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One of My Favorite New Gadgets Available!
At least for the moment anyway. There are constantly gadgets and new technology popping up every single day. From iPods that fit in your back pocket and fit 4000 songs, to James Bond watches that actually do James Bond "stunts" to 3 inch laptops, we really have a lot of different things to choose from. If I was a billionaire, I would spend all my money on fast cars and gadgets. Lots and lots of gadgets! In this article, I'm going to list my favorite gadget of the moment.
Video Glasses are really starting to become incredibly popular. I first found out about these when I was on a plane heading to the south of Florida, they had one of these little gadget sky mall magazines, and as I was flipping through it I found these cool little video glasses. At first look your either going to ooh and ahh or you're going to completely miss the point and sigh about "another" ridiculous gadget hitting the shelves. For your information, these glasses are awesome! So how do they work? Simple, these glasses can be connected to your PC or laptop through the VGA and or AV jack and function as a monitor to play games online or watch movies online. You can also use these glasses to connect to your video game console and watch the game through the glasses.
By "through" the glasses I mean, there is a small virtual screen "in" the glasses, when you look straight ahead or in some cases side to side, you can see the video being played as well as hear the sounds through tiny speakers that are implanted on the glasses. Listed below are some of the specs for these virtual glasses:
Video Glasses 80' EVG920D
*Breathtaking 3D feature for unbelievable stereoscopic game and movie experience
*Can work on any operation system, and any computers that support 640*480 resolution
*Auto switching between different video system, Pal/Ntsc/Secam
*Standard Nokia Mobile batteries in-built, removable, chargeable and exchangeable.
*Compact and light weighted trendy design
*Low power consumption
*Adjustable volume
*4 hours continuous play after one full charge
*Resolution: 640 * 480 (VGA)
*Color depth:24-bit input
*Viewing Angle: 35 degrees diagonal
*Audio: Dual-channel stereo
*3D Feature: Field Sequential 3D stereoscopic VGA signal
*Video input format: VGA (60Hz), Composite AV (NTSC/PAL/SECAM) input, S-Video (optional)
- USB cable
- VGA cable
- AV cable
These things are just incredible, and honestly the price isn't half bad either, your looking at around $300. I kind of like the price because for one thing you know they aren't going to be some cheap product that is going to break the next day and for two you know this product is made for stability, comfort, usage, and convenience. If it was $15, I would be a little worried personally!
Here are a couple other video gasses you can also take a look at. All of these vary in prices as well as specs and accessories:
Lunettes video EVG180 -
This device can be connected to various multimedia players like portable DVD player, portable media player, game console, game pad, and digital or analog TV tuner etc to work as a display. User can enjoy exclusive and portable fun wherever they go.
Video Eye wear Recorder EVR130 -
Quality Polaroid Lens from brand makers. Includes a 1.3 mega pixels pinhole CMOS camera for clear digital recording. User-friendly operation button for easy control. Sleek and elegant design suits for both men and women users. Easy connection with PC/Laptops, no driver needed. Built in 2G memory for as long as 5 hours video recording. Real time recording, never let memorable moments sneak away from life.
MT320 Mobile Theatre Video Glasses -
80inch Virtual Display, 16.7mega colors, enjoy movies, music, game, photos and favorite books everywhere you go. Economical design, sleek looking, light weight, very comfortable! User-friendly U/I back lit control enables the usage even in dark situations.
Sony Ericsson V640i Plug on For an All New Musical Experience
Sony Ericsson is always coming out with new products, which use the latest technology and provide the user with a wide range of options. The totally new V640I is an exclusive for Vodafone users. It should be available in the shops by the last week of 2007.
A Unique in V-series
The new Sony Ericsson's V640I does not have any parallels in its V-series but is more like an improved K530i. It's a 3G device with HSDPA, which is the first of its kind in the entire Ericsson mobile range. It supports standard 3G and the V640i and it has quad-band GSM, GPRS and EDGE data. Vodafone and Sony Ericsson insist that the V640i's data capabilities are ideal for downloading music and multimedia - they say that a sound track can be downloaded in just 14 seconds via HSDPA.
Other features
Apart from the high-speed data connectivity, the rest of the V640i's specifications include a plethora of other user friendly options. Ericsson's V640I has a 2.0" 176x220 pixel display, 2 mega pixel camera, Memory Stick Micro expandable memory, stereo Blue tooth, an FM radio and a web browser, email client and RSS feed reader. It's a resolutely mid-range device with the unusual addition of 3.5G data. This one feature sets it aside from all competition.
It's easy, clean, no-fuss and an intuitive menu navigation feature ensures that the user can access the sound track, video clip or image in a few clicks. A dedicated music key and a huge external speaker ensure that this mobile does not compromise on the musical experience. The user can download and enjoy music and videos whenever and wherever he wants.
Physically, the Sony Ericsson V640i measures 103 x 47 x 16mm and weighs 97 grams. The battery life is around 3 hours talk time on 3G, 9 hours on GSM and a standby time of 16 days. The V640i will be available in Quick Black and Havana Gold color combinations.
What's Working Right Now in Music Marketing?
It's Chris Rockett here, your friendly neighborhood tactics pimp! Today I want to talk to you about what's going on behind the scenes for my music promotion projects.
So what am I doing?
To help please the internet and the mighty "King Google" I'm placing much more emphasis on content based music marketing. You have seen that I'm doing YouTube videos, Twitter posts, Facebook pages, and blog posts.
This all works great to bring in new fans to your gang, because there is so much to talk about in your music scene, and you can easily jump into the conversation.
Let's have a look at how you can do that...
Google - You can obviously pay for traffic on Google, but it's really hard to make a profit so I'm going to suggest you use a process called "Search engine optimization" or SEO.
This means that you show up in the natural search results which will bring new fans to your website.
Did I mention that this kind of fan generation is totally FREE. (Very cool)
You can download a great introduction to SEO here.
But I would suggest you not overcomplicate this and just follow my simple process...
=> Add lots of articles to your blog related to the music scene that you work in.
=> After a while you will start to rank for a lot of different keywords and will be getting hits from all over the place.
=> Do the "Guest post method" and use the links back to your site to power up your blog trust in Google. This will in turn make it easier to rank for other terms.
Facebook - Make sure that you have a Facebook fan page and share high quality content everyday. Create work that is exclusive to your Facebook fans.
When you post ask then to comment and make sure that you join in the conversation before it dies. Share your YouTube videos, blog posts, new songs, guest blog posts and never post any crap on there at all.
If you do this right an post the best stuff you can find, people will share your content, and more and more of their friends will find and follow your page, which will create a feedback loop.
Facebook Ads - I'm also using ads in some cases and you can read my free guide on the Gen-Y Rock Stars blog here.
YouTube - Just start making simple videos at least three times a week and deliver high quality content to your network with not only your own music, but also your opinion of news in the scene, and album reviews for other bands.
Twitter - Track down the latest breaking news in your music scene and become the best source of music information for your fans. Also let your followers know about your own music once in a while.
Final thoughts
People are already looking for quality information about their favourite music so you need to plant yourself in front of those fans and then attract them back to your own website.
Just focus on the top few sites on the Internet and you will save yourself a bunch of time.
That's basically what I wanted to talk to you about today; the most powerful "fan getting" websites on the planet right now, that you can start using to spread your amazing songs and opinions.
May the force be with you, my music marketing friend!
