By Dana Sedgwick

A 2012 FlashFWD honoree for “Best in Artist Support,” BandPage has evolved over the years to provide artists with a central profile to control all their artist information and pages across the web. For long, the more than 500,000 artists currently on BandPage have been able to use their BandPage profile as a means to keep their branding consistent and their information up to date across a wide variety of platforms including SoundCloud, Pandora, WordPress, Twitter, Facebook and more.

As of today, for the first time ever, these artists will also gain access to Xbox Music, Microsoft’s premier entertainment service for the TV, phone, PC and tablet and VEVO, the world’s leading all-premium music video and entertainment platform.

In a move that is indicative of BandPage’s mission to be the most effective platform to engage fans and increase artist revenue, the company has partnered with VEVO and Xbox Music to enable musicians to deliver and manage their information directly for the first time on those services including ticketing information, tour dates, merchandise, bios, photos, videos and more.

Hopefully the first step of many, these partnerships indicate a shift in favor of artist empowerment and demonstrates the value of presenting engaging content:

“BandPage offers a great way for musicians and bands to connect directly with their community,” said Jerry Johnson, GM of Xbox Music. “Our customers love the visual experience that comes with Xbox Music on their televisions, phones, and PCs. Leveraging BandPage, an artist can now connect with their fans on Xbox Music using their own words and imagery. It’s a simple but powerful thing.”

And it’s not just about fan engagement. Keeping information up to date means an increase in artist revenues as well.

“Musicians lose revenue when there is a wrong ticket link to their show or when it’s not even listed. We can’t engage our fans if there’s an outdated bio or photos,” said Rusko, DJ and musician. “Now I have the ability to change or add that information and that makes a significant impact to our bottom line.”

For a partner like VEVO, it’s about keeping fans on their site as long as possible by giving them relevant content up front… the last thing a major platform wants is for a viewer to leave the site in search of more information. As President and CEO of VEVO, Rio Caraeff, stated:

“VEVO viewers like to engage with their favorite artists beyond watching their music videos. Through BandPage, we can offer our viewers the most up-to-date artist information across the VEVO platform. This is a win for the artists as well allowing them to share their story with their fans while more effectively promoting and selling tickets to their live shows and merchandise.”

These deals show BandPage’s true vision: that targeted marketing and engagement doesn’t exist solely through social media, you have to find the fans where they reside naturally. As CEO & Founder of BandPage, J Sider, acknowledges, “Over the last couple of years, these music and entertainment platforms have grown to hundreds of millions of fans and will create a new era of targeted marketing and engagement for the music industry.”

We’ll have to wait and see if other BandPage totems make the cross over – such as their new commerce platform “Experiences.” But as the only route to an updated, accurate identity on VEVO and Xbox Music, BandPage can definitely expect to see new interest from artists and fans alike.

By Dana Sedgwick

The music subscription giant Spotify has always put its focus on playlists, allowing users to create their own, collaborate with friends, and subscribe to others. There are likely billions of playlists on the platform, created by every day users and also by trusted voices (Pitchfork, for example) for every reason under the sun… playlists are rarely random.

But until recently, Spotify offered no curation for this wealth of data. Sure, some apps on the Spotify API aim to help you out (Playlists.net, Tunigo), but Spotify itself offered very little in the way of playlist recommendation.

Browse aims to change that. According to the Spotify blog, Browse will help users find playlists for every mood, moment and trend. A team of 35 musicologists, editors and writers sort through the data to identify the playlists that are gaining traction or that they feel resonate for specific purposes… creating some compilations themselves along the way.

“Spotify Browse adds the human touch to our recommendations, creating a three-dimensional approach to music discovery. Between your friends, our personalized recommendations and real music experts, it’s the perfect formula to ensure you’ll always have the right music for every moment.”

Other music services have struggled to include a similar strategy… iHeartRadio’s “Perfect For” recommends stations based on activity, Apple’s iTunes Radio will feature stations organized by mood, and Jimmy Iovine’s Daisy (rumored for release in the coming months) claims to power its entire service through a mix of human and algorithm based playlist creation.

But when it comes to human based music curation and recommendation, there is one music platform that currently has the upper hand. 2013 FlashFWD “Best in Discovery” honoree Songza created its “Music Concierge” service to be radically different from the competition when it launched in 2012. To those unfamiliar, the service is powered by a group of music experts, creating playlists that are editorially vetted, manually organized into activities/genres/moods, and consistently updated based on user data.

Co-Founder Eric Davich is confident… Despite other music giants like Spotify and Daisy catching on to human-curation and the current diversity of available browsing mechanisms, he is certain that “no one can beat our curation.”

“Our goal with the Music Concierge is to make whatever you’re doing right now, better. We don’t just curate music, we curate soundtracks to peoples’ lives and deliver them in a simple and easy way that doesn’t require digging or mental math. Moreover, our playlists are curated by music experts (music critics, journalists, ethnomusicologists, producers, DJs etc.) and are editorially vetted, updated, and refreshed regularly based on performance.

Additionally, since Songza’s product is lifestyle enhancement (not just music), our platform is a great way for celebrities and brands, who are established expert lifestyle curators in their own right, to contribute their own soundtracks for their fans and the Songza community. Who better to curate a soundtrack for “Putting on Your Party Dress” than a respected fashion designer? Who better than to set the mood for your dinner party than a well respected celebrity chef? Who better to motivate you during your workout than an Olympic athlete?”

Of course, Spotify has an advantage in its favor. Their ability to filter the billions of playlists already being created by their millions of users remains a key selling point, though it’s tough to say whether that will necessarily make the recommendation service stronger. As Davich points out, it’s becoming a crowded space as more and more companies attempt to create “curation-based discovery experiences.”

It’s tough to say whether these services will end up doing a great job at what they set out to do, but what’s for sure is that they’ll need to be radically differentiated in order to stand out. We at Songza are confident that we have a competitive advantage when it comes to curation in that we have the largest library of expertly-curated playlists on the face of the earth and we’ve had a huge head start in mapping those playlists to peoples’ lives and collecting data about our users’ daily activities and musical preferences. This has enabled us to evolve our product to a point where we can surprise and delight each individual Songza user with a personalized and fresh discovery experience no matter the context.”

We’ll see if Browse lives up to it’s promises, but the addition clearly indicates that major music services like Spotify are learning (maybe a bit late in the game) that expert, human recommendation is not only powerful, it’s now necessary.

cover photo via techradar.com

By Dana Sedgwick

Tumblr is a platform used by many to piece together bits and pieces of internet life, collecting them into a continuously shifting digital scrap book. A 2013 FlashFWD honoree, Tumblr is a haven for musicians and music lovers a like for just this reason… It brings together the artist and the fan as equals, sharing and re-sharing information as a part of an endless, shared wealth of content.

Enter California-based band Califone.

The digital world has given artists a plethora of products and platforms which can add interactivity and engagement into their music videos… we even dedicated last week’s newsletter to a few recent examples, such as Kanye West’s BLKKK SKKKN HEAD and Bruno Mar’s Treasure Dance.

But what I love about Califone’s recent video for Stitches, off their upcoming album by the same title, is how sweetly it folds itself into the platform by which it’s presented. Set into it’s own Tumblr, “Stitches is an ever-changing ‘music video’ that creates itself on the fly using imagery and animated GIFs drawn from a curated set of blogs within the Tumblr ecosystem.”

It is an exemplary model for what Tumblr does best… gathering strangers around shared topics of interest which are grouped and presented in interesting and ever-changing ways. The pieces slowly drift by, each melting into each other until you hover your mouse over one to get a clearer look. All the pictures and videos featured in the music video are clickable, with the option to add a note to the back of any piece… sending it like a blogable postcard back out to Califone’s page.

The effect is both mesmerizing and slightly eerie… as the video foreshadows with it’s loading message:

“Turn up the volume while we gather the ghosts”

The video was created with filmmaker Braden King and programmer Jeff Garneau. Watch and rewatch it HERE

By Dana Sedgwick

Tomorrow evening, a new off Broadway show will light up the theatre district with the official opening of iLuminate: Artist of Light. I had the chance to get a small preview at SoundCtrl’s 4th Annual FlashFWD Awards last May when we invited 3 of the 11 person cast to close out the ceremony… taking a dark stage and through the power of special suits, transforming each dancer into pieces of light that could move and morph in inhuman ways.

The show was just as awe inspiring.  Music, art, dance and tech all collide onstage to tell a short story that is simple but charming… and while the narrative may be suited for children, the technology used to tell it is nothing if not complex. We had a chance to sit down with show’s director & creator, Miral Kotb, a dancer turned software engineer who not only invented this technology, but has led this group since before their discovery on America’s Got Talent and continues to evolve the methods by which technology can enhance art.

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SoundCtrl: This has been a long journey for you… Would you share with us your story as a dancer turned software engineer?

Miral Kotb: Dance and technology have been a part of my life since I was young–I started dancing as soon as I could walk, and I designed my first computer program when I was 9.  Growing up, I performed Folkloric Dance, studied Jazz and was on the Drill Team, in high school.  In college, I studied both dance and computer science and after graduating, I went to work for Bloomberg as a software engineer.  Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with retroperitoneal sarcoma, a rare malignancy usually accompanied by a bleak prognosis.  I continued to work there through my recovery, and after months of physical therapy, found I could dance again though not at the same level I once had.  So, I danced and choreographed and continued to work as a software designer.  Now, with this invention, I have created a way to combine my two passions.  

