YouTube to HD-Remaster Classic Music Videos from Lady Gaga, Tom Petty, Beastie Boys, More

By Christine Fernando  |  June 20, 2019 | 12:33pm
Image via Universal Music Group/YouTube
Music News YouTube
YouTube to HD-Remaster Classic Music Videos from Lady Gaga, Tom Petty, Beastie Boys, More

All your favorite classic music videos are getting a facelift, thanks to a remastering project by YouTube Music and Universal Music Group.

YouTube announced Wednesday that it has remastered more than 100 classic vids in the highest available video and audio quality. That means blurry tapes of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’,” Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” among many others, are now available in gleaming new HD quality.

And this is only the beginning. YouTube and UMG are looking to painstakingly remaster nearly 1,000 music videos. You can look out for more revamped titles every week for the next year, with all 1,000 available by 2020.

Now, for generations to come, we can enjoy high-quality, iconic music videos of timeless classics from legends including Billy Idol, Boyz II Men, Janet Jackson, Lionel Richie and The Killers.

“Great music videos are works of art that continue to drive cultural influence across generations,” YouTube’s announcement explains. “And just like priceless paintings or sculptures in museums, from time to time they need some TLC.”

For years, some of the most beloved music videos across YouTube’s behemoth of a catalog have been available only in outdated quality originally intended for tube televisions with mono speakers. But technology and music have changed, and now these oldies are catching up—though, of course, they’ll keep the same URLs, view counts, “likes” and comments sections, so the transition should be pretty seamless.

YouTube’s global head of label relations, Stephen Bryan, said in a statement that it has been an honor to work with UMG to change how fans experience viewing classic music videos.

“It’s our goal to ensure that today’s music videos—true works of art—meet the high quality standards that artists’ works deserve and today’s music fans expect,” he said.

UMG official Michael Nash sang a similar tune in a statement, saying he’s excited for fans to enjoy the videos for decades to come.

“Our recording artists and video directors imbued these videos with so much creativity,” Nash said. “It’s great to enable the full experience of their vision and music.

A decade after its initial release, check out the brand-spanking-new remaster of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” music video below. You’ll find the full library of remastered videos here.

 
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