- Chris Rockett
The Ropes of Selling Music For Production
All through the improvements that have impacted the music industry, a very important factor that has always been consistent is music for production. This usually has, and can remain, just about the most desired markets for composers as well as musicians. Music for production is very important to a production's success. Each and every film, TV show and also corporate video requires music to lift their final product... they usually have and will be always. Record labels could only get you so far, but bringing a tune in a TV show may gather its returns for a long time.
Production music libraries in many cases are requested by composers and musicians about how precisely to publish their very own music for production. An excellent library should be available to a stable circulation of fresh material from both experienced or veterans and new musicians. Who knows what undiscovered talent is waiting around in the wings! While all of us devote most time of our day online, connected to our email and the world wide web, it's very easy to deliver out an MP3 with a link to a site to browse around. Yet, a bit of work in your production can surely significantly help. Posting a demo CD featuring your very best work, with all clearly branded might have longer desk pile life than an email that's very easy to delete and tag as spam. The majority of production music libraries hold the greatest submissions on hand, generally organized by genre, for upcoming projects. Do not be blown away to listen to back from a library one year after, when they eventually comprehend they do need an album of mariachi rock music for production.
For some music libraries, composer agreements are made on a work-for-hire basis. The library will have the masters and copyrights, and will keep 100% ownership of publishing shares. But, the composer is eligible to take part in all writer performance royalties. Agreements may change among various music for production libraries, although many work on a work-for-hire basis to be able to support the type of music for production libraries as a one stop licensing shop.
Publishing indie music for production is actually a the same process. But, the management contracts differs from exclusive to non-exclusive deals, varying term period and publishing share splits. Many music supervisors, who be given a continuous stream of submitted music for production, highlight the value of exclusive agreements. It's within their greatest interest, as well as your best interest as a composer/musician/artist, to do business with just one company to try to sell your music. By doing this, all parties included are clear in terms of the prices and true ownership/representative of the music in use. You do not wish to contend against yourself and also have the music supervisor settle for a less expensive license fee. You may be losing out on well-deserved license earnings!
Thus, just what occurs when all the parties agreed and your music is used in a TV show such as Grey's Anatomy or Fringe? Hopefully you are a registered writer with either of the US Performing Rights Organizations (PROs), namely ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. These PROs are every author as well as publishers' very best friend. These people are responsible to keep sending you those royalty checks each quarter, yet most importantly, they help safeguard your rights as a composer and publisher.
The Latest Music Video Products: Music Videos Online
Music of any genre and style will find its listener. Modern technological progress called forth search of new ways of audio and visual transmission and upgraded means of self-expression. Now it is turn of music videos. Progress gives us a chance to watch videos online, which makes access to new music videos very convenient.
Today, the production of music videos makes a step away from the exceptionally aesthetic field towards the commercial medium. The audience can choose between videos online to their liking. There are more than ten thousands of musical artists produce more than 50 thousands of videos.
In the last several years, special attention has been drawn to video projects of a young singer Lady Gaga. Her new music video for the lyrical song You and I caused a stir among the audience and critics. This video is devoted to the singer's relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Here, Lady Gaga plays various roles from a mermaid to an Italian guy.
Music lovers are looking forward to a video for the song Lay it on Me by Kelly Rowland whose popularity is growing day by day. Recently, several shots from this video were shown to the public. Here we see Kelly dance with a group of naked dancers. The final version of the video promises to show the audience a real African elephant. We remind you that Lay it on Me is the third single from the latest singer's album Here I Am which made its debut in the second place in the American chart.
Rock fans should also rejoice because the legendary band Evanescence released a new long-awaited music video. The video was directed by Meiert Avis who worked with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Avril Lavigne, Jennifer Lopez and others.
Russian stars are trying to keep up with foreign music video directors and singers. For instance, the video of Vera Brezhneva and Dan Balan Lepestkami Slez (With Petals of Tears) was watched on YouTube 7,322,461 times. The duet's work shows a romantic story of a pair of sweethearts which unfolds in an extremely beautiful cyberspace and by this means produces a great impact on the conscience of a viewer. Same effect has T.A.T.U., music group from two russians girls, who has subdued the world with hits about girls love. This group also was presented on The Eurovision in 2009 year, where they win second place.
Today, the production of music videos makes a step away from the exceptionally aesthetic field towards the commercial medium. The audience can choose between videos online to their liking. There are more than ten thousands of musical artists produce more than 50 thousands of videos.
In the last several years, special attention has been drawn to video projects of a young singer Lady Gaga. Her new music video for the lyrical song You and I caused a stir among the audience and critics. This video is devoted to the singer's relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Here, Lady Gaga plays various roles from a mermaid to an Italian guy.
Music lovers are looking forward to a video for the song Lay it on Me by Kelly Rowland whose popularity is growing day by day. Recently, several shots from this video were shown to the public. Here we see Kelly dance with a group of naked dancers. The final version of the video promises to show the audience a real African elephant. We remind you that Lay it on Me is the third single from the latest singer's album Here I Am which made its debut in the second place in the American chart.
Rock fans should also rejoice because the legendary band Evanescence released a new long-awaited music video. The video was directed by Meiert Avis who worked with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Avril Lavigne, Jennifer Lopez and others.
Russian stars are trying to keep up with foreign music video directors and singers. For instance, the video of Vera Brezhneva and Dan Balan Lepestkami Slez (With Petals of Tears) was watched on YouTube 7,322,461 times. The duet's work shows a romantic story of a pair of sweethearts which unfolds in an extremely beautiful cyberspace and by this means produces a great impact on the conscience of a viewer. Same effect has T.A.T.U., music group from two russians girls, who has subdued the world with hits about girls love. This group also was presented on The Eurovision in 2009 year, where they win second place.
Upcoming New Craze - Watching Celebrity & Music Videos
Over the past few years the internet has made its presence felt almost in all areas. It has widely captured the attention of all music and movie lovers from all across the world and allowed them watch their favorite music videos or celebrity video clips online. The growth in online music videos and songs has wrecked the barrier of language, society and country.
Today with the spread of Internet global accessing, watching celebrity video clips have become very popular online. With new websites bouncing up focusing entirely on offering free video clip to users, these days there are millions of online clips available online. Besides this, many established and media sites or news sites are adding celebrity video content to their websites. While most of this content is non-exclusive and available on competing sites, some websites produce all their own videos and certainly do not rely on the work of outside amateurs.
In recent years, the glamour and glitz in film and music industry have made everyone of us crazy. Many of us secretly or openly wish to live a life like our favorite film or music stars and celebrities. Besides this, there are many of us who even seriously care about celebrities and just wait in the long queue to have a better glimpse of our favorite actor. Moreover, there are even some who also purchase magazines on weekly or monthly basis to gain information about celebrities, recent films and music reviews. But subscribing to theses magazines can be very costly option as one has to pay huge amount of money for these magazines. Acting as a better alternative, online music videos and celebrity clips are emerging as ideal options.
Currently there are numerous video search engines that provide cost-free and easy online access to all of the great film studio content, celebrity video content, independent productions, and user-generated videos on the web. From hit series of different music composers to your favorite celebrity gossips or clips, video search engines has turned the vast universe of Internet video into high-quality, easy-to-use, personalized experience that entertain fans anywhere around the world. While some video clips are taken from established media sources, some individual-produced clips are also becoming more common and popular. Apart from all this, there are even different online musical websites that offer all kind of information and eye-catching wallpapers of music artists or new music album releases. These websites beyond doubt has brought an extraordinary and entertaining thrill to music video across the world.