SC: SoundCtrl is all about the convergence of music and tech, which sometimes seems contradictory. I think that most would consider dance and tech to be inherently at odds with each other as well – one being the expression of the natural, the other, the manifestation of the artificial. What inspired you to meld these opposites?

MK: With a father who danced professionally in Egypt and a mother who is brilliant at crunching numbers, it is not surprising [to me] that I am a dancer and a software engineer, though it has been pointed that this is a very unusual permutation.  One of my mentors was a dancer who was fascinated with technology and it was him that encouraged me to combine these two things.  Before that time, I worked with technology during the day and then attended dance rehearsals in the evening.  He helped me to think about how dance and technology could be combined.  Computer Science is a very creative activity in solving problems and designing software in new and efficient ways.  The arts and technology are not very different from each other–computer scientists are not nerds; they are artists in their own way.  For me, tech was something I was always curious about intellectually but the dance was from my heart and more of an emotional outlet.

SC: Let’s talk tech… what’s going on with those suits exactly? I’ve taken a look with a very untrained eye and to me, they just look like really awesome superhero costumes. How do the suits’ lights trigger at precisely the right moment?

MK: The lights are controlled wirelessly to match the music and choreography to create different illusions throughout the show.  Every light on the suits is programmed specifically for that dancer, in order to emphasize certain body parts and moves over others.  By controlling the lights ahead of time, certain characters are able to appear and disappear within milliseconds.  The light suits add a new and innovative edge to the performance and leave audiences in awe.  

SC: The team got its first spotlight on the 2011 season of America’s Got Talent. How has the technology grown up since the early days?

MK: We invent everyday – internally – to make our product better, our costumes stronger, our set pieces, dances and illusions better.  My team and I are constantly tweaking the technology.  We have created a new way of more accurately controlling the lights that moves us towards a video screen-type of technology.  We’ve also enhanced the light suits to be more durable and to weigh less, with new designs.  One of my goals is to merge technology even further into audience interactive elements.  Currently the audience just watches a performance; ultimately, I’d like them to participate through technology, but we’re not quite there yet. 

SC: At one point, before AGT, you quit your job and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into this troupe… making you part dancer, part software engineer, part entrepreneur. There aren’t many out there who can claim those achievements and unfortunately, far fewer of those who can are women. What advice do you have for other young inventors and entrepreneurs?

MK: When I first began, I underestimated how much work would be involved outside of the artistic and engineering aspects of iLuminate.  Running a business is not easy and it is so important to have the right people in place to keep it moving so that I can continue to do what I do best and push the technology and creativity further.  Force yourself to delegate, if it is not your nature, and find out your strengths and weaknesses early on so you can hire people to fill in the voids. 

SC: SoundCtrl was lucky enough to get a short preview of Artist of Light when a few members of the team closed the 2013 FlashFWD Awards with a special performance. It honestly blew everyone away and I’m curious, what can we expect to see at the show?

MK: Artist of Light is about an artist who, with his magical paintbrush, can bring to life creatures from his imagination.  The story is told through a mash-up of illusions, technology, dance, foot-stomping music and of course our signature light suits.  

By Dana Sedgwick

Today marks the long anticipated release of Björk’s Biophilia App Album for Android. A 2012 FlashFWD winner for Best in Mobile and Tablet, the Biophilia App Album is actually a collection of 10 apps which each correlate to a song on Bjork’s multimedia album of the same name. The apps are also the foundation for the Biophilia Educational Program, a series of interactive workshops to bring science and music instruction to students around the world.

The lab behind these and many other incredible interactive apps is called Snibbe Studio, led by Scott Snibbe. We had a chance to catch up with Snibbe this week to discuss the Android release (made possible with help from San Francisco-based startup Apportable), and dive further into how “interactivity” melds with media, how apps can elevate this goal, and what to expect from Snibbe Studio later this year.

To purchase the Biophilia App Album for Android, visit the Google Play store.

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SoundCtrl: At Snibbe Studio, you “believe interactivity is capable of no less than bringing our dreams to life.” While some argue that the influence of technology has made art (esp music) more artificial and isolating, why do you advocate that tech can be immersive and even organic?

Scott Snibbe: There’s nothing intrinsic to any medium, or anything at all, for that matter, that’s inherently isolating or connecting. It’s how you use them. People had similar concerns about electronic instruments when they first emerged. We believe technology can be used to enhance people’s ability to create, communicate, and connect with each other. Particularly as the world moves into a maker and remix culture, music and video are the next steps. First it was Tweets, then photos, and next comes …? That’s what we’re working on right now.

SC: As a part of a rising cast of influencers I would describe as creative technologists, you created your first app back in the 1990′s nearly 20 years before smartphones appeared on the market… why apps? What do they offer that music or video alone cannot?

SS: Apps offer interactivity. Humans are interactive. When another person doesn’t respond at all to us, or talks incessantly without listening, it’s rather annoying. The next evolution in media is towards interactivity, where media (music, visuals, images) become interactive and social, the way humans themselves are, and expect others to be.

SC: Playing devil’s advocate for a second… should music really be interactive? Don’t artists record their music specifically so that it can be experienced in the way they intended, over and over again?

SS: For 29,500 years or so, music was interactive and participatory. So much so that when we listen to music, three parts of our brain all light up at the same time: the parts for dancing, making music, and hearing it. But the first two have gradually been removed over the last 500 years, and the last 100 was a novel period with completely recorded music, “one way media.” I believe people will look back at this period as a historical blip. Music was meant to be interactive and participatory. And artists enjoy giving their listeners not just a pre-recorded perfect track, but, perhaps, the feeling of what it’s like to be a musical artist, to immerse them in the creative and social experience they go through when creating performing their own music.

SC: Last year, you joined us as the honoree for Best in Mobile & Tablet at FlashFWD for the creation of Björk’s Biophilia app – to me, this project remains the pinnacle of multi-media and multi-sensory invention. Can you remind our readers about how that came together and elaborate on the Android version released today?

SS: Björk’s Biophilia was the world’s first “App Album” a completely interactive audiovisual-tactile experience where every song has a different visual and audio interactive existence. Some songs are like games, others like interactive music videos, and others like visual instruments. The concept sprung from Björk’s mind, as a project to combine music, nature, and technology. She’s always believed that technology (mostly electronic music) could be a way to bring people closer to nature, and to each other, and her songs bear that out. Every song has a natural element: viruses, dark matter, the cycles of the moon, and so on. And every song has a musicological element: generative music, scales, arpeggios, etc. Technology marries these two elements in each song into an interactive whole.

This week the Android version is released, which fans have been asking for since the project launched. We were able to create the Android version in a unique way, by working with a company called Apportable. They have a system where they have completely re-implemented all the iOS frameworks, so that the same app actually compiles and runs on Android. We were incredibly grateful to that team, and relieved to give up on much more elaborate plans we had for porting the app to Android. We hope people enjoy the Android version, and, in particular, that it enables Björk’s educational programs using Biophilia to be used by more people around the world.

SC: Since Biophilia, you’ve created similar immersive album experiences for Passion Pit’s Gossamer and most recently, for a collection of Philip Glass remixes called REWORK_. In a practical sense, do you think this new type of album can help the industry recover from the collapse of recorded music sales?

SS: I don’t think the app album helps the music industry recover. The phenomenon that’s going on in the music industry is much bigger: people are moving away from purchasing individual pieces of content (songs and videos) towards subscription services, or ad-supported services. Even a paid app is still fitting into this older model, which I believe will be around for some time, but will gradually diminish in favor of subscriptions and ad-support.

SC: Snibbe Studio recently closed an angel investment from Matthew Papakipos, Engineering Director at Facebook. Can you tell us a bit about the immediate and longterm projects the team is working on?

SS: The project we’re working on is still “stealth,” however, what I can say is that it’s a way to mash up the kind of things we’ve done with visual music to date, and turn these into a giant worldwide community where everyone can participate all day and night. Stay tuned, as this app will come out sometime towards the end of the year!

SC: You’ve had your fair share of amazing projects and artistic partners. Who are some exciting innovators that inspire you and recent products that you admire?

SS: To begin with some of the newer people on the scene, I’ll start with two of my favorite creators, the duo Theo Watson and Emily Gobeille (Design I/O). I saw a preview of a John Lennon app they are going to release this Fall, and it’s just beautiful. I also love Robert Hodgin‘s work, Memo Akten’s, and Quayola. The artists that inspired me the most when I was young (and still do) are James Turrell, Len Lye, Joseph Cornell, Oskar Fischinger, David Byrne, and Laurie Anderson.

Memo Akten’s “Laser Forest” (2013)

By Dana Sedgwick

SoundTracking, our 2011 FlashFWD recipient for Best in Mobile & Tablet, announced some major updates today for Android and iOS.

The popular and free music sharing/discovery app is already a go to for those who want to easily share what tracks they’re listening to, in the moment, across multiple social channels. And while some of the updates noted in today’s announcement seem to be a bit late to the game…

…Like the addition of hashtags (so hip)…

Others though show a genuine elevation of the platform’s capabilities. I particularly like the new tools for song requests and music dedications, which add a much more personal element to the service. As their blog states:

Want to ask a friend what their favorite jam is right now? Now you can send song requests privately on SoundTracking and they’ll get a personal notification from you.  Ever wanted to send a follower a song or dedicate a music moment?  Just send a song dedication and that follower will receive a note that you’ve dedicated music to them.  While we’re all having fun broadcasting our music taste and life moments to our SoundTracking followers, this new set of messaging features is a fun way to directly and privately communicate with friends through songs.

Coming from someone who is regularly called out for accidentally advertising my musical guilty pleasures (I may have recommended Carly Rae one too many times through Spotify, sue me), this kind of private, personal touch is a nice addition.

Other new features include:

- SoundTracking in both iOS and Android are now translated in Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese and Korean. All you need to do is install the new update and you should see the translated app automatically if your device is set to those languages already.

- In the Android version, you can post music moments using songs that we might not have in our song database, when using Now Playing or MusicID. We may not have every song known to man in our database, but we wanted to let you add to your music timeline anyway.

- Getting popular and wanting to manage your presence on SoundTracking? You can now delete your own posts and comments, comments by others on your posts, and block users you might not want to interact with.

- Want to embed your favorite music moments into your blog or website? You can now go to your web profile at SoundTracking.com and grab an embed code for any of your posts and just copy & paste into your website.

You can download SoundTracking for free HERE

By David Ponte, Co-Founder of Audiomack

There I was, sitting in the dark, in the way back, watching all of these innovative and game-changing music tech companies receive accolades and celebrate each other’s milestones. My company’s headquarters was only a few blocks away from the Gramercy Theatre where the FlashFWD Awards were being held, but it seemed like it could have been a continent away (or let’s say, New Jersey).

My name is David Ponte and I am the Co-Founder of Audiomack, a music distribution website specifically tailored to help artists showcase and distribute their music. The site was conceptualized by myself and the Co-Founder/CEO, Dave Macli. Both of us are hip-hop fans and digital advertising folks.

Most of the music tech companies being celebrated at FlashFWD received millions of dollars in funding, had large teams of talented engineers focusing multiple hours a day on perfecting the product offering, and proven venture-capitalists guiding the vision of the company. All of these qualities are considered ‘sexy’ by the majority.

Audiomack has absolutely none of that. In fact, when we were approached by investors who were ready to arm the company with hundreds of thousands of dollars and priceless connections, we turned them down. Not because we don’t want funding, (we do!) but because we have an “old fashioned” view on what a business should be; one that doesn’t align with what most VCs have in mind.

We grew Audiomack with the intent to create a great product that people would enjoy AND to do so in a way that allows our founders to profit from it. Too often startups lose focus on this goal.  They end up taking investment from VC’s who are only interested in finding the next Instagram.  This puts them in a position where there are only two outcomes: either sustain hockey stick growth and get acquired, or crash and burn when the money runs out.

So how does Audiomack plan on making more than we spend? We’re already there. In May we earned more than 3 times what we spent. Super sexy!

Since the core expertise of our founders is in advertising, we take advantage of the convergence of brands and media. Brands are looking for engaged audiences and we believe people are most engaged by the artists they listen to. Armed with the knowledge that revenue from albums and songs isn’t what it used to be, we want to bridge the gap between brand advertisers and the musicians who fans follow.

For example, Nas, one of the greatest MCs of all time, released a song on our site recently and it was in response to J Cole’s, ‘Let Nas Down’ song off his Born Sinner album. Over 100,000 people played this song within a few hours. You can read more about the back-story here.

There are many brands that would have chomped at the bit to be involved in what was a momentous moment in music in 2013. Although this was a unique circumstance, artists release songs and albums on Audiomack every minute. The audience is already there, engaged.

If the music is free, or sponsored by a brand, then the artist can be paid by the sponsor to release the music with the brands message attached. The artist is happy they got paid to make music. The fans are happy because they received the music for free, and the brands are happy they reached an engaged, targeted audience unobtrusively. Not to mention, the Audiomack team is happy because we know we have built a sustainable, scalable, and profitable business.

Call us old fashioned, but we like it that way.

By Dana Sedgwick

Music streaming service and 2013 FlashFWD winner of Best in Discovery, Songza, announced a big change to users this past weekend. Once completely free and ad-less, Songza-lovers will note that over the past few months more and more ads have been showing up on both the mobile and the browser platforms.

I haven’t heard any in stream ads yet… but having to type in a brand sponsored message in order to access a playlist on my phone is a recent development that probably had some loyal users annoyed. If you were one of those people, Songza is now offering you the chance to get rid of those ads by joining “Club Songza.”

The move is indicative of model we’ve seen work for many streaming services such as Pandora and Spotify. Club Songza is advertised as only $0.99 per week – “Cheaper than a soda!”

In addition to ad-free streaming, Club Songza members will have double the skips normally permitted and have access to premium content from Songza curators.

With 4.8 million users, this makes Songza a fierce competitor in the digital music game. In addition,it seems as though Songza is expanding its brand partnerships. Last week Songza and HSN partnered to provide background music for the site’s mostly older female shoppers. As reported by Billboard, the partnership includes HSN.com (12 million unique visitors monthly), Ballard Designs, Frontgate and Garnet Hill. I wouldn’t be surprised if more deals like this were in the works.

By Joan E Solsman via CNET

NEW YORK — Spotify plans to add about 130 jobs, largely engineers, to its workforce here by the end of 2014 and move to a larger headquarters in September, the streaming-music company and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a press conference Wednesday.

Ken Parks, Spotify’s head of content, said he sat alone in the company’s New York office after he took the keys three years ago. With just 20 workers in New York when the office opened, the company now plans to have 200 workers in the city. Spotify will have a total U.S. workforce of about 250.

… Spotify has been growing rapidly. In March, Spotify said it signed another 1 million subscribers since December, bringing the total to 6 million. That makes it the second-largest digital music service behind Pandora, which is the Web’s fast growing one.

With an Internet radio service in 28 countries, it’s quickly adding territories as well as subscribers.

For the full story, visit news.cnet.com

Also, check out Spotify’s Music Ed Hack taking place tomorrow in NYC in partnership with the NYC Department of Education’s iZone.

By Zac Bluestone

Myspace is back…and with a vengeance. Having officially launched last Wednesday, propelled by massive celebrity endorsements and a $20 million ad campaign across broadcast, cable, radio, and digital properties, Myspace looks to rebuild its dominance in social media, but this time, with its focus in music sphere.

You can watch the ad campaign here:

Potential Advantages

Not only does the new Myspace appeal to musicians, but it also seeks to dominate the creative sphere, connecting songwriters, journalists, photographers, videographers, and artists of all sorts in an interconnected social stratosphere that cleverly links existing multimedia and social media platforms. Perhaps the biggest advantage to the Myspace platform is the updated and simplified iOS app that allows easy access to write posts and “create”, even featuring a GIF maker.

Importantly, it looks as though mobile will fuel their social platform and drive the user experience and growth of the website. In order to succeed as a music service, they must first satisfy this social network need, which, at first glance, they definitely have. Importantly, while Facebook and Twitter dominate the social network sphere, the pecking order for digital music services is not set in stone, allowing a huge opportunity for Myspace.

Challenges

While Myspace will likely generate a significant user-base through its ad campaign, the fact remains that Myspace is competing in a very crowded field, and may be too late to the game to lead the domain. Particularly, with MyRadio, Myspace will find itself in a highly competitive Internet-radio marketplace, where waves of new entrants (such as Apple) seek to uproot successful companies such as Pandora.

What’s more, as Myspace chief creative officer Keith Tilford acknowledged, the company does have an “existing brand issue.” They are hoping the massive ad campaign will help with this.

User Experience

In order to move from the intangible to the tangible, I signed up for Myspace to see what it was all about.

After spending some time on the site, labeling myself as a “Musician,” “DJ/Producer,” “Writer,” and “Promoter” (you get to choose four), on first look, I like it. The site flows nicely, is intuitive, and allows you to easily access any creative individual you would need. It’s as easy as filling in a few search criteria. For example, if I was an electronic music producer and wanted to find a photographer for a photo-shoot, or a graphic designer to assist with album art, or a promoter to help with an upcoming show, I can easily search through the Myspace database to find what I need. Perhaps the most useful part is that you can refine the search to a specific zip code.

While only time will tell, it does appear that Myspace has a lot to offer musicians and all creative individuals alike. It surpasses the musician-to-musician connection dynamic, and sees the bigger picture, allowing any entrepreneurial artist expansive opportunities to connect with each other. However, while it does possess these benefits, it is more designed as a social stratosphere than a music promotion platform. For example it is hard to believe its service would replace that of Soundcloud and Youtube as listening platforms. Though, it will surely augment them.

Like all music social media platforms, the more artists join, the more potential to create and thus an exponential growth in activity. And if you are like every other starving artist out there, using another social media platform can only help to expand your network.

My advice: Sign up. It’s free. There’s no reason not to.

For more information visit:

Myspace.com

AdWeek

Billboard.biz

The Fourth Annual FlashFWD Awards
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013

HONOREES

Best in Discovery – Songza
Best in Live – V Squared Labs
Best in Mobile & Tablet – Instagram
Best in Artist Support – Tumblr
Best in Gaming – SoundPlay by Pitchfork & Intel
SoundWAV Honoree – Questlove

PERFORMERS

Robert Delong
Joey Bada$$
iLuminate
Charles Yang

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

Internet Week NY
Trident
Pepsi Digital Labs
ZUUS Media
GIG-IT
ooVoo
Citi Private Pass
Eventbrite
Stache Media

]]> http://www.soundctrl.com/blog/the-fourth-annual-flashfwd-recap-video/feed/ 0 http://www.soundctrl.com/blog/the-fourth-annual-flashfwd-comes-to-a-close/ http://www.soundctrl.com/blog/the-fourth-annual-flashfwd-comes-to-a-close/#comments Tue, 28 May 2013 21:03:39 +0000 SoundCtrl http://www.soundctrl.com/blog/?p=8427 Last Wednesday’s FlashFWD Awards proved once again why music tech culture – its creations and its community – is on the rise. Since its inception in 2010, FlashFWD has evolved each year with the steady growth of music tech – a movement that has always forced change within the music industry and continues to shape ]]>

Last Wednesday’s FlashFWD Awards proved once again why music tech culture – its creations and its community – is on the rise.

Since its inception in 2010, FlashFWD has evolved each year with the steady growth of music tech – a movement that has always forced change within the music industry and continues to shape its future. Just walking downstairs you could feel the energy and excitement from attendees before the ceremony as they explored our interactive hall featuring a 3D printing doodle bar, an exhibition by Foldable.me and music videos programmed by emerging radio service ZUUS Media.

The ceremony gathered the best and brightest in this movement to celebrate six incredible honorees and all of the FlashFWD nominees, who have each proven to challenge and evolve the ways we cultivate and consume music.

The night opened with a performance from emerging artist, Robert Delong, a self proclaimed “tech guy” whose performance of hit single “Global Concepts” had him hopping between a drum set and a Wiimote controller.

The GRAMMYS social guru, Lindsay Gabler, presented Best in Discovery to the Songza team who said, “We’re really honored to be honored for being a great discovery app. What we aim to do is help you discover what’s perfect for you right now.”

FlashFWD partner Trident presented Best in Mobile and Tablet to Instagram. With over 100 million monthly users, 40 million photos uploaded per day and 8,500 likes per second, Instagram is a tool that artists of all levels have embraced to better connect with their fans.

Comedy duo and FlashFWD hosts, ItsTheReal, then took to the stage with the help of violinist Charles Yang for a memoriam that had us all laughing as we remembered those tech companies we “lost” this year – including Spinner, the OLD Myspace, etc.

Best in Live went to V Squared Labs, the experiential visual art production studio behind the legendary Amon Tobin ISAM tour, the Skrillex Mothership tour, and Infected Mushroom. Eventbrite and Robert Delong welcomed CEO and Creative Director Vello Virkhaus to the stage, “I’ve been doing performance visuals since 1993 so it’s been great to grow with the electronic dance music community and work with amazing artists.”

GIG-IT, a new 3D concert gaming experience for Facebook, then took to the stage to introduce our brand new category Best in Gaming and our 2013 honoree, SoundPlay by Pitchfork & Intel. Chris Kaskie, President of Pitchfork Media was unable to attend but accepted via video, “When we set out to make SoundPlay we thought it would be not just appropriate, but exciting, to pair up an independent gaming community with the independent music community that we’ve covered for such a long time.”

An incredible performance by NYC’s own emcee Joey Bada$$ led into a FlashBKWD from the 2012 Best in Artist Support honoree, BandPage, who passed the torch to Nate Auerbach of Tumblr – “As a platform that is most well known for being imaged-based, it’s great to be recognized in the music space for what we’ve been doing with artists.”

We’d then come to the pinnacle of the evening, the presentation of the SoundWAV Award to our 2013 honoree Questlove. Last year, Steve Stoute (CEO at Translation) presented this award to Scooter Braun… this year, we were honored to have with us legendary producer Swizz Beatz who in addition to working with the likes of Jay-Z, DMX, Beyonce, Kanye West, and Bono, is also a recent executive board member with electronics company Monster, and has lent his creative contributions to the likes of global brands such as Reebok and Lotus Cars.

Swizz spoke to us about the importance of investing in and nurturing the growth of new technologies that will help push the music industry forward. He then welcome Questlove to stage, handing over the crystal award to the drummer/producer/educator who looked down at it saying “Who knew that talking about Peanut Butter Cap’n Cruch for five hours on Twitter would help me get here…” We also caught up with him backstage where he told Fuse, “It’s nice to be recognized… now that it’s manifested in my hand right now, I have to say that this is a nice honor and I appreciate it.”

SoundCtrl Co-Founder Jesse Kirshbaum closed out the evening remembering the past and thinking towards the future…

“We started SoundCtrl 5 years ago when there was no music tech scene in NYC. Now music companies like Spotify can launch in the US with multi billion dollar valuations and DIY artist like Macklemore have back to back singles on the top of the pop charts…

For the past 10 years the music industry has been at the forefront of a digital revolution and now we are starting to see that next evolution of the business.”

Then, brand new Broadway show iLuminate hit the stage with a performance that brought everyone in the house to their feet. Such a spectacular example of the convergence of music and technology was truly the perfect way to end the evening.

We’d like to thank all our partners who include Internet Week NY, Trident, Pepsi Digital Labs, ZUUS Media, GIG-IT, ooVoo, Eventbrite, Citi Private Pass, Stache Media, and Newcastle. Your continuing support and enthusiasm is what is fueling this movement.

For more coverage on SoundCtrl’s FlashFWD, check out FUSE, VIBE, Billboard.biz and Billboard’s Backbeat

Wednesday night found the SoundCtrl team at the Gramercy Theatre celebrating our 4th Annual FlashFWD Awards at Internet Week NY.

Check out what happened behind the scenes with Fuse TV, including how performers like Robert Delong and iLuminate get their message and music out there and what honorees such as Tumblr, Songza and Questlove think about the music tech movement and the FlashFWD awards.

Check it out below and stay tuned for the full SoundCtrl recap coming next week.

By Kira Grunenberg

SoundCtrl has always been interested in the relationship between music and technology. From recording tracks, to releasing albums, to getting thousands of people through the doors for that one epic concert, when music and technology work together it’s a powerful combination. Today’s popular online ticketing service, Eventbrite, works to bring music and technology together in perfect harmony—powering live events like never before.

Unlike other ticketing agencies that are heavily involved in every step of the process, Eventbrite lets event organizers easily create online event pages, sell tickets and registrations, accept payments, and promote their events from a single place. No more crazy fees. No more confusing terms of service. No more middle man. Eventbrite has proven itself to be a horizontal platform that can be utilized for anything from a 60,000-person concert to an intimate show, and provides versatile features that support the different needs of each type of event. A festival is not the same as a symphonic concert, which is not the same as a music business seminar. And how attendees might like to buy their tickets and hold onto them is not the same either. Eventbrite accounts for all of these distinctions in its ticketing and registration services, its built-in social-sharing tools and its user-friendly mobile app.

Having processed over 100 million tickets to date, Eventbrite has become a household name in the events industry, while maintaining its simplicity and accessibility. We recently had the opportunity to talk with Eventbrite’s Vice President of Marketing, Tamara Mendelsohn and covered everything from what’s popular in music industry tech to how Eventbrite benefits its users, and not the other way around.

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Sound Ctrl – Can you tell me a bit about the growth and evolution that Eventbrite has undergone since its inception?

Tamara Mendelsohn - Since our founding in 2006, Eventbrite’s goal has been to democratize ticketing through technology. We empower anyone to organize and create a live experience, and to seamlessly sell tickets for that event. We set out to create a self-service, easy-to-use ticketing platform, fueled by the best technology.

We started in 2006 as a very small team led by husband and wife co-founders Kevin and Julia Hartz. Over the last 6 years we’ve grown to nearly 250 employees, sold over 100 million tickets in 179 countries, and surpassed $1.5 billion in gross ticket sales. In 2012 alone we ticketed 500,000 events—40,000 of which were concerts and music festivals.  It’s been quite the journey to say the least.

We’ve had a number of defining moments along the way. One major moment for us came in 2008 when we discovered how powerful social media was in influencing ticket sales. Events are unique in that they are inherently social and people want to share events that they discover with their friends. We saw this happening, and that it was fueling ticket sales as a result. So, social media became a core part of our strategy from very early on. We were one of the first Facebook Connect partners. We built the tools to integrate social sharing into our platform, and continue to evolve and push the limits on social.

Music has also had its defining moments on Eventbrite. Eventbrite is by design a horizontal platform, with events across all types and categories, from conferences to marathons to concerts. But music is one of the most powerful live experiences, and has become one of our major focal points.

Our music events started out primarily with smaller and more intimate shows, but the industry has increasingly pulled us into bigger and bigger events like music festivals. In 2011 we ticketed a Black Eyed Peas charity concert in Central Park. This was a 60,000-person concert and another major milestone for us. Since then, we’ve worked with a number of large festivals and promoters, including Governors Ball Music Festival in New York and Hangout Music Festival in Alabama this year. We also announced a partnership with Disco Donnie Presents, who produces over 1,000 electronic dance events each year.

But with all this growth and progress, we still feel like this is just the beginning and we have so much more that we want to do and accomplish.

SC – What are some major industry trends that are affecting live music right now?

TM - Mobile.  Multi-channel engagement can no longer be ignored in the live music scene.  More and more, fans expect to get all the info they want, wherever they are, whenever they want, and on their choice of device. They are looking for mobile experiences, both to augment the event through additional content and to easily find information. Today we’re seeing over a quarter of our traffic coming from mobile pages. We’ve had nearly 2.7 million downloads of our mobile app, which allows our attendees to access their paperless tickets and event information easily from their phone.  They can also now see which of their Facebook friends are going to an event.

We’re also innovating with our partners in mobile—at the events themselves. For the first time, at this year’s Governors Ball Music Festival, fans can access their e-ticket, lineup & schedule, and a venue map all in one app. Eventbrite is working with Founders Entertainment and Aloompa to improve the attendee experience by bringing everything they need for the festival into one solid app.

