Bebo to launch new music features amid shake up.

The social-networking site makes plans to create a "new market place for generating revenue from music"

Bebo has announced a raft of revenue-enhancing features on its social- networking site in the week that saw the departure of its global VP for music and content Angel Gambino.

Principle among the new features, designed to open up new revenue streams and encourage user engagement, is the "official" Bebo logo. This is intended to designate an artist or brand's official Bebo site, distinguishing it from unofficial fan offerings.

This feature - unique among the major social-networking sites - will, according to Gambino, who left the company last Monday, encourage transparency and trust among Bebo users.

"In terms of long-term relationships [with Bebo users], the more we give them an authentic experience, the more they will stay with us," Gambino says. "We have tried to create a much more legitimate platform. The relationships we are building are built on integrity."

As such, the official logo is designed to be extremely difficult for fans to copy, although Gambino stresses that the aim is not to discourage unofficial sites. Should official representatives or artists themselves wish to add the logo to their Bebo site, they are encouraged to contact the company directly.

Bebo has also expanded its Open Media platform to allow individuals to embed their own video channel into their Bebo page. As with any use of the platform, Bebo does not take a share of any advertising revenue, creating what Gambino calls a "new market place for generating revenue from music".