By partnering with record companies, PluggedIn offers high-quality music videos alongside artist profiles and a fan community, for free.

MTV may have lost its reputation for actually playing music videos a decade ago, but the art form has recently found a new home on the Web. PluggedIn, a site backed by major record labels, officially launched on Wednesday, providing over 10,000 music videos in high quality for free.

The site uses its own media player to support streaming HD-quality video, along with DVD-style navigation and links to artist profiles, of which there are currently over one million. Some of the first major artists to offer videos include Radiohead, Green Day, Coldplay, Gorillaz, and Chemical Brothers.

“Today we’re announcing a major step forward in the way that fans can connect with the high quality content and artists that matter most to them,” said Jeff Somers, CEO of PluggedIn, in a statement. “We’re focused on building a unique experience for fans – a place where they can meet and interact with each other, and where they can enjoy, discover and share premium quality video content."

Some capital for the site comes from Overbrook Entertainment, an entertainment and artist management company started by Will Smith. PluggedIn currently has partnerships with both EMI, the world’s largest independent music label, and Sony BMG, along with many smaller labels.