Music videos made in the UK are to get age ratings mirroring film classifications.

The new measures, which apply to artists represented by the major labels – Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music – will see clear age ratings displayed on YouTube and Vevo, making permanent a pilot programme launched by the government in October 2014.

YouTube and Vevo have been working with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to build a ratings system which will require major labels to send videos to the BBFC for classification ahead of release. Labels will then pass on the rating and guidance given when uploading their videos to YouTube and Vevo.

A six-month pilot is now launching to roll the system out to independent labels.

Over 130 videos have been submitted to the BBFC so far, with 56 classified as a 12 and 53 rated as 15. The only 18 rating was awarded to Dizzee Rascal’s ultra-violent horror spoof ‘Couple of Stacks’.

Vevo is now exploring how to link the age ratings to its technology to strengthen age controls, while YouTube said the ratings would work with its existing restricted mode designed to helps parents block adult content.[via Guardian]