YouTube has launched a music video vertical to showcase just that: music videos.
The page is currently divided into a few simple categories – like “Today’s Hits” – and organized by genre, though there are some trouble spots (the video for Justin Bieber’s “Popular Girl” is listed as “World Music” – umm, no).
One of the three spotlighted playlists appears to have been paid for (part of the “July Music Partners Spotlight). Interestingly, however, there are no display ads on the page (yet) but I’d imagine that will change.
It’s a toe in the music video water for YouTube, which faces established destinations like Vevo, MTV (the website, MTVMusic.com, not the channel – God no), Videogum as well as Yahoo Music and AOL Music.
But YouTube has the name recognition and brandpower to make up ground quickly.
Still, they’ll probably need to ink some exclusive premieres (like Gaga) before the vertical resonates.
Bonus for reading this far — my favorite music video of 2010: Charlotte Gainsbourg’s dreamy, surrealist “Heaven Can Wait” featuring Beck:
