Audio and Video News Services

An audio or video news service is usually a commercial entity that provides prerecorded sound or video for news media, general business corporations, or (more recently) individuals. In its overall purpose, it somewhat parallels the function of a photo agency. Some entities operate as a part of long-recognized news services (such as the Associated Press or CNN) that make their own reports or footage available, but increasingly, many are independent firms making use of the Internet for inexpensive distribution of both professional and amateur (or “home”) audio or video recordings.

Audio and video news services developed as recording and playback technology made them possible. In the Internet era, much of the business lacks a formal structure—there are new companies popping up all the time. Some firms ...