YouTube announces partnership with Country Music Association

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E.J. Boyer | Nashville Business Journal

Vivien Lewit, director of artist and label partnerships at YouTube, announces the company's new partnership with the Country Music Association.

E.J. Boyer

Staff Reporter- Nashville Business Journal

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The Country Music Association is doubling down on its music-tech efforts, launching a partnership with the Google-owned video sharing service YouTube.

The new partnership was announced Tuesday evening by Vivien Lewit, director of artist and label partnerships at YouTube, at a party the company hosted at Pinewood Social.

The party was a kick-off for the educational series that YouTube Music is launching next year in Nashville for the local music industry.

Details about the partnership haven't been released yet, but it marks the second time that the CMA has ventured into music tech in as many months. In September, CMA signed on as the lead industry partner for the Nashville Entrepreneur Center's new music-tech accelerator, "Project Music."

"It's a good example of this moment," said YouTube spokesman Matt McLernon, when asked about the origins of the partnership. "There are a lot of one-off conversations we are having with Nashville right now."

YouTube also announced Tuesday night that it will bring its YouTube Space concept to Nashville temporarily, through pop-ups coinciding with its YouTube Music series next year.

YouTube Space — which has locations in Los Angeles, New York, London, Tokyo, and, most recently, Sao Paulo — are studios that the company has set up for creators to learn, share and collaborate. In addition to workshops, the studios offer production stages, green screens, cameras, lights and other studio equipment for use.

Earlier on Tuesday, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said the company is considering offering a paid, ad-free subscription service to users, but offered no specifics on the long-awaited music subscription service, other than to say she remains "optimistic about seeing it soon."

E.J. Boyer covers the Music City's tourism, hospitality and music business.