Music recommender Last.fm is expanding into music video. Users will be able to rate playing videos and enter their preferences just like they do with music to create custom video channels.

To compete with video web sites like YouTube, Last.fm artists will be able to upload their own videos to the site. Higher quality audio will be used with an encoding rate of 128kbps, comparable to typical mp3 files, and higher than YouTube's 64 kbps rate.

Initial video content is being provided by Ninja Tune, Domino, Warp, and Mute in the UK and artists with Nettwerk Music Group in Canada. Last.fm has music licenses from EMI and Warner Music Group and 20,000 independent groups.