User-generated web content has globally increased to the point where almost everyone participates in some way online, whether it is through blogging, Yahoo! Answers, LinkedIn, or FaceBook. There is a new generation of people that create and consume more content online, and with this enters new ways to manage this increase in worldwide imagination.

Specifically for YouTube, a company called Fullscreen contributes to a user’s web content by giving them the tools to create and the strategies to gain fan support and recognition. Fullscreen fosters innovation worldwide by allowing web users to expand their networks and to connect to others.

And now, Fullscreen just announced that they will be supporting users in making full-length movies, allowing for exciting opportunity among YouTube users. They have already begun working on three projects with groups that got their start on online. Get ready to discover and view original movies by the YouTube community. For more info on Fullscreen’s first three original movies, read this Mashable article.

Are you a YouTube user? Considering checking Fullscreen out: www.fullscreen.com

Ever since stepping into Topshop’s Las Vegas store several years ago, I have been in love with the UK brand. When I was in London this past year, I got the chance to go into several Topshop stores, including their flagship in Oxford Circus, and was amazed at how the brand has become basically a household name in the UK. They not only have innovative clothing at affordable prices, but they always have seemed on point with weaving technology seamlessly into their label and fashion shows.

This year at London Fashion Week (#LFW), they stood out above the others with their democratization of fashion by targeting the younger customer base with a social media takeover.

Images leaked Tuesday by Android Police supposedly show the long-awaited joint effort of Google and Youtube. The new service, titled Youtube Music Key in the screenshots, will also mean changes for Google’s existing service: Google Play will reportedly become Google Play Music Key.

While i’m still not entirely seeing the appeal of yet another music subscription service, many of the features do seem interesting:
- A free trial month will be offered, and thereafter $9.99/month
- At least 20 million music tracks in the music library available to users
- Additional content such as concert footage, covers and remixes
- Offline playback of music videos and songs with audio-only option for background and screen-off listening

The most interesting claim in my opinion is the statement that all of this can be done “without an Internet connection” and the options for screen-off listening. However, i’m still unsure if this is enough to set it apart from the already existing services such as Spotify, Beats Music, and Google Play and draw users to pay for the service.

There is still not word on when any of this will be released or a predicted launch date, so we will have to wait and see how the final product develops and if it’s anything like the leaked images.

Yahoo Inc. is looking to start four short Web series including 10 episode comedies. The CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer has it rumored for the shows to be announced at an event in New York by April 28th. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo plans on offering high-quality video programming and high-price video ads to compete with other online TV streaming services, such as, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and even Google’s YouTube.

Mayer has high hopes for the company by spending more money (budgets ranging from $700,000 to a few million dollars) and working with famous stars and directors to produce an engaging, viral online TV show. However, in order for Yahoo’s Web originals to become a hit the company relies on ad-sales to support the shows WSJ.

Yahoo has a competitive market for top-quality TV series, therefore, their ambitious online video strategy could help turn around Yahoo’s presence amongst other original video programming rivals.

Jack Johnson’s new music video for “Radiate” from his sixth studio album, “From Here to Now to You.”

Dove - the skin care brand - has the most viewed viral advertising campaign ever. It got there because of three key features: honest, simple, and patient.

HONEST
The campaign relies on testimonials, but unlike most commercials who do the same, the people on screen clearly want to testify. They aren’t actors selling something. They’re regular, seemingly middle class people talking, and they just happen to be on screen.

SIMPLE
There are no exotic locations, no sweeping vistas, or elaborate sets. The setting is a typical workplace without ideal lighting, however the set shown here looks much closer than, say one from Victoria’s Secret.

PATIENT
Since Dove did not constrain themselves to 30 or 60 second ad, they had time to tell a story. Over the course of the 3:01, we start to see what the artist Gil Zamora is doing right along with the women. They build a relationship with both sides and as a result, are both surprised and pleased when the reveal finally comes. There was no need to fit everything into very little time. If you have an honest story to tell, it will spread.

Check out the advertising campaign below and tell us what you think!

As of today Youtube, the provider of cute puppy videos, funny news interviews turned viral and the just plain bizarre, is now implementing paid subscriptions to select partners. What does this mean exactly? It means that starting with a subscription fee of 99 cents or more per month, about 50 of Youtube’s top partners will no longer be free.

From a business standpoint, it makes complete sense. In order to keep supporting the higher valued content, YouTube needs to implement changes that actually place higher value on said content. However, in the age of Netflix, Hulu+ and countless other entities segregating content into free and paid subscriptions, the web-scape seems to be shifting in a major way. 

This isn’t an outrage and this isn’t the end of the world. What I do believe is that we can expect the days of television, film and the web as separate entities are coming to a close.

The lines have been blurring for the last five years in the media world with smartphones, iPads/tablets, and Xbox or Wii becoming a main video console for