(Oslo, February 7, 2013) Google has launched YouTube in Norwegian at youtube.no, giving Norwegian music creators and the music-loving public a new meeting place. The agreement with TONO was signed ahead of the launch.
/ 07/02/2013 / codexThe agreement between Google and TONO was signed ahead of the launch on February 6, and means that the service has been launched in orderly and good shape, and where composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers get a new opportunity to get paid for the use of their intellectual property. – This is a happy day for all Norwegian users of YouTube, and a very important milestone for TONO's 23,000 members. This launch takes good care of those who write the music we all get to enjoy. TONO is pleased with the good cooperation we have had with Google so far, and hopes and believes that it will become a vibrant and central meeting place for music creators and the audience, says Willy Martinsen, Head of Communications at TONO.
– We have been looking forward to this, says Jan Grønbech, Country Manager for Google and YouTube Norway. – YouTube contributes to shaping the culture of our time, from the development of superstars to the reinvention of the classroom. Norwegian advertisers and contributors have not had the opportunity to participate in the global marketing community until now, and today's launch marks a new era for them. Grønbech confirms that this is good news for music creators: – We are pleased with the agreement with TONO, and we have experienced them as a positively motivated and professional partner in the work of facilitating the launch in Norway, says Grønbech.
The launch means that it will be easier for users to find already popular Norwegian videos as well as the videos that are growing the fastest, and it will make it easier for Norwegian content sharers to be found in Norway as well as in the rest of the world. It will also be easier for local content partners to reach their core audience. – Digital services offer great opportunities for those who write and produce music, but it is important to protect their rights and opportunities to be able to earn income from their work. It is TONO's task to enter into agreements with YouTube and other services that distribute music – and that want to enter the Norwegian market – on behalf of our rights holders. The launch of YouTube in Norway is good news both for our members and for all Norwegians who use YouTube, says Willy Martinsen. Willy Martinsen, Head of Communications at TONO, mob. 909 65 254, e-mail: