By Kira Grunengerg

The avatar-based DJ service Turntable.fm has taken quite a journey. Introduced to the market as one of the most hyped music startups of mid-2011, the company has since struggled to stay relevant. Now, the startup is adjusting how it taps into live & social with an elaborate re-launch: Turntable Live.

Turntable Live provides affordable, engaging, high-quality access to live music. The company makes a big bet on social, introducing smart, engaging elements that help break the screen barrier between artists and viewers. The expected inclusion of chat, tweets and photos are commonplace, but Turntable Live also allows the band to see their fans, making the experience more dynamic for everyone. The added luxury of a detailed list of viewers and their contributions can provide artists with great opportunities for post-show insight and interaction.

The team at Turntable HQ in Soho, New York personally creates and launches each show page through which tickets are sold. Artists set a goal and if enough digital tickets are sold, the show is on. The logistics of putting on the show are low stress for bands as well. After tickets get sold, the group just shows up at the Turntable office and all audio/video equipment is provided. Icing on the cake? Artists receive 70% gross revenue return.

Right now, the company has four scheduled shows held in conjunction with the also newly launched CBGB Festival in NYC, which started this past Tuesday and continues through Sunday, the 13th.

We sat down with Billy Chasen, Co-Founder of Turntable.fm, to talk about this new transformation and where they’re headed.

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turntable liveSoundCtrl: What was the primary motivation for this relaunch?

Billy Chasen: One of the most exciting parts of turntable.fm has been when artists stop by rooms and hang out with fans. Fans love it and artists feel more connected from it.

But turntable.fm was never a product with live audio or video. We wanted to reimagine live performances online and bring something that connects both fans and artists without being at the same physical location. Something 2-way, expressive and highly engaging. We also wanted to build something that helps artists. Now that artists are touring as their main source of income, we wanted to give them a platform to reach more of their fans.

SC: What brought the Turntable team together with the CBGB Festival?

BC: CBGB is a NYC icon and we’re just a few blocks away from its original location. They were also intrigued by what we’re doing, so everything fit together perfectly.

SC: How has the reception and participation been for the first few shows during the CBGB Festival thus far? Is there a trend already visible for how fans are choosing to engage while listening?

BC: Yesterday was actually our very first show! We had several test shows over the last couple months, but our first public one was last night and it was a great time.

SC: A major strength I see with Turntable Live is the extra attention paid to social connection – the two-way mirror for instance. How does that feature help to bridge the digital gap?

BC: Nothing can replace being physically together with someone else. Skype is the next best thing you can do when apart from someone. It’s the same thing with concerts. It’s not just TV. People want more. People can send photos, ask questions, and talk back to the artist.

SC: Right now you stream all performances from your NYC HQ. Do you plan on eventually expanding to other music-heavy epicenters?

BC: Absolutely. This is our first studio set up, but the goal is to open them up wherever artists are.

SC: In addition to digital tickets, is there any interest in allowing a limited number of people to attend performances in real life at Turntable HQ?

BC: We’ve thought about that and it’s definitely a possibility. I think it would be more up to the artist.

SC: How does Turntable Live scale up? Bigger artists? Bigger venues? Bigger audiences?

BC: We’ve learned a lot from scaling turntable.fm and brought that to building Turntable Live. The key will be having people love the experience and that in turn will bring more people and bigger artists.

SC: If you could have any artists on Turntable Live, who would it be and why?

BC: LCD Soundsystem with secret guest star Daft Punk, playing at our house.

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


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