Live Streaming Events. The notion of live music is evolving, and extending beyond the concert venue into our homes and onto our devices. We’re starting to see artists and promoters engage with their fans through live content, like streaming concerts or shows. It’s a way to interact with your fans beyond the physical event, and reach a bigger audience that isn’t constrained by geography or venue.

Some of our own organizers have begun to explore this opportunity. A recent example is Disco Donnie Presents and Mixify on the official Meltdown Digital Pre-Festival. This was an interactive streaming experience with the DJs from the Meltdown Music Festival taking turns spinning live in a virtual room on Mixify.com a few days before the main event. The digital event was really successful and drummed up even more excitement for the main festival. There was a lot of positive feedback from the fans.

SC -  What are some of the user and attendee benefits of creating/attending an event through Eventbrite? Does one need to be well-versed in marketing to properly promote their event?

TM – In the beginning, our event organizers came on board because we were a fully accessible, easy-to-use ticketing platform with low fees. As the technology has evolved and we’ve innovated on social, mobile and big data, the role that we play in their events has also evolved. Today, for the event organizer we are not just a ticketing solution but a promotional platform for them to sell more tickets and reach more fans.

We bring real expertise in social media and event distribution so that our customers don’t necessarily have to be well-versed in marketing or promotion. We are constantly innovating with social media, and have measurable results that show real impact on ticket sales. We’ve optimized our solution for organizers to share their events on Facebook, and for attendees to share events they are discovering.  We know that on average every Facebook share of an Eventbrite event results in $4.15 in additional revenue to the organizer—and this number is even higher for Eventbrite music events. We also send relevant, timely event notifications to fans when two or more of their Facebook friends buy tickets to the same event. This is powerful for music events because it literally turns your fans into your biggest promoters—so you’re not reaching just your existing fans but new fans as well.

We also have our event recommendation e-newsletters, with more than 12 million subscribers. Each newsletter is unique and customized to the person receiving the email. We power these recommendations with a huge amount of rich data: our algorithm processes terabytes of data each day about the events that the fans have been to, their interests, location, and what events their friends like or have attended to suggest these lists of events. This helps attendees discover great events that are relevant to them, and therefore helps organizers sell more tickets.

A lot of the power lies in the data we provide to event organizers. We believe that every customer should have real-time access to all of their data. We give our customers charts and dashboards to be able to monitor their sales and analyze trends anytime, and therefore make smarter business and marketing decisions.

All of this means that the organizer has greater tools to help promote their event. Some of it happens automatically without the organizer needing to drive it—social media amplification and event recommendations, for example. Some of it is about giving the organizer powerful levers like sales data and tracking analytics so that they are empowered to make the best decisions.

For the fan or event attendee, we offer an easy, secure way to find and purchase tickets to all kinds of great events and across all kinds of devices. We keep our ticket fees low. And we help attendees discover relevant new events that they’ll love, and share them with their friends. Our event recommendation newsletters have open rates of 40-50%, some of the highest rates in the industry.  We also pride ourselves on our quality of service. Our customer support team operates 24/7—because events don’t stop happening after 9pm or on weekends.

SC- We’re thrilled to hear about everything Eventbrite has going on and equally as thrilled to have it play such an integral part in all of SoundCtrl’s event hosting experiences. Thanks for chatting with us!

Kira is an old school music nerd with a love for all things creative; always searching for music’s common ground. She graduated with an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University. Drop her a tweet @shadowmelody1

By Jason Epstein

Though you may not have heard of Superfly, you’ve definitely heard of their most famous event, Bonnaroo.  We spoke to Superfly partner Ken Weinstein about the fans, the atmosphere and the attractions that the popular Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Googamooga festivals are known for.

SoundCtrl – Who do attendees tend to be more excited for in terms of social media and word-of-mouth activity: the next big thing or an old favorite?

Ken Weinstein – It really varies; our fans are extremely social and they love turning each other onto new music.  It’s a really strong community filled with people who trust each other.  But you also see Twitter and Facebook explode when the fans are blown away by seeing legends do their thing.

SC – Vibe-wise, can you describe some of the differences between the atmospheres at Googamooga, Bonnaroo and Outside Lands?

KW – Well, with Googa that’s a whole other experience because it’s a food fest first.  And it’s in NY so automatically the energy is different.  It’s fascinating to watch the people deal with chefs and restaurants as rock stars essentially.  There is the same excitement.  People just want to try everything, so they’ll get food and then eat it while waiting in the next line for more food.  Outside Lands is a music festival with a strong food element.  At Googa, the food is the star. At Outside Lands, the food shares the spotlight with the music.  Golden Gate Park sets the tone and it’s just a tremendous vibe there.  It’s so beautiful there.  People are so excited to hang in the park and see these incredible bands and eat this unbelievable food and have all of Sonoma and Napa come to their front door.  And Bonnaroo is a completely different world.  It’s its own ecosystem.  It’s not a city fest; it’s a camping festival.  It’s a destination that people from all over the world come to.  Fans come to live with us for 4 days on the farm.  That makes it very different from all the fests.  It’s a gateway to the summer.  People feel very comfortable and free there.  They let their hair down and just love being a part of the legendary tradition that is Bonnaroo.  It’s very special.

SC – What are some of the aspects that are improved, changed or evolved for these festivals year to year?  How much do attendees contribute to those enhancements?

KW – Every year we strive to update and improve.  We really spend a lot of time after each event breaking it down and exploring every minute element to see how we can do it better next time. Whether that’s figuring out what attractions to add to make it a more fun experience or how much more infrastructure we can add to make the festival more comfortable, easy and functional.  Our fans know we’re very open to hearing their suggestions and opinions.  We take them quite seriously and weigh them all when figuring out how to improve each year.

Join us on Wednesday, May 22nd at the Internet Week NY HQ at the Metropolitan Pavilion for the second installment of Music Tech Day – a day of keynotes, panels & classes designed for lively debate and inspiring experiences about the advancement of digital music culture.

Last year we brought you a full day of dynamic speakers ending in an interview with SoundCtrl’s own Jesse Kirshbaum and the legendary industry critic Bob Lefsetz.

To register for a FREE pass to MUSIC TECH DAY visit InternetWeekNY.com and use discount code HQ_MUSICTECHDAY

This year kicks off at 12:00 PM at 125 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011

12:00PM – 12:45PM: Big Data vs Big Engagement 

Success does not just mean driving big numbers, but ensuring big engagement in real time. In 2013, we have seen the rise of real time marketing and its impact on engagement. It’s more than numbers and passive consumption, but detecting if your content is connecting with your audience.

Moderator: Beverly Jackson (Senior Director Marketing and Social, The GRAMMYS)

Panelists:

- Alex White (Co-Founder and CEO, Next Big Sound)

- Brandon Martinez (Co-Founder & CEO, IND music)

- Matt Corey (CEO, Mass Relevance)

- Allison Moore (Associate Director of Advertising, Social Media Marketing, & Consumer Research – ‘stache media, a division of RED and Sony Music Entertainment)

12:50PM – 1:10PM: ooVoo with Warner Music on SXSW Warner Live tech/social 

Warner Music and ooVoo teamed up at sxsw to create VIP concert experiences for half a million fans who could not travel to Austin. For the first time ever, groups of fans could see and hear each other while watching live performances by Macklemore, Paramore, Flaming Lips, Icona Pop and others via ooVoo video chat. Find out how it was done and how they plan to change “music television” forever!

Speakers:

- Larry Lieberman, CMO, ooVoo

- Lori Feldman, SVP Brand Partnerships & Music Licensing Warner Bros

1:00PM – 1:45PM: Best Practices: Going Digital DIY 

Ariel Hyatt leads this discussion with Oberhofer on how to build and cultivate a loyal fanbase, grow personal brands, and sell more music/tickets/merch as an indie or just starting artist. The conversation also includes representatives from some of the leading artist support platforms like PledgeMusic, Indaba, and others to engage artists in a discussion of how they’ve found success using these digital tools and what might still be missing in the space.

Moderator: Ariel Hyatt (President & Founder, Ariel Publicity)

Participants:

- Brad Oberhofer (Artist & Producer, Glassnote Records)

- Jayce Varden (Co-founder & COO, PledgeMusic)

- Nate Lew (VP Partnerships, Indaba)

2:05PM – 2:50PM: Streaming It: The Tipping Point 

Over the past 10 years, the average person’s record collection has shifted from his bedroom wall, to his computer hard drive, to now, possibly, just a feed on his social channels. The industry has witnessed a great shift from traditional purchase models to a growing number of digital streaming platforms that compete based on varying factors such as access, personalization, and social capabilities. This session seeks to understand why access suddenly became preferable to ownership and predict how this model will evolve in an ever-changing landscape of competition and demand. How will we be discovering and sharing music and video in the next few years?

Moderator: Andrew Hampp (Senior Branding Correspondent, Billboard)

Panelists:

- Matt Ostrower (Senior Director of Artist Partnerships & Programming, Pandora)

- Steve Goldstein (CEO and Founder, ZUUS)

- Daniel Hayek (Director Education + Community, Vimeo)

2:55PM – 3:15PM: Game Changer: Revenues in the Virtual World

GIG-IT is the first and only virtual 3-D concert game for Facebook that brings together social gaming, music, fashion and fun. Players will have a unique platform to interact with their favorite musicians, engage with brands in new ways, and showcase their inner artist by sharing their concert creation with the social world. Founder and CEO John Acunto takes the stage to discuss this brand new platform in music and gaming and talk about his experience in investing and developing new music technology over the past 20 years.

