Vevo tries to step outside YouTube's shadow by giving its iPhone app a new look

Vevo wants to make a name for itself outside of its YouTube-shared music videos, so on Thursday, the company unveiled a new look for its iOS app.

Back in February, Vevo released its Apple TV app in an attempt to become the premier music video destination, like an MTV for the digital-first generation. Now, its music video curation app, complete with a new logo and overall brand design, seems like another step in Vevo's goal to become an independent and well-known music video purveyor.

"We want to be all about the artists," Vevo CEO Erik Huggers said during a press event. The reboot includes a more minimalistic look, plus a push towards more independent and original content creation, like TV show-style franchise videos. The company says it will also use a more editorial-style approach through partnerships with hosts, music curators, and music magazine The Fader.

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Vevo currently has 400 million active monthly users. 60% of them view Vevo-generated content on their mobile devices, so a mobile-rooted strategy seemed like an appropriate next step for the company, which says it will now debut 30 to 40 new music videos every week.

Vevo

The app lets users build profiles and browse genres and playlists curated by music industry personalities hand-picked by Vevo. The app uses machine learning to customize the videos and playlists each user is shown, while a feature called 'dscvr' allows app users to discover new music through playlists added daily.

The rebranded app seems like a Youtube-meets-Spotify crossover, but Huggers believes Vevo can continue to provide music videos for YouTube while ushering in a video product of their own.

"YouTube is a one-size-fits-all platform for video, while Vevo is just about the music video experience," he said. "I think there's room for both in the marketplace."

But as a majority of Vevo's views come from YouTube, Huggers was quick to describe YouTube as an "incredibly important distribution partner."

In the coming weeks, Vevo will also release new Apple TV and Android apps with the same curation elements, an updated embeddable video player, and a redesigned website. Huggers also said he hopes to work towards an offline viewing element, similar to Spotify's premium feature, in the future.