Some thought-provoking comments from Hits' I.B. Bad on Warner Music Group's Edgar Bronfman and his rush to wheel and deal with Internet companies.

"Warner Music’s pact with YouTube appears to be yet another ploy on the part of Edgar Bronfman Jr. to be seen as a leader of the digital revolution in the eyes of Wall Street, in an effort to boost WMG stock. Music biz veterans find this self-spinning laughable, asking how an executive with his history of making bad business decisions could lead anyone anywhere. They further note that Bronfman, who was clearly in a big hurry to get a deal done, is taking short money for PR purposes—and possibly mortgaging his company’s future in the process."

Those comments caught my attention because they're so true to life. How many times have business writers called WMG the leader in digital music without giving any solid evidence to back up the tag? (One example. Another example.)

Whether or not a hastily drafted deal with YouTube is a risk to WMG's future would depend on the financial impact of these revenue-sharing deals. Until there's evidence that the checks being written will actually amount to something material, let's just assume they won't either greatly harm nor greatly hurt a label. Collectively, though, a large number of short-sighted deals could certainly jeorpardize a label's health.