PAID DOWNLOADS VIA YOUTUBE

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Via Hits Daily Double & Digital Music News

YouTube is about to start selling music, and both the iTunes Stores and AmazonMP3 are already on board. The new venture marks YouTube’s first entry into the realm of ecommerce, as parent company Google tries to figure out how to monetize the enormously popular site. YouTube had 330 million visitors in August 2008, according to comScore.

In a typical scenario, videos viewed within the EMI Music channel would be accompanied by purchase links, both from the iTunes Store and AmazonMP3.

The YouTube eCommerce Platform will soon include a broad range of partners across music, film, TV, and publishing. The move represents a monetization stab beyond advertising, and the notoriously low CPMs that the site attracts.

The initial platform is being rolled out in the United States, though an international expansion will happen within months, according to the company.