Last.fm Begins Offering Video Recommendations

London-based social networking/music website Last.fm has announced that it will be using its connections with major and independent record labels to bring video recommendations to the site this week.

This new offering enables users to create their own personalised video “channels” filtered according to their musical tastes - much like the way that users can already create radio stations based on their Last.fm musical profiles.

Last.fm also boasts the quality of videos on its site “will be significantly higher than that of YouTube”, with audio encoded at 128kbps (compared to YouTube’s 64kbps).

Initial content will be provided by leading independent music labels, including Ninja Tune, Nettwerk Music Group, Domino, Warp, Atlantic and Mute, who have artists including the Arctic Monkeys, Moby and Aphex Twin in their catalogues.

Last.fm has secured partnerships with EMI, Warner and over 20,000 independent labels - and is in negotiation with Universal and Sony Music Group, offering its users personalised channels from the largest legal catalogue of music videos on the web.

Last.fm says it aims eventually to have every music video ever made on the site, from the latest hits to underground obscurities to classics from the past.