No wonder free online music sites or video search engines have created a new digital revolution in present virtual world these days. The entire internet has indeed turned into an ideal platform where you can listen & download songs or view and share online celebrity videos with a few clicks of the mouse in few seconds. Certainly, this new craziness is more convenient when compared to waiting in front of your television all day for that one video that you want to watch or listen.
Find the latest and popular celebrity video, music video, latest news, education video and more in info.clipta.com. Clipta Informer is a place for content providers to promote their videos, and for users to discover news, posts and stories from many categories like celebrity, comedy, sports, music, auto, anime and more from leading video sites.
Today with the spread of Internet global accessing, watching celebrity video clips have become very popular online. With new websites bouncing up focusing entirely on offering free video clip to users, these days there are millions of online clips available online. Besides this, many established and media sites or news sites are adding celebrity video content to their websites. While most of this content is non-exclusive and available on competing sites, some websites produce all their own videos and certainly do not rely on the work of outside amateurs.
In recent years, the glamour and glitz in film and music industry have made everyone of us crazy. Many of us secretly or openly wish to live a life like our favorite film or music stars and celebrities. Besides this, there are many of us who even seriously care about celebrities and just wait in the long queue to have a better glimpse of our favorite actor. Moreover, there are even some who also purchase magazines on weekly or monthly basis to gain information about celebrities, recent films and music reviews. But subscribing to theses magazines can be very costly option as one has to pay huge amount of money for these magazines. Acting as a better alternative, online music videos and celebrity clips are emerging as ideal options.
Currently there are numerous video search engines that provide cost-free and easy online access to all of the great film studio content, celebrity video content, independent productions, and user-generated videos on the web. From hit series of different music composers to your favorite celebrity gossips or clips, video search engines has turned the vast universe of Internet video into high-quality, easy-to-use, personalized experience that entertain fans anywhere around the world. While some video clips are taken from established media sources, some individual-produced clips are also becoming more common and popular. Apart from all this, there are even different online musical websites that offer all kind of information and eye-catching wallpapers of music artists or new music album releases. These websites beyond doubt has brought an extraordinary and entertaining thrill to music video across the world.
No wonder free online music sites or video search engines have created a new digital revolution in present virtual world these days. The entire internet has indeed turned into an ideal platform where you can listen & download songs or view and share online celebrity videos with a few clicks of the mouse in few seconds. Certainly, this new craziness is more convenient when compared to waiting in front of your television all day for that one video that you want to watch or listen.
Find the latest and popular celebrity video, music video, latest news, education video and more in info.clipta.com. Clipta Informer is a place for content providers to promote their videos, and for users to discover news, posts and stories from many categories like celebrity, comedy, sports, music, auto, anime and more from leading video sites.
Net Neutrality And The Cellular Networks
While senators in Washington mull over issues of net neutrality as they pertain to the terrestrial cable and telco networks, eBay VoIP provider Skype has asked the FCC to open up the cellular networks to outside applications and devices. While obviously self serving, the petition stirs up the debate on just what kind of role consumer choice should play on the public airwaves.
Specifically, Skype is asking the FCC to apply the Carterphone ruling of 1968 to the cellular communications industry of today. Prior to that decision, AT&T determined what type of device could be hooked up to their network, typically a phone device that was sold exclusively by them.
As a result of the Carterphone ruling, the phone company's control of the network stopped at the telephone jack. Consumers could choose from an onslaught of new devices and technologies entering the market. From answering machines, to fax machines, and eventually the modem - a major factor in the Internet boom of the nineties.
Since the FCC began auctioning off the public radio spectrum in the 1990s, the growth of the cell phone industry has mushroomed, changing the very face of telecommunications and the way people communicate worldwide. New technologies flourished, and today, the cellular networks can only carry voice, but are themselves an extension of the Internet.
Developers and device manufacturers have come up with mobile applications such as text messaging, email, full blown internet browsing, music and video down and uploading, mobile office applications, VoIP and more. The new generation of cell phones are now called smart phones, and can do just about anything your computer can do. Handsets are built with multiple radios that can access cellular, WiFi and Bluetooth frequencies, and can seamlessly switch a call from a cellular network to the much cheaper Internet via VoIP over a WiFi connection.
U.S. Cell Phone Denial of Services
While many of these applications and capabilities are available on overseas networks, in the US it's a different story. As cited by Dr. Tim Wu in his paper Wireless Net Neutrality, "...the cellular phones widely available in the United States are just a small fraction of the phones available in the world."
As it stands today in the US, the cellular industry has boiled down to four major carriers based on two different technologies, and they all guard their networks jealously. Verizon and Sprint use the CDMA standard (Code Division Multiple Access), and AT&T (formerly Cingular Wireless) and T-Mobile employ the GSM standard (Global System Mobile), which currently enjoys about 73% world market share.
As with AT&T before Carterphone, all of the carriers sell their own phones, and block access to their networks from the others to varying degrees, using different methods. The CDMA phones use an Electronic Serial Number (ESN) that is registered by the carrier network. Verizon will not allow a phone on their network that is not sold by them. Sprint will allow you to register a non Sprint device, but strongly discourages it and offers no technical support for such phones.
GSM networks use a SIM card, a chip that contains subscriber information and is designed to allow phones to switch networks by inserting the SIM card of the appropriate carrier. Phones sold by AT&T and T-Mobile come with the SIM card disabled, effectively locking them to the network. It is possible, though not easy, to unlock these phones and is also legal to do so in the United States. Not wanting to push the envelope too much, AT&T and T-Mobile allow the unlocking of their phones after an initial period of ownership.
In an attempt to keep users on their networks, and thus revenues up, the cellcos have crippled applications that others enjoy world wide. The very popular activities of downloading music, pictures, and video are indeed available in the US cellular market, but try to email or upload to a location not approved, and you'll likely find your efforts blocked. You can, for an additional fee of course, upload and share your media to web sites approved by the carrier.
Bluetooth wireless technology lets devices communicate with each other over a low band short range radio frequency. Bluetooth enabled printers, computers, mobile phones and wireless headsets, allow users to up and download media, send files and photos to a printer, and talk on your cell phone hands free. Yet US carriers have at some time or another crippled many of the features available through Bluetooth technology.
Probably the most disruptive technology for the cellular industry is WiFi. The 802.11b/g standard allows for a broadband wireless connection suitable for email, web browsing, inter device communication, and the dreaded, extremely cheap, voice over Internet Protocol. Internet telephony can bypass the cellular networks by sending voice directly over the Internet through a landline or a WiFi connection.
Device manufacturers can and do incorporate WiFi technology into their handsets, but the cellular carriers in the US have resisted tooth and nail by crippling WiFi in their devices, and demanding that manufacturers make WiFi-less versions of their phones for the American market. While it is technologically possible to load third party applications such as Skype onto a mobile phone, to do so on a WiFi capable cell phone would threaten the very business model of the cellcos.
Today, you will find very few cell phones in America that are WiFi capable. Just now, cell phones are becoming available in Europe that can operate on the cellular network as well as corporate wireless LANs, integrating into the company IP/PBX telephony system.
In conjunction with AT&T, Apple announced recently that its premier iPhone coming out in June will have WiFi functionality, but to what extent is yet to be seen. Unfortunately for Skype and others, there will be no third party applications allowed on the iPhone.
The major carriers in the US also offer broadband Internet access over their networks, mainly through an antenna placed on a PC card plugged into a laptop. Cellular broadband access is in direct competition with the WiFi hotspots popping up in airports, hotels, corporate LANS, and other public facilities. The developing 802.16 WiMax technology also threatens to add the Metropolitan LAN into the competitive mix.