Speakers: John Acunto (Founder & CEO, 212 Decibels & GIG-IT)

By Carolyn Heneghan

Photo filter phenom Instagram has revolutionized the mobile imaging world, evolving photography to fit the online social landscape. From dark rooms to Polaroids, from 35mm to digital cameras, photography has been on a wild ride for more than a century, and now mobile phones have disrupted the former notion of cutting-edge image capture yet again—with the helping hand of Instagram.

As the winner of our FlashFWD Award for Best in Mobile & Tablet, we are proud to recognize their efforts and successes this past a year as revolutionaries in mobile and tablet photography, communication, and social sharing.

Why Instagram?

Instagram may not be the only social image-sharing service out there, but it is the most well-known with over 100 million monthly active users. The company has turned so many heads in less than three years of operation that Facebook bought out the blazing photo service for one billion dollars just over a year ago.

Here are a few statistics to illustrate why Facebook might have made such an offer:

• 40 million photos uploaded per day
• 8500 likes per second
• 1000 comments per second

It’s clear that the potential is there and that users can reach each other in a unique and compelling way. While this may be perfectly suited for sharing photos with family and friends, musicians too have found ways to use the service to grow and maintain their online followings.

When the Music Fuels the Photos

Pop stars, indie darlings, famed producers and even the upstarts are finding innovative methods for using mobile montages to share various aspects of their more intimate lives. This might include fairly typical shots like from behind the DJ booth overlooking a crowd or backstage just after the performance, smiling and sweating from the rush of a killer show.

Many musicians have used Instagram as a way to showcase their practice spaces and routines. Others have used it to demonstrate and promote their recording efforts. Any way that they can bring their fans closer to their music and the musical process, they’ve done it. 

Or When Musicians Delve Deeper

Some musicians have taken these photo opportunities one step further and one step deeper into their lives off stage. One way is to take pictures of the tour bus, plane rides and other assorted antics that happen between concert and recording dates, including using geolocation photo mapping for additional context.

Ultimately, you can get an intriguing glimpse at the other side of your favorite musicians’ daily lives. This might include their families, what they ate for breakfast, silly drawings or altered photos, a collection of random items currently in their possession or even a sign they found amusing. You might see photos of non-venue destinations in each city visited, and you can take a peek into what these musicians are interested in when not on stage. Some musicians have shared mobile photos of themselves with other artists and luminaries in the music industry; these can sometimes give fans an idea of whom else in the scene or industry their favorites know personally, are friends with, or whose work they respect.

And It’s All To Increase Fan Engagement

The other potential for musicians and their fans to interact is when fans post their own photos of concerts and appearances on their own Instagram profiles and tag the artist to let them know. This is a prime opportunity for musicians to engage—and even thrill—their fans by liking and commenting on these photos.

What all this boils down to is a chance for musicians to let their fans get to know them on a deeper level. This promotes not only their music but their image and even what they stand for as an individual. The thing about Instagram is that it’s so much more intimate than many other social media profiles these musicians might have. Many artists have their social media channels handled primarily by their marketing team. But with Instagram, there’s a much better chance that you are seeing what is actually happening to the musicians you follow, as these photos will likely come directly from the mobile device they have in their possession—right then and there. This makes fans feel privileged to share this information and have this insight into musicians’ lives, and it makes them more likely to share social media posts and purchase albums and concert tickets. Win-win.

Instagram makes all of this possible with one user-friendly application. What started as an idea for making uploaded mobile photos look cooler and more professional has turned into an awe-inspiring success that professionals across all industries are recognizing, including musicians and the FlashFWD Awards. Only time will tell how Instagram will fluctuate with the changing times—particularly under Facebook’s wing—as photography, communication and social media continue to evolve and adapt. We are especially looking forward to seeing how our FlashFWD Award winner will progress in years to come.

SoundCtrl is proud to present the 4th Annual FlashFWD Awards as a part of Internet Week NY

SoundCtrl’s FlashFWD Awards will take place on May 22 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City. The event will include special performances by Glassnote-signed EDM artist Robert DeLong, up-and-coming rapper Joey Bada$$, dance crew iLuminate and more. Hosted by It’sTheReal.

A first of its kind ceremony honoring excellence and innovation in music technology, FlashFWD brings together the thought leaders, creators and luminaries of the tech revolution to celebrate the ways we discover, perform and share music. Now in its 4th year, the FlashFWD Awards are a chance to enjoy a night of great performances, recognize our 2013 honorees, and celebrate the future of music.

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2013 SoundWAV Influencer Award: Questlove
Recognizing an individual who has significantly impacted digital music culture through the early adoption or creation of new technology and is seen as a visionary and voice in the music tech industry. Past honorees include: Scooter Braun (2012), Troy Carter (2011)

Best in Discovery: Songza
Recognizing a product or service that has most significantly impacted and improved the way fans discover and share recorded music. Past honorees include: Spotify (2012), The Echo Nest (2011), Hype Machine (2010)

Best in Live: V Squared Labs
Recognizing a product, service or organization that has most significantly improved the live concert experience from either a fan or artist perspective. Past honorees include: Square (2012), The Creator’s Project (2011)

Best in Mobile & Tablet: Instagram
Recognizing a product or service that is breaking new ground in mobile technology and expanding upon traditional fan engagement. Past honorees include: Snibbe Interactive for Biophilia (2012), SoundTracking (2011)

Best in Artist Support: Tumblr
Recognizing a product or service that focuses on giving artists more options in creating and promoting their music independently. Past honorees include: BandPage (2012), SoundCloud (2011), Indaba Music (2010)

Best in Gaming: Soundplay by Pitchfork & Intel
A brand new category recognizing a game, creator or organization that demonstrates innovation in music integration with a gaming platform, be it through soundtrack, virtual marketplace, or unique partnership.

By Keith Nelson Jr.

RapGenius took the novel idea of lyric annotation and transformed it into a truly revolutionary evolution of peer-to-peer information sharing. The self-described “Wikipedia of Rap” includes video explanations from artists themselves, interpretations of news stories with the new News Genius and even Bible verses.  Just over three years after its inception, RapGenius has not only expanded music discovery, but made the experience user-created.

SoundCtrl: What inspired the idea for RapGenius? 

Mahbod Moghadam: I explained this line [From Cam’ron’s “Family Ties”] to Tom – he was inspired to build the site overnight. He is a genius! My explanation was incorrect by the way – the community has since fixed it.

SC: What were some of the most surprising lyric explanations from artists?

MM: 2Chainz’ explanations are charming. Sheryl Sandberg‘s explanations are the bomb!

SC: The RapIQ feature is an intriguing feature of the site which rewards users for good contributions. How are individual annotations judged and by whom?

MM: There is an extremely complex algorithm! Modern Rap IQ is a reliable indicator of ACTUAL IQ. Some of the smartest geniuses in our whole community, of course, are the verified artists.

SC: RapGenius extends past simply annotating rap lyrics and gives the same attention to news stories, Bible verses, speeches and more. What else will be annotated?

MM: News Genius is blowin up! Check out the entry from the Mississippi Innocence Project. Pretty cool, huh?

SC: That is an incredible expansion of the RapGenius brand. You began including video explanations from artists and even giveaways. What are some other potential measures Rap Genius may take to further connect the artist and the fans? 

MM: You tell me homie! Eventually we want EVERY musician to have a Rap Genius verified account – step one is to sign up!

By Jason Epstein

We all know what Billboard charts are, but did you know that they’re an ever-evolving entity, always adapting to the persistently shifting landscape of music consumption?  We spoke to Billboard Editorial Director, Bill Werde about his hand in the Billboard chart’s recent recalibration, ways to define “success” in the music world and the future he envisions for Billboard charts.

SoundCtrl- Harlem Shake became #1 on the Billboard charts thanks to the recalibration that took place to take YouTube views into account.  Can you tell me how this came about and what goes into recalibrating something of that scope?

Bill Werde- The Billboard charts are always evolving – never more rapidly though than in recent years – as this dynamic, digital wave of platforms and distribution methods for music has rolled in.  We’d wanted to add YouTube data to our charts for quite some time, but we couldn’t do it until both YouTube and Billboard felt the data was ready for prime time in terms of integrity and dependability.  The second we crossed that threshold, we added the data.  It turned out to be a perfect storm, because the week we did, “Harlem Shake” broke.  That song did more streams than any previous song, [as measured] by magnitudes.  It made “Gangnam Style” look trifling by comparison, and we all know what a massive global smash that was.

As far as the recalibration itself, it’s weeks of trying different formulas once we can begin to process a new data stream behind the scenes, to make sure the weighting ultimately delivers a chart that is reflective of what Silvio Pietroluongo, our charts director and I feel is happening in the market place.

SC- In the long run, what’s more beneficial for an artist in both the short and long term: to rank highly on the Billboard Hot 100, or the Billboard 200?

BW- This presumes there’s only one way for an artist to create a meaningful trajectory in 2013.  What’s great about music these days is that there are dozens of ways for an artist to create a fan base and momentum.  It used to be the only way to be a star was to get your song on radio and then sell lots of albums.  These days, you have artists like Pitbull who may not sell a ton of albums, but instead sell so many singles they can make just as much money as big album artists.  And of course, Pitbull cleans up on the road – fans want to hear all those hits.  Or perhaps more to the point, you have Psy, who clearly had a massive, undeniable, global smash hit with Gangnam Style before radio ever really started to play it.  I think you’ll see a lot more of that in the coming years.

