MUMBAI: MTV, a division of Viacom Inc., and Extreme Music, the production music arm of Sony/ATV, have announced the official launch of the Hype Music website: www.hypemusic.com  Hype Music, the remarkable, first-of-its-kind, hybrid music licensing partnership brings together the two industry powerhouses, along with the incomparable talent-spotting genius of Nic Harcourt as Chief Creative Consultant, to incubate, nurture and introduce some of today's hottest, emerging, independent artists to professional music users.

"When you harness two of the industry's most credible taste-making teams and then add the uncanny talent-spotting genius of Nic Harcourt, you unleash a king-making force that can pick the next big thing with predator drone-like precision," said Russell Emanuel, Extreme Music CEO  "We've launched with a truly stunning roster that oozes cred and comes with a cast iron guarantee that you will absolutely hear no evil."

Hype backs its "Hear No Evil" slogan with a rigorous selection process and a no submission policy, guaranteeing all artists introduced through the partnership will be discovered by the Hype team  Once signed, all acts receive a seal of approval from music insiders including reviews and opinions by an A-list lineup of the industry's music supervision elite including Nic Harcourt, Kathy Nelson, Gary Calamar, Matt Kierscht, Lucius Dillion, Nick Martin and Liz Gallacher, to name a few.

"The launch of the Hype site represents an exciting step forward in MTV's commitment to emerging talent. Hype artists = MTV artists and this platform is yet another destination for them to break through." said Joe Cuello, Senior Vice President of Creative Music Integration for MTV.

In addition to first-look consideration for placement in MTV shows, Extreme will be distributing and licensing Hype songs to their global client base of professional users  MTV will also serve as music distributor for all contracted songs, delivering music to the artists' fans through multiple digital music services   The Hype Music site will include interviews, videos and buzz along with reviews and views to provide an educated, inside look at the emerging talent.

The initial bands involved in the HYPEMUSIC.COM launch include: New Cassettes, Locksley, George Byrne, Ginger Sling, The Midi Mafia, Theft, National Skyline, Atlantic Line, Hell & Lula, Marc Robillard, The Diamond Light, The New F-Os, Lego Johnson, Atlantic Connection, Desoto Jones, Daniel Chavez Wright (3D Friends) and Heavy Young Heathens  

To celebrate the launch, MTV and Extreme will host a industry insider showcase on June 16th at The Village Studios in Los Angeles that will be hosted by Nic Harcourt and feature several of the Hype artists.