While WiFi is considerably faster than the cellular networks, it is mainly designed for short range networks and hot spots must be searched out. The cellular networks, on the other hand, can offer broadband access wherever their network reaches.
The U.S. carriers restrict what type of services, applications, and features are allowed on their network, and will terminate and charge users suspected of violating their contractual agreement. Basically, broadband services allow only email, browsing, and corporate intranet access. Downloading of music and video from unauthorized sites (iTunes and YouTube for example) and P2P file sharing is prohibited, and enforced in some cases by placing strict band width limitations on users.
How the Net Neutrality Movement Pertains to the Cellular Industry
If the early development of the Internet can be compared to the American Wild West, then the rise of the U.S. cellular industry can be likened to Stalin's Soviet Union. Carrier networks rule developers, device manufactures, and consumers with an iron fist, allowing only the services and features of their choice on their networks.
To be sure, there are some major differences between the Internet and cellular networks. U.S. carriers have spent billions for their share of the wireless spectrum, and maintain the right to determine what features are available to the consumer. Corporate executives contend that there is fierce competition in the cellular industry that should be the determining factor in consumer choice, as opposed to governmental regulation.
Whereas the early days of the Internet witnessed massive technological innovation from developers and manufacturers due to its inherent openness, American cellular networks were from the beginning proprietary and self serving.
The Net Neutrality concept sprung from a grass roots movement when cable and telco executives started talking about charging high bandwidth users such as Google, Vonage, and YouTube, for using their pipes. The fear that these companies could thus control what content would be available to consumers threatened the very foundation of a free and open Internet.
The cellular phone companies on the other hand, were from their inception businesses operating in a free enterprise society, and as such, have every right to dictate what services to offer. Absent any public outcry from consumers for the right to choose, regulation of the industry would seem to be anything but a foregone conclusion.
That said, the implementation of the Carterphone principals would seem to be a logical step to prevent monopoly like tactics from an industry that is entrusted with the public airwaves. The other players in the telecommunication industry, including the cable companies, must and do abide by the ruling.
What is puzzling is that cellular companies could actually open up more revenue streams by offering services that consumers would gladly pay extra for. Downloading music and video from iTunes for example could be charged by bandwidth usage, and cellcos could implement calling plans that would include minutes used to make calls over the Internet.
Of particular interest to the business community is the concept of Fixed Mobile Convergence, having one phone with one phone number that can traverse cellular and WiFi networks, allowing calls to be made through VoIP and traditional landlines, in addition to the cellular air waves.
Device manufacturers like Nokia already make handsets that integrate with corporate IP/PBX systems from Cisco, Avaya, Siemens and others, and will route calls over the best network available. While much progress in this technology is being made in Europe and other regions, the American market remains stifling for developers and manufacturers both.
It will be interesting to see how the Skype petition plays out with the FCC. Applying the Carterphone ruling could conceivably open up the floodgates for new development and technological innovation. If not, the U.S. cell phone industry will have to depend on sluggish market forces to catch up with the rest of the world.
3D Glasses and Hands-Free Navigation - Now That's Entertainment!
From the jaw dropping 3D or 3-dimensional entertainment, comes an unstoppable feat that raises technology beyond limits - 3D glasses hands-free! It is estimated that within this year there will be a hefty reappearance of 3D entertainment as a result of the successful top grossing blockbuster movie, Avatar. Recently, not only is 3D entertainment featured in cinemas, but also in High Definition Televisions and game consoles. For sure, 3D entertainment keeps any business rolling.
Apple one of the leading top grossing companies, which newly released their iPad for international circulation has exclusive rights for an application that allows 3D entertainment right on the hands of any Apple hand held gadget owner, from the renowned iPhone, iPod, down to the recently released iPad.
One has to use the 3D video glasses in combination with an extensively incorporated camera, wherein the 3D video glasses identify even the slightest head jerks which makes it possible for navigation. Thanks to Apple, 3D entertainment is possible and accessible, anytime and anywhere.
Once again, apple has succeeded upon introducing something innovative globally. Apple's new creation of 3D video glasses hands-free navigation show that no matter how unfeasible a hurdle may seem, once again, Apple proved that there are no limits, especially when it comes to technology.
Apple technologies have influenced massive populations and affected day to day living, offering ease as its usage is far stretched practiced by almost everyone today. From their first unconventional music players, the iPod, Apple has developed a compact entertainment and assistant into a hand held gadget that is both stylish and elegant. Apple did not even stop there; it improved its iPod into touch screens which were then called the iTouch and into mobile phones which were later called the iPhone, one of the biggest fads in mobile phones today. Recently, Apple released its latest creation, the iPad.
The iPad is still paving its way into the global market however; Apple doesn't delay and introduces another one of its design, the 3D video glasses hands-free navigation enabling 3D, wherever and whenever. 3D video glasses hands-free navigation is as easy as plugging it into any hand held Apple device such as the iPod, iTouch, iPhone and the recently released iPad.
The navigation of the 3D video glasses is via head jerks and slight head movements, wherein there is no need for neither or both of the hands for navigation. Now that's entertainment!
Current Marketing Trends For Music
If you are wondering what the current marketing trends for music are these days, your answer can be summed up in one word: internet. Today, the internet has taken over the way we learn about music, listen to music, purchase music, and market music. In many ways it has changed the industry just as much as MTV did in the eighties and radio did in the twenties. All of the current marketing trends for music can be found on the internet.
For starters, every single band has its own website. Established and/or tech savvy bands have bought their own domain name and have crafted creative websites that include sound files, video files, press clippings, artists bios, and a way to order CDs and other band related merchandise. If a band is less well-established, it will probably still have a MySpace page. MySpace has really become the place to go for checking out new bands. Since the service is both free and user friendly it seems as though every band is using MySpace for free promotion these days.
Other online current marketing trends for music include online releases. Radiohead, a band that has always been at the forefront of the industry, recently released its new album, In Rainbows, exclusively online for the first month of its release. Only after that was it available in stores. This type of marketing not only gave Radiohead free publicity, but it also enabled their customers to download their music directly to their iTunes rather than purchasing a physical CD and uploading it to iTunes because, let's face it, nobody listens to CDs anymore.
The above fact and so much more are dictating current marketing trends for music.
New Uses and Opportunities for Video and Audio Producers
New uses of video on the web seem to occur daily and MediaStorm is a prime example of video's viral march into other art forms. MediaStorm, founded by Brian Storm formerly of Corbis and MSNBC, uses photojournalism, audio, and video to document social realities across the world in streaming multimedia pieces. Each story moves through a 10-20 minute montage of photographs, video clips and narration to describe a particular human experience.
The most noted of MediaStorm's project is "Iraqi Kurdistan" which uses a "flipbook-style" presentation of over 7,000 photographs by photojournalist Ed Kashi along a video timeline. By flipping through a myriad of still photographs the video editors achieved a striking sense of disjointed yet somehow fluid motion. Another piece documented by French photojournalist Olivier Jobard, "Kingsley's Crossing," describes one young man's harrowing journey from Cameroon to Europe to escape poverty. Another, entitled "BLOODLINE: AIDS and Family" includes emotionally charged photos by Kristen Ashburn and presents the terrible reality of AIDs in sub-Saharan Africa. One of the more recent videos, "Black Market," with narration and photos by Patrick Brown, seeks to uncover the massive scope and ignorance behind the illegal wildlife trade in Asia. Since these pieces are delivered as online video, the ability of photographers and photojournalists to present their work is vastly increased. The use of video and audio allows a richer presentation of each particular story than simply photographs, and since these pieces are delivered online, the reach is global.
