The sites will give fans access to their favorite artists--including video and song premieres, news, photos, exclusive interviews, and original editorial features. They will be monetized through ad packages that will be sold exclusively through AOL's Platform-A services.
The new sites continue the expansion of AOL Music since a redesign last year that included the launches of Spinner and PopEater. Page views for AOL's music section have increased 55% as a result over the last year, according to the Web portal. The music upgrade is part of a wider effort by AOL to revamp or add niche content properties in order to boost traffic and increase display advertising.
--Mark Walsh