LOS ANGELES — Xbox 360 gamers will get a year of free music videos and other content from artists signed to Epic Records under a deal between the record label and Microsoft, the companies said yesterday.

The arrangement calls for Epic Records to feature 12 of its artists on a program dubbed Artist of the Month, which users of Microsoft's gaming console can access over the Xbox Live entertainment network.

Xbox Live members also can compete for a chance to play an online game against the Epic recording artists. The first to participate in the promotion will be singer Natasha Bedingfield.