This article points to new opportunities for video and audio producers. The point here, of MediaStorm's work, from an opportunity perspective is that photographers now become possible clients for video and audio producers. A web video which includes samples of a photographers work, an interview, and other video tidbits to enhance a particular story or series would be a fantastic calling card and/or promotional item for a photographer's website. Furthermore, the human interests stories can be sold to online news agencies. MediaStorm, in fact, held a private auction for the exclusive rights to "Iraqi Kurdistan" which ultimately went to MSNBC.com for an undisclosed amount. Clearly, an online market exists for new and innovative human interest stories in short multi- media format. For a videographer looking to expand their work and income, a jaunt into this world could, and in MediaStorm's case apparently does, pay off big. For all the audio folks out there, just follow the video folks wherever they go, give them excellent sound and great music, and you should be just fine.
Boom in Music Video Downloads As Music Fans Watch Videos On-the-Go
As the popularity of glossy rap, r&b and reggae music videos soar, urban music fans are choosing to download music videos rather than phoning or texting music television channels to request their favourite videos. Urban Music fans have been long-awaiting an alternative to UK music television channels such as MTV Base, The Box and Kiss TV, such as access to free music video viewing of the videos of their choice, as well as music video downloads. At £1 minimum per video request, music fans are fast diverting away from music television and instead watching music videos for free online and downloading them to watch on their iPod's, mp4 players, BlackBerries and other mp4-compatible phones.
In this information age we're living in, people want information fast and for it to be easily accessible. Music fans want to hear good music for free, and if they like what they hear from an artist, they'll want to visit that artist's official website and MySpace page, as well as their Amazon and iTunes stores. Having all of this information listed with each music video will make music accessibility easier for the viewer, as well as bridging the gap between the fan and the artist. With easily-accessible music videos in your pocket, your iPod, phone or mp4 player will surely breathe a new lease of life into those long bus, train and plane journeys!
When asked about the future of video viewing, the founder of a leading website said "Music fans need a platform to watch and download their choice of current and exclusive videos quickly and easily, without having to pay to request them." He also went on to say "Independent music is just as popular right now as music from major record labels, and websites need to feature downloadable music videos by independent artists that viewers can watch on-the-go on iPod's and other portable devices. It's become obvious that music fans prefer to download their favourite artists' music videos for their iPod's and keep the videos for life, rather than spend £1 or more requesting from music video television channels".
Hip Hop Music Video Sites Reviewed
A hip hop music video is immediately recognizable in its style; from bubble lenses to camera shots from the ground up, people know what they're looking at right away. Here's several places online where you can watch a hip hop music video for free, download award winning songs from hot new artists, and basically turn your computer into your own personal MTV...
AOLMusic is a great place to start. They've got a wide selection of hip hop videos that are updated constantly. They include a New Artist section which allows you stay on top of your favorite artists new releases. The navigation is clean and easy to find what you're looking for. However, if you're looking for underground rap videos, this is not the place. For that you need to check out...
UndergroundHipHop. Their video selection is top notch and geared towards underground artists you would never, ever see on AOL. Artists like Brother Ali, Kool Keith and Atmospshere are all well represented. The viewers are entertaining as well; these guys and gals have no problem telling it like is on a new video release, regardless of the artist!
Interested in getting crunk? The Dirty South is well represented on VideoCure, which at the time of writing had over 750 videos on the Dirty South alone. In addition to southern hard hitters like Lil' Wayne, they've got a large selection of compilation videos as well. For anyone on MySpace, VideoCure makes it easy to embed a hip hop music video directly onto your MySpace page (exactly like YouTube).
MusicVideoRap airs streaming (meaning no downloads) uncensored music videos. Like the other sites listed, there's the standards New Rap Releases, as well as a series of Freestyles by aritsts like Snoop Dogg and Eminem. What separates this site from the others is the extensive number of articles on all things hip hop: including new aritsts, freestyle methods and reviews of top rap artists.
These four websites will provide you the chance to explore how different sub genres approach the hip hop music video- such as the underground's use of narratives versus the party atmosphere of the Dirty South- and hopefully provide hours of entertainment as well! These are the channels for the hottest rap and hip hop artists songs and videos, most of which you can watch for free. I believe that in a short amount of time music videos will have dominated the Internet, and watched almost exclusively online instead of on stations like MTV.
Getting Noticed Online With Video
INTRODUCTION
Using Video To Get Listed Quicker on Search Engines
There's a lot of talk about "Search Engine Optimization" (SEO) these days. Even though all this does need to be done to get the most out of an online campaign, just one video will get you noticed quicker---and it will be much easier with the introduction of the new iPhone 4 (you can shoot, edit, and share HD video right on the phone!).
Combining images and audio is very powerful and very effective in getting your message across---and a great percentage of people will actually remember it.
Someone once said that we retain 10% of what we hear; 20% of what we read; 30% of what we see; 50% of what we hear and see; 70% of what we discuss; and 90% of what we do or teach.
So, as this shows, video is the most effective form of 'presentation' we have now---and after one experiences a video presentation, if you can get them to do something, that will almost 'cinch' an action related to your message. That is why advertisers still use TV commercials, since they know it still is a very effective method in communicating their client's message.
A "permissionTV" (now VisibleGains) study stated that 2/3 of senior marketing executives focused on web video campaigns in 2009---and more will do so in 2010.
Just look at how popular YouTube has become (and that Google paid $1.56B for it a few years ago). Video, combined with the distribution to the mobile phone, is going to be the next wave in marketing.
As high-speed Internet becomes more prevalent via "broadband" (computers) and "wireless" (phones)---which has been estimated to be installed in about 75-80% of the homes and business in the U.S. by 2012---videos will be available to more people, the costs to distribute them will go down, and it will 'suddenly' become an expected part of doing business. So, do it now, and be ahead of the curve!
WAYS TO USE INTERNET VIDEO
Reduces Costs and Increases Customer Service
There are many different ways to use video in your marketing 'mix'---company overviews, executive summaries, product reviews, and talking-head welcomes. You can even combine the video with a presentation for a more effective online meeting, or develop a stand-alone interactive presentation that allows the user to focus on what they want at their own pace.
But, since people don't like to be 'sold', it is much more effective to show someone how to 'do' something---like fixing or putting something together, training someone on specific actions, or showing the details of something physical. Examples include adding memory to your computer, new employee training, and real estate walk-thrus---and things like PodCasts are a great way to distribute these in many different venues.
This reduces your costs and allows the customer to do it when they want to, rather than when your company customer service is available.
Your potential customer is searching for someone they can trust, and you're an unknown entity. Using video is the closest thing to actually being there, and one of the most effective methods in garnering that trust.
TYPES OF VIDEO
Different Types for Different Uses
Motion graphics is usually totally computer generated content like a 'slide show' or animation that usually has some sort of music or voice-over to give it interest and better explain the message. This allows you to create things that don't exist, or would be cost prohibitive to shoot video of.
Probably the most popular software package for this is Apple's Final Cut Studio, and it has an industry-leading component called "Motion" that is used by most leading-edge production facilities around the world, and most, if not all, of the Hollywood studios.