So I don’t think it’s really a question of what chart is best for an artist – it really depends on what sort of artist you are, and what your goals are.  I think what never changes though, is that the artists who stick around will be the ones that find meaningful and honest ways to connect with their fans.  You have to stand for something, mean something to people.  You have to be a real artist to transcend the Billboard charts entirely – to be bigger than any one song or album. That’s when you really win.

SC - What can you see in the future of Billboard.com and music charts ingeneral?  Is there another recalibration on the horizon to take streaming music or another form of audio consumption into account?

BW- There will always, always, always be another recalibration on the horizon.  We’ve been charting music for more than six decades.  We were the chart of record when vinyl 45s were what mattered.  We were the chart of record when 8 tracks were hot.  You get where I’m heading with this – CDs, digital downloads, streams, it doesn’t really matter to us; Billboard charts what’s happening in the marketplace for music.  If in 10 years people listen to music by having it beamed into their heads, I’m sure we’ll have the Billboard Cranium 100 chart.

In a more specific way, we’re doing a lot of work behind the scenes right now on acquiring and processing data at faster speeds so we can create a whole suite of products.  I can’t say too much about it yet, but I’ll say this: once upon a time, Billboard charts were basically just ascii text: non-interactive lists of songs and artists.  Today you can export our charts from Billboard.com and use them as playlists in Spotify and Rdio.  We use our charts as jumping off points for people to discover news, videos and more about those artists and songs. My expectation is that in the very near future, the Billboard charts will be living, breathing, time-and-space shifting representations of what people are listening to in particular places, on particular platforms and so on.

By Jason Epstein

Virgin gaming is an online service that allows gamers all over the world to challenge each other in cash- and prize-fueled competitions.  Just register, choose your game, pick your style of play, challenge players (or use VG’s matchmaking system) and play directly on your console to get started.  After completing your game, Virgin Gaming automatically updates your results and awards the winner with a payout.  They offer a standardized skill rating system, a Fair Play guarantee, and dedicated customer support to make sure that all gamers are getting an unbiased shot at their cash.  We spoke to Virgin Gaming co-founder Billy Levy about the service. 

SoundCtrl – What kind of gamer is usually drawn to Virgin Gaming?

Billy Levy – Virgin Gaming attracts gamers from all walks of life as our platform rewards both casual and avid gamers alike.  The typical gamer is male, 18-35, tech savvy, affluent, socially influential with above average disposable income.  We have registered over 2.3M gamers from over 220 countries around the world with a massive presence in the US, UK, Mexico, Canada and Western Europe.  Virgin Gaming players are heavily competitive and enjoy adding an extra layer of fun/pressure to the gaming experience by placing a small wager on the outcome.  Currently we offer an array of sports titles (Madden, FIFA, NBA 2K, NHL) as these games are inherently competitive by nature; so our users are very male and big sports fans.  Given the intersection of sports and music…music is a key passion point of our members as well.

SC – A lot of people might be wondering, How is this different (and better) than gambling?

BL – Virgin Gaming offers cash competition games of skill.  Games of skill are regulated differently and not considered to be gambling as gambling occurs in games of chance.  The games and competitions we offer are skill based.  It’s better than gambling because it’s your skill that dictates the outcome of the game.  If you are gambling and place a bet on the Knicks and they lose because Melo had a bad game, that’s totally out of your control.  On Virgin Gaming, gamers control the outcome!

Another advantage to Virgin Gaming is that you do not have to be the best player in the world to win, as we have tournaments and competitions for gamers of all skill levels and have a multi-tiered payout system in which most players win money after winning just one game in any VG tournament.  We also do matchmaking on the platform to match up players against gamers of a similar skill level and ultimately compete based on their knowledge of the game itself, the various formations, their understanding of the nuances, strategies, etc.  With Virgin Gaming, practice makes perfect and many of our players compete for free, prior to entering into cash based tournaments or head-to-head games.

Also, aside from playing for just cash, gamers have been able to win some amazing experiential prizes from trips to the Super Bowl to playing for $100k cash and a brand new car at the NBA All-Star Game.  In total, gamers have won over $32M playing video games!  That’s pretty amazing!

SC – What new games are being added and what new developments are being made for Virgin Gaming in the near future?

BL – Lots of new games coming down the pipeline…can’t disclose that just yet, but be on the lookout for some major announcements in the coming weeks.

Some new developments:

• Xbox Tournaments with Virgin Gaming (the VG experience without ever having to leave your console) launched on April 9^th.
• Mobile gaming for cash (mobile games and challenges from your device) –  later this year we will be launching cash-based competitions in some of the world’s best mobile titles on iOS and Android.
• User generated tournaments (gamers set the invite list, prize pool, payout structure, etc.) – coming soon.

By Kareem Clarke

V Squared Labs, started by Vello Virkhaus, is a visual art production studio located in Los Angeles California. The V Squared Labs team is composed of VJ’s, visual artists, animators, programmers, and architects that together create amazing visuals for a concerts, festivals, commercials, and lots more. Through collaborations with other production teams and weeks of preparation, the V Squared Labs team has been responsible for the visuals of the Ultra Music Festival, the visuals and performance booths for the tours of Skrillex, Datsik, and Infected Mushroom, a Grammy after party for Hyundai, and a notable tour for Brazilian electronic musician Amon Tobin.

Below is our interview with Vello Virkhaus the CEO & Creative Director of V Squared Labs:

SoundCtrl: How did V Squared Labs get started?

Vello Virkhaus: By a love for created visual art. Initially we did a lot of experimental work.

SC: What was your first big project?

VV: Our first big project was with Korn. They helped us establish ourselves in LA and in entertainment in general. The project involved lots of collaboration with different directors which was great. Then we were able to create an interactive DVD with Korn that landed on Billboard and led to more work with Korn and meeting people all around the world.

SC: What has been your biggest project/what project took the longest amount of prep time?

VV: Ultra Music Festival was the biggest project this year. That took about 2 and a half weeks of prep work. Also The Hyundai Grammy after party was a pretty big deal. We created a reflective room for them and that took about 3 weeks. On average, it takes about a month or so to prepare unless there is any kind of content creation involved. Then it takes a lot longer.

SC: How did you get to work with Amon Tobin, how was that experience and about how long did it take you guys to prepare for that?

VV: The Amon Tobin project took about 15 weeks of preparation. We were recommended for the project through a mutual friend and from there, we built a team for the project. The biggest challenge of this project was that we started from nothing. There was no software or anything to go off. We had to write our own software that included face mapping and many other pieces that were all built into one system. This project was definitely the most challenging project we have had thus far but also the most rewarding. Amon Tobin is one of the most awesome artists we have worked with, he was very involved.

SC: Where do you see V squared labs in 5 years?

VV: We will continue to grow, be competitive, stay successful, and do more music projects and commercial projects. Also get more into the agency market and advance our interactive projection techniques.

SC: Where do you see the industry in 5 years?

VV: Just advancing and having bigger and better shows. I see a lot of great things; new aesthetics and new artists. The importance of visual art is growing stronger between visual artists, lighting and visual media especially in EDM. Potentially more credit will be given to visual artists, perhaps licensing and general recognition.

I definitely see more opportunity in the future. Competition creates advancement.

By Kira Grunenberg

Teenagers or early 20-somethings might say that upon hearing “NPR” come up in conversation, thoughts of people much older than them with jump to the front of their minds; as well as thoughts of content that cannot possibly be relevant to anyone their own age. Well, if there was ever a time to ditch the demographic stereotypes surrounding NPR and its programming, now is it. While NPR offers coverage on an array of different content that breaches everything from international politics to science, sports, and art, (the first of which might not be at the top of a teen’s priority list), NPR Music, dedicated exclusively to just that, has moved forward leaps and bounds in their quest to widen appeal toward people of all ages and interests when it comes to which artists and genres are featured.

Nearly everything about NPR Music has stepped into the 21^st century. Its availability spans terrestrial radio, digital streaming via the official NPR Music website, an app exclusively for NPR music’s content and of course, accounts on many of the major social media platforms, including: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram.

There are 11 specific programs hosted through NPR Music, individual pages for seven genres (Rock, Jazz, Classical, Hip-Hop / R&B, Folk, World and Electronic / Dance) and four regularly updated blogs that often provide perspective that is much more raw than that of a typical Top 40 radio station. 

When it comes specifically to new music discovery, NPR Music is undeniably a top dog in the business. Their “Tiny Desk Concerts” and “First Listen” programs are exceptionally good in this matter for two very strong reasons:

1) The stronger feeling of artist-to-fan intimacy associated with Tiny Desks’ exclusive video sets, which are shot right in the NPR Music office and not more than a step’s length away from the artists themselves. 

2) The albums selected for advanced listening are often times highly buzz/blog worthy and the availability of the streams usually precedes the public release date by several days –many times even longer than a full week and are accompanied by an overall review to boot.

The NPR Music team is poised to become an even more frequented destination for both new artists on the rise and established artists with new records to promote. (See also: this piece from the Wall Street Journal on the current status of NPR vis-à-vis music). The perusal of NPR Music’s webpages and listening to their programs and podcasts means exposure to both fresh and familiar names, epitomizing music discovery.