A more 'traditional' video would be called a "movie." This usually combines 'clips' from a video camera with graphics and music. Again, most high-end producers use Final Cut Pro for this, allowing them non-linear editing capabilities using a variety of different video formats, and then 'modularize' the presentation so it can be used in many different ways, and distributed via many different formats.
WHY USE INTERNET VIDEO?
Levels 'Playing Field' for Small Business
One of the things video does is 'level the playing field' for small business---you can be perceived as an expert and 'look' like you are a much larger company than you really are. It also reduces the cost of 'sales-per-appointment' drastically.
Since video is multi-sensory, it engages the viewer to absorb more information quicker, and the user can review specifics by replaying it. It also presents a 'consistent' message, something hard to do with the 'personalities' of a sales force.
In addition to this, video accounts for over 50% of all web traffic---with more than 20% of all web traffic going to just one site (YouTube). With the introduction of the Facebook "Page," businesses will have another 'outlet' for their videos.
Even though video is still in its 'infancy', it's becoming very popular (especially with the increased capabilities of "Smart Phones"). It will also give you a lot better chance of getting 'noticed' in comparison to having just a web site---search engines are looking for new video content, and Google's "live news feed" in their search results features videos related to the request.
Just remember, today web surfers know what they want, and they want it quickly. So, present your video as one of the first things they see, and tell them they can find out within 2 minutes, whether or not you can help them.
You need to convince them what makes you different from other companies. So, definitely check out what your competition is doing---and do it better and quicker!
THREE IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE
Cost Effective; Quickly Changed; 24x7
First off, it's very cost effective to distribute information, since your prospects and customers can easily download it. This saves you money.
Secondly, it can be changed quickly to respond to market changes and product updates. This keeps you ahead of your competition, in more ways than one---a video actually ranks you higher in search results. Not only are video results becoming more common in search engine results, but your video stands a much better chance of being shown on the first page than your text pages do. (Surveys have shown that a video has about an 11,000-to-1 chance of being listed on the first page, whereas a text page has a 500,000-to-1 chance!).
Thirdly, it's worldwide. You can expand your 'reach' and grow your business. Since it's available 24x7, so it doesn't matter where your customers are located---you can be selling and supporting your products and services while you sleep.
INTEGRATED MULTIMEDIA APPROACH
Coordinated Marketing Message
"Multimedia" is a term used to describe the combination of multiple forms of media. A company that is considered a multimedia firm, is one that has expertise in print and graphic design, video production, web site development, advertising, marketing, and sometimes even trade show displays.
Having been around for over 20 years in this industry, I would suggest you look for a firm that understands the strengths of each media, and what needs to be done to make sure the visual look and feel are coordinated between them.
COMMON MISTAKES
Keep It Short and 'Sweet'
There are many methods for getting prospects to your web site, but it's only the first 'step' in online success. Getting them to take action is what you are doing all this for---to educate, engage, and solve their 'need' with what you have to offer.
One thing to remember is that creating an 'effective' web video takes more than just a camcorder and iMovie---it's a highly multi-disciplinary art that combines almost all computer graphics areas of expertise---creative 'storytelling'; graphics production; illustration; animation; titling; professional camera work; lighting; models and voice-over talent; musical integration; audio 'sweetening'; high-end editing capabilities; and an understanding of the best formats and compression to use for different distribution methods.
One of the other major mistakes people make is trying to say too much, thereby making the video too long. People are really busy and kind of 'impatient', so tell the viewer how long it is up-front. It's been shown that it should be no longer than two minutes, because there's even a worse 'backlash' when the presentation is either 'annoying' or too long.
So, even though in-steam video is much more effective, it can also be much more intrusive---so be judicious with it.
WHERE WE'RE HEADED
Rich Media and Web 2.0
You might have heard of the term, "Rich Media"---it describes the broad range of "dynamic motion" applied to static content that occurs over time. Examples can include things like streaming newscasts or stock 'ticker', or pre-recorded webcasts coupled with a synchronized slide that the user controls.
Another term you'll hear more is "Web 2.0," which will increase the security, collaboration, functionality, and creativity of the web. Sites like "Wiki," "Facebook," "Twitter," and "Flickr" are showing the first 'fruits' of this in the social networking arena. The future will see things like having interactive customer design and personalization of products, reducing material and labor costs, and getting the 'product' to the customer quicker.
With cell phones having become pretty much a common item for many people, there will be a larger 'push' to deliver content to the user in a more convenient and 'instantaneous' manner.
This medium is becoming so popular that there's a popular "viral video" TV show that shows what's most popular that particular week. This shows that the web is starting to be the 'originator' of content---something that was just recently 'relegated' to newspapers and TV exclusively.
There are also specific services available that are offering video-specific services. "Ramp.com"âEUR^(formerly "EveryZing"), converts video to text, and is ranking them like regular pages (kind of re-inventing Google's AdSense).
HOW TO START
Seek Expertise
Of course, one can easily record something or someone with a digital video camera or a web cam, and upload it to a sites like YouTube, Yahoo and Google Video, Flickr, Photobucket, and Vimeo.
Maybe I'm being a bit biased, but my strong suggestion is to be sure you deal with an experienced, proven firm. There are many people that can do only certain portions of a project, or are just starting off and will promise much for very little. This usually doesn't turn out well. Just remember, this is your 'image', something that may have taken years to develop---and will take a lot more effort to 'repair' a bad image than it takes to create one!
The good thing is, there's many resources available on the Internet to give you an idea of what you need and how to do an online video.
One we like (that we are not directly associated with), is presented by the "Participatory Culture Foundation" at http://www.MakeInternetTv.org. It's a step-by-step guide that informs you about the right equipment, some techniques for shooting video, considerations in the editing process, and how to publish and promote your video.
Just be advised that studies have shown that there are three very important factors that consumers have mentioned when viewing online video:
#1- Quality of picture
#2- Smoothness of playback (meaning no 'skipping' or 'dropped' frames)
#3- Lack of 'interruptions' (with sales type info)
Again, with the introduction of the iPhone 4, and the increased popularity of the Android-based smart phones, video will be easier to capture and distribute---just be sure it is coordinated with your marketing message, and upholds the quality of your corporate image.
THE "INFOMERCIAL"
A Proven Selling 'Formula'
Here's an acronym I heard a while back that might help in remembering the steps in how to properly 'sequence' your selling proposition: A.I.D.A.A.
A = Grab your prospects' ATTENTION
I = Generate INTEREST with your message
D = Create a DESIRE for your product or service
A A = "AGITATE" to get prospect to take ACTION
Here's some 'rules' that will help you in an approach to web video success:
#1 Get your video seen
#2 Let them know it's SHORT and inclusive
#3 Make it dynamic and fast-paced
#4 Coordinate visual scheme with your corporate identity
#5 Support the graphics (key points) with a good narrator
#6 Video is more effective with a powerful sound track
[But be sure they can turn it off (consideration for their listening environment), so be sure the key message is also contained in the graphics (text) of the video]
#7 Don't overload it with slogans and buzzwords
[Just look at some TV commercials for how the 'very smart' ad people---that spend a lot of money to try to keep your attention---'burn' their message into your brain]
#8 Make it easy to "share" (a link button or sharing site)
How to Distribute Your Digital Music
Introduction
In the age of digital music distribution, with its endless channels and intricacies, it can be a daunting task for independent artists to try to navigate through all the requirements of each digital music distributor in order to get music tracks uploaded and 'stocked' in digital stores such as iTunes. Luckily, a few enterprising services have sprung up on the net to act as the aggregator and a one-stop-digital distributor-shop, thereby greatly simplifying a very complicated process. Today we will review several such services, one of which in depth, called The Bizmo.
Music Promotion
Our focus here at Audiofanzine has always been gear- reviewing, updating, testing and breaking. But gear at the end is at the service of music creation. Once music is produced, mixed and mastered, we will want to release the music for everyone to hear. Artists eventually face the marketing and distribution cross roads, and more and more, in the age of DIY and independent artists, artists will try to upload their music directly on iTunes, Amazon MP3, and other leading digital music stores while at the same time doing a bit of viral marketing and general promotion. It forces an artist to wear many hats these days, and to dedicate more time than ever before to the business of promoting music. Once a single is 'done', the work has just begun, and between tweeting, performing, publishing and selling (and perhaps a day job), an artist is stretched thin to say the least.
Every artist knows that in order to promote music you should upload tracks to your various social network profiles, do an email campaign, book gigs, woo bloggers and magazine editors to review your music, schmooze, network, beg, cajole and talk to anyone online and off who will give you 2 minutes of their time. But today, we'd like to take this a step further and introduce you to a service we recently discovered here called The Bizmo, which, in addition to the to-do-list above, can be a very useful service to help both your small time viral campaign and your big time music distribution endeavors, with minimal headache considering the mammoth task at hand.
The Microstore Widget
The Bizmo microstore widget can be a great addition to your viral/online marketing efforts by embedding it in your personal webpage, My Space/Face Book profiles, or email blasts. It is a good tool to keep in touch with fans of your music and gives your selling efforts that personal intimate touch of a 'mom and pop shop'.
Newcomers to the Bizmo website will be glad to find a simple, uncluttered homepage, with clear and concise instructions as to what the Bizmo does and how you can join. Registration is simple and easy and thereafter you find yourself in the microstore widget space where you can easily upload and sell:
- Music Dual download
- Videos Dual download
- Tickets to your gigs
- Merchandise (e.g. t-shirts)
- E-books, Sheet music or similar pdf formatted products
- Ring tones Dual download
All the digital products are so called dual downloads. That means they are delivered both to your customers mobile phone and to their PC as well. Each time someone buys a digital product via the widget they get three things:
- An option to download the product to their PC straight out of the microstore
- An email with the download link in it.
- An SMS message (If they supplied a phone number) containing a link that downloads the content directly to their phone.
OK great. So once you have stocked the widget with all your products you can upload the widget directly to your Facebook, My Space, Ning, and Sky Rock profiles if you have them - or to any other website you manage by copying and pasting the html code. The process is relatively straightforward and simple from the My Store page on The Bizmo. On My Space it worked like a charm and within minutes our Audiofanzine microstore was embedded on the homepage of my personal profile for everyone to see. On Facebook, the situation is less ideal as the widget finds itself embedded not on your profile homepage but under the 'Shop' tab. Apparently, though this is because The Bizmo has a hard time catching up with Facebook's ever changing code...Hmm, so does everybody else.
The good thing about the microstore is that it is free to set up and use. Second, we find the design attractive, clean and clear. Once you edit your store it is automatically updated everywhere almost in real time. We very happily encountered no bugs along the way.
Money Matters
If you are not sure what to charge for your products on the microstore, The Bizmo has created a small guideline for you to reduce thinking time. The amount you earn from each sale depends mainly on 4 factors:
- The price you set: You decide the retail price from the above price brackets; your profit is generally a percentage of that price.
- The type of product you sell: External costs vary between products, e.g. shipping for T-Shirts
- The payment method the customer chooses, e.g. charges for mobile phone payments are much higher than on credit cards
- The currency the product is sold in. The Bizmo operates with several currencies and the bank exchange rates vary.
The average return is more or less 70% of the retail price. The money is deposited into your Pay Pal account which you can withdraw whenever you'd like. If you have a Bizmo Silver account you get 100% of the retail price.
We should mention that The Bizmo was not the first to come up with this type of widget, and Nimbit, a veteran in the fields of direct-to-fan sales and marketing solutions for independent artists, was first and is the market leader. But today we find that at least when it comes to the microstore widget, The Bizmo offers more products for sale on the widget for free! While Nimbit does pay out 80% of retail price, their free service only includes music selling. If you want to sell tickets, t-shirts, DVDs, merchandise etc. on Nimbit you will have to upgrade to the Nimbit Retail account at $9.95/month or $99 for the whole year.
Super Distribution
While The Bizmo microstore is a nice freebie to have, The Bizmo's music distribution system is "Super", as they call it. Super or not, we will soon find out, one thing is clear: if you want to graduate to the big times you will need at some point to grapple with global distribution systems such as iTunes, Amazon MP3, Napster, Spotify etc.
Getting a track to go live on iTunes or Napster for example can be a tricky business. Every retailer has its own requirements. iTunes, for example requires a completely different format called Apple Lossless. Each has its own idiosyncrasies regarding artwork formats, quality and content. Moreover, today big distributors actually do not accept submissions from independent artists and require artists to actually go through an aggregator! This is because operationally it is extremely more burdensome to deal with a torrent of individuals uploading music rather than a few big aggregators and labels. Furthermore, when settling royalty payouts it becomes an accounting nightmare for music distributors if they need to settle millions of individual accounts.
In addition, for each track you will need to supply:
- An ISRC ("International Standard Recording Code") for tracking and accounting purposes.
- A Universal Product Code (UPC) or barcode exclusively associated with your release. Getting these codes by yourself is also a bit of a headache, and can cost up to $50 per code.
Being that there are dozens of major retailers that your tracks should be on, not to mention hundreds of other retailers that you might want to distribute your songs on, an independent DIY distribution project for your music can take months and you might lose your sanity along the way. And as we mentioned before, in most cases big distributors will not accept submissions from individuals. Hence, there is almost no choice today for the independent artist/label: you MUST use an aggregator to distribute your music.
Hence, here The Bizmo launched a service whereby it acts as the 'super label' and you give it the non-exclusive rights to submit your music to digital retailers on your behalf to iTunes, Amazon and over 130 retailers for $34.95 US per year regardless of how many tracks or albums. The Bizmo's cut? 15% from revenues you receive from selling your music. In this regard, facing the competition, The Bizmo has rightfully earned the title "super distribution" as it distributes your music to the widest range of stores. Yet, as the old adage goes- "it's not the quantity but the quality that counts", and an iTunes distribution can be a lot more valuable than distribution in 50 lesser known stores. Still, it's impressive.
So how does it work? Unfortunately, if you've already uploaded your songs to the microstore widget you will have to upload them again on the Super Distribution system, as the latter is a whole different ballgame so to speak with much stricter guidelines and standards. Next, the SD (Super Distribution) system will quickly generate for you all the UPC and ISRC codes for your tracks in case you don't have them. For each track/album you will need to enter a host of metadata on the SD Content Management System including detailed release info, tracks, artists, territories for release, retailers to submit to etc. While this seems cumbersome, it is unfortunately a necessary evil as this is the information that will be sent to the retailers and how your song will be displayed. Any changes later will be very difficult to implement as apparently big retailers such as iTunes not well-oiled machines for content updates. Hence, take your time to enter all the information correctly!
Finally we come to the file upload area. Your cover image must be a perfect square and not smaller than 1400 X 1400 pixels. Music file requirements are as such:
- Supported format is WAV (PCM).
- Bitrate not lower than 1.4Mbps.
- Sampling rate not lower than 44.1KHz.
- Bits per sample not lower than 16.