The inclusion of deeply personal and non-predictable artist interview content could solidify NPR Music even more. Not surprisingly, the staff knows this too, as their World Cafe series hears artists offering lesser-gossiped, more fleshed out insight to things like the inspiration behind songs, tabloid rumors and other Easter eggs fans might not hear though other discovery outlets. 

Amy Schriefer, Senior Product Manager with NPR Music, spoke with me about her thoughts on the importance of strong radio programming, the nuts and bolts behind NPR Music’s selections, and how the brand plans to continue changing and refreshing the music discovery scene, as well as itself.

SoundCtrl: NPR as an organization and iconic brand, has been around since the 1970s but more recently has gained a lot of recognition and popularity in mainstream media -particularly amid online communications. Clearly we can see you’re doing everything possible to expand your audience and demographics. What would you say is the one thing you knew the NPR Music branch needed to do in order for this change to effectively happen as it has?

Amy: To me, public radio has always worked to expand audience and demographics, to varying degrees of success. Our member stations rely on listener support, so their very model is one of outreach and engagement. When NPR Music formed in 2005, our goal was to aggregate the best public radio music programming across the system and create a powerful platform for music discovery and discussion. Bringing together all of the amazing programs, stories, interviews, videos, and digital streams demonstrates the scope of public radio music, but also our collective reach.

SoundCtrl: Since NPR Music is now often referred to as a top-level source for finding music, how does the NPR Music team decide on the chosen featured music or artists? Specific blogs? Online buzz? Employee suggestions? All the above?

Amy: We work with the top DJs in public radio to identify new music. Our staff includes critics, reporters, and hosts across genres and we also work with the arts and culture reporters on the NPR news magazines. Like any music fan, we’re constantly connected our favorite music sources, looking for new music, but also combing the archives for the music that came before and that shaped these new sounds and searching for the music that helps to tell the story of cultural moments, past and present.

SoundCtrl: Even though NPR Music is trying to appeal to younger listeners, do you feel there is something still inherently more “adult” about things like the platform’s artist interview content, due to the fact that questions and scenarios addressed often go far beyond the surface layer of shocker headlines and the circulating gossip topic(s)?

Amy: NPR strives to be a trusted source for story-telling and analysis. I don’t think there is anything inherently “adult” about that. I think music fans of any age seek more information and greater understanding.

SoundCtrl: Does NPR Music have any new promotions, strategies or programs in the works for the near future that we can anticipate? 

Amy: We plan to continue to develop our story-telling tools, particularly using video and multi-media, and making sure our content works seamlessly across platforms–radio, digital, mobile, etc. The DC office also just moved to a new building, taking the Tiny Desk along with it, so look for a relaunch of our Tiny Desk Concert series in the near future.

Kira is an old school music nerd with a love for all things creative; always searching for music’s common ground. She graduated with an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University. Drop her a tweet @shadowmelody1

SoundCtrl is proud to announce our nominees for the 4th Annual FlashFWD Awards – honoring excellence and innovation in music technology.

Every year, we’re excited by the steady and explosive growth of technology that is changing the ways we create, perform, discover and listen to music. Since the inception of FlashFWD in 2010, we’ve seen the industry shift, adjust and evolve many times over.

This year, there are simply too many companies and individuals we wanted to recognize. We feel compelled open up the conversation to you – the artist, the fan, the influencer – who do you think deserves a 2013 FlashFWD Award?

Submit your vote for each of our six categories through our 2013 ballot hosted right HERE on SoundCtrl!

Best in Discovery | Best in Live | Best in Mobile & Tablet

Best in Artist Support | Best in Gaming | SoundWAV Influencer Award

See if your favorites make the cut on Wednesday, May 22nd at the Gramercy Theatre where we will welcome nominees, artists, entrepreneurs, and industry elite to celebrate our 2013 honorees, with special performances by guests TBA.

The voting period ends in two weeks and honorees will be announced in May. Congratulations to all our nominees and looking forward to another amazing FlashFWD season!

To check out what went down in 2012, visit our recap HERE and check out what past winners think about FlashFWD HERE.

If you’d like to receive a press pass and/or interview the SoundCtrl board about the event, please email [email protected].

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Best in Discovery: Past honorees include Spotify (2012), The Echo Nest (2011), Hype Machine (2010)

Recognizing a product or service that has most significantly impacted and improved the way fans discover and share recorded music

1) Songza 2) NPR Music 3) YouTube 4) Mixify 5) Rap Genius

Best in Live: Past honorees include Square (2012), The Creator’s Project (2011)

Recognizing a product, service or organization that has most significantly improved the live concert experience from either a fan or artist perspective

1) Boiler Room 2) V Squared Labs 3) Superfly Presents 4) ID&T

Best in Mobile & Tablet: Past honorees include Snibbe Interactive for Biophilia (2012), SoundTracking (2011)

Recognizing a product or service that is breaking new ground in mobile technology and expanding upon traditional fan engagement

1) Pheed 2) Groovebug 3) Biobeats 4) Instagram

Best in Artist Support: Past honorees include BandPage (2012), SoundCloud (2011), Indaba Music (2010)

Recognizing a product or service that focuses on giving artists more options in creating and promoting their music independently

1) Tumblr 2) Jamplify 3) PledgeMusic 4) (New) Myspace

Best in Gaming: A Brand New Category

Recognizing a game, creator or organization that demonstrates innovation in music integration with a gaming platform, be it through soundtrack, virtual marketplace, or unique partnership.

1) Video Star App 2) SoundPlay by Pitchfork 3) Kinect for XBOX 360 4) Virgin Gaming

SoundWAV Influencer Award: Past honorees include Scooter Braun (2012), Troy Carter (2011)

Recognizing an individual who has significantly impacted digital music culture through the early adoption or creation of new technology and is seen as a visionary and voice in the music tech industry

1) Bill Werde 2) Jimmy Iovine 3) Amanda Palmer 4) Guy Oseary 5) Questlove

By Keith Nelson, Jr.

Ever since social media connected every human with one another, word of mouth’s promotional value has increased exponentially with Facebook statuses acting as digital billboards. How do you revolutionize a constantly changing medium? Reward fans for being fans. Former Goldman Sachs employees took that idea and manifested it into a social reward service called Jamplify where artists can reward fans for constantly promoting the artist. Given their own custom URL, fans can share the artists’ music, music video, etc to Facebook, blogs, and a variety of other online platforms which can help them garner prizes set by the artist for the fan with the most referrers.

The service, which started in August of 2012, is not some unknown powerhouse. In March of this year, the startup raised $600,000 from an array of investors.

Jamplify co-founder Moses Soyoola spoke with SoundCtrl about the rise of Jamplify, its future, “Jampaigns,” and more.

SoundCtrl: How did the idea for Jamplify form?

Moses Soyoola: Our CEO Andy woke up one morning to a music video in his inbox that had hit 300,000 views just from word of mouth. It sparked the idea that fans can be a powerful marketing asset and that artists need better tools to drive word-of-mouth.

SC:  What has the past  year meant for the Jamplify brand?

MS: We launched Jamplify in August and have had a really exciting year, winning best startup in marketing and social engagement at Midem and best startup at Canadian Music Week. In the last nine months, we’ve worked with big players in the major and indie label communities and with names like 50 Cent and Bruno Mars. The last year has been amazing, but it’s just the beginning.

SC: Jamplify turns an artists’ fanbase into a digital ad agency with allowing them to promote their own unique link. Why this method?

MS: Fans are powerful and effective marketers. By giving each fan their own unique referral link, the fan can spread the word wherever they have social reach, whether Facebook, Twitter, or obscure community forums where they might be active. The average fan drives 50 referrals withJamplify, and that’s a testament to their creativity and tenacity in sharing their link around.

SC: What has been the most common “ScratchBack” offered by artists? What has been the strangest or most inventive?

MS: Most common: free tickets to shows. Most inventive: a day in the office with 50 Cent at G-Unit records to do a 12-photo shoot and make a 50 Cent calendar.

SC: Since Jamplify rewards users for referring links do you think this could cause the artist to have momentary fans instead of long lasting fans that are more engaged?

MS: Because the rewards are always things related to the artist rather than something like cash or an iPad, the fans that promote are the ones that really care about the artist. A person isn’t going to try to win tickets to a show if he/she doesn’t actually like that artist. In a lot of ways,Jamplify helps artists develop stronger relationships with their most influential fans. We’re building in a host of new features which will enable artists to reengage their promoters around all of their content releases and deepen those relationships over time.

SC: What will the new $600,000 in investment money rouded up last month go towards?

MS: The $600,000 investment will be focused mostly on product development. We’re building Jamplify into an ongoing digital street team platform that will provide long-lasting promotional value for the artists we work with.

SC: Jamplify connects to YouTube but are there plans of expanding the connection to other streaming platforms such as Spotify and SoundCloud?

MS: We’ve already run jampaigns for embeds from SoundCloud, and we’re set up to do jampaigns for Spotify or any streaming platform. Jamplify can be used to promote anything with a URL – so Spotify playlists, Rdio playlists, etc are all fair game.

SC: What are the people at Jamplify actively working on improving about the service?

MS: We’re really excited about the data that we can show artists on their top influencers. These are fans that can reach thousands of people with a tweet. Our goal is to help artists identify and foster a stronger relationship with these valuable fans. We’re building in all sorts of functionality to make this happen.

SC: What are the plans for 2013?

MS: 2013 is about helping artists get more than ever from word-of-mouth. We have a great group of artists that we’re working with today, and we’re excited for the Jamplify community to grow as more artists sign up.