- A minimum of 2 channels (stereo).
- Should originate from a high quality source.
If you are not sure what some of these things mean, there are handy Wikipedia links embedded to give you a quick tutorial.
While the whole process seems a bit long and heavy, it does give you a sense of power and control over your music and its metadata. Uploading a 36MB WAV file took us 23 minutes with high speed internet with no bugs or upload failure messages.
After we've submitted our tracks we wait for them to go live. The day after we checked their status and saw that they have already been submitted to four major stores including iTunes. There is no alert system, neither by the distributors nor by Bizmo to inform you that your track is live. It is up to you to check the stores regularly - it could take up to 6-8 weeks to see your tracks live. And then of course, there is always the chance that your track might be rejected by a store for various reasons unrelated to the aggregator. It's not a perfect science.
We should mention some of The Bizmo's competition, as "super distribution" is a brand new service having been just recently launched in September 2009 and so far it looks poised to give market leaders something to watch out for. While we did not go through the whole process of trying to distribute music with the other aggregators, on the face of it here is a brief synopsis of their major offerings:
TuneCore: Has a complicated pricing model. For single tracks you pay a flat price of $9.99 per year to put up one single in all 14 stores. For albums, you pay $0.99 per track, $0.99 per store per album, and $19.98 per album per year storage and maintenance. Tunecore pays 100% royalties with no cut.
CD Baby: Charges $35 per album (in all 24 stores) and $20 per UPC number (!). For downloads from their site they take a 25% cut of retail price (minimum 29 cents). From other outlets like iTunes and others, they pay 91% royalties.
Reverbnation: Charges $34.95 per release per year (in 10 stores). One can have up to 50 tracks in one release. Pays out 100% of royalties, but must have a balance of at least $5 to withdraw funds.
Nibmit: Charges $9.95 per month or $99 per year (in 6 stores) for an unclear number of songs. Pays out 100% of royalties.
Music Licensing - The New A&R
A familiar situation:
A commercial comes on. A catchy tune perfectly choreographed to stunning visuals. One feels something they cannot ignore like other commercials. The viewer says, "Who sings that?"
This is music licensing in action and while it is not a new concept in media, it is one that has gained recognition and interest among viewers and artists recently with technological advancement. As the music industry sheds the old business model of discovering artists through radio and nurturing them through CD sales, music licensing is capturing new listeners. In this frontier of mass exposure, publishing companies are prioritizing their artists' song placement in movies, television, commercials, video games, and viral web videos.
Businesses are also emphasizing music to visuals in media. This can be explained in two fold: First, technology allows us instant gratification. A viewer sees a commercial with a song they like, searches on the Internet for who sings it, and within a few clicks, can purchase the song. Passive to active consumption comes quickly. Second, technology has enhanced our multitasking abilities. Because we are are stimulated consistently with assignments and activities throughout a normal day, it takes more to engage a viewer. Attacking multiple senses is more important than ever in media.
So how does a song get to be placed in media? Music licensing.
Once a music supervisor, who is in charge of selecting the music for the project, comes up with a number of possible songs to be used, licenses are needed to obtain permission for placement. The selection process of potential songs is dictated on a number of factors, most importantly being budget allowed for music in the project and the style of music the director or company wants. A sync license is the most essential, allowing a song to be "synched" or paired with a visual source. Depending on the type of project, an exclusive rights or non-exclusive rights license can be issued. The difference between the two being the degree of ownership that takes place for the song. Once again, the common denominator in deciding which to use usually comes down to how much the budget for the project allocates.
Outside of big corporate environments, local businesses are now getting the opportunity to take part in music licensing firsthand thanks to technology.
The Internet enables a new concept called crowdsourcing. One can post the need for music on a website by describing the details of the project and style of music wanted, and declaring the terms of payment and usage. Songwriters from all over the world can then submit their work simply by uploading their project to the site. Many positives come from crowdsourcing, including the ability to have music custom tailored to your project. By using crowdsourcing, you could be discovering the next great act.
Samsung F300 - Music Lovers' Exclusive
Samsung presents Samsung F300, the new musical wizard with an ultra-sleek design and user-friendly music control keys. Enhance your mobile music experience with its exclusive musical features. Carry your music everywhere you go. Experience the magic.
The digital music player of the Samsung F300 supports a set of popular file formats including MP3, AAC, WMA and AAC+. Now you have a choice to play your music in any of your desired and suitable format. You can download MP3 ringtones directly from the net to your device. The handset also features a built in FM radio that allows you to switch to different radio stations. Download your favourite music videos and watch them on the high resolution 2.1 inch colour screen of your device. Its impressive music screen is ideal for editing and organising your playlists with just a flick of your finger. You can share your music files with your friends by transferring them wirelessly to other compatible devices using Bluetooth, EDGE and USB. Search your music on the net using WAP browser. The handset houses 100MB of internal memory space with expandable card slot which enables you to easily accommodate all your songs and music videos.
Cherish your special moments of life by capturing them with the 2 mega pixel camera of the Samsung F300. The camera also incorporates in-built flash and digital zoom along with different camera and video modes. Click good quality pictures and make your own photo gallery by storing them in your device. You can record video clips in MPEG4 format. Samsung F300 provides you with easy-to-use messaging options enabling you to share your photos and videos through MMS and email.
Listen to your music, watch videos or play Java games. The entertaining features of the Samsung F300 make you enjoy doing whatever you want.
Search Results
Over the past few years the internet has made its presence felt almost in all areas. It has widely captured the attention of all music and movie lovers from all across the world and allowed them watch their favorite music videos or celebrity video clips online. The growth in online music videos and songs has wrecked the barrier of language, society and country.
Today with the spread of Internet global accessing, watching celebrity video clips have become very popular online. With new websites bouncing up focusing entirely on offering free video clip to users, these days there are millions of online clips available online. Besides this, many established and media sites or news sites are adding celebrity video content to their websites. While most of this content is non-exclusive and available on competing sites, some websites produce all their own videos and certainly do not rely on the work of outside amateurs.
In recent years, the glamour and glitz in film and music industry have made everyone of us crazy. Many of us secretly or openly wish to live a life like our favorite film or music stars and celebrities. Besides this, there are many of us who even seriously care about celebrities and just wait in the long queue to have a better glimpse of our favorite actor. Moreover, there are even some who also purchase magazines on weekly or monthly basis to gain information about celebrities, recent films and music reviews. But subscribing to theses magazines can be very costly option as one has to pay huge amount of money for these magazines. Acting as a better alternative, online music videos and celebrity clips are emerging as ideal options.
Currently there are numerous video search engines that provide cost-free and easy online access to all of the great film studio content, celebrity video content, independent productions, and user-generated videos on the web. From hit series of different music composers to your favorite celebrity gossips or clips, video search engines has turned the vast universe of Internet video into high-quality, easy-to-use, personalized experience that entertain fans anywhere around the world. While some video clips are taken from established media sources, some individual-produced clips are also becoming more common and popular. Apart from all this, there are even different online musical websites that offer all kind of information and eye-catching wallpapers of music artists or new music album releases. These websites beyond doubt has brought an extraordinary and entertaining thrill to music video across the world.
No wonder free online music sites or video search engines have created a new digital revolution in present virtual world these days. The entire internet has indeed turned into an ideal platform where you can listen & download songs or view and share online celebrity videos with a few clicks of the mouse in few seconds. Certainly, this new craziness is more convenient when compared to waiting in front of your television all day for that one video that you want to watch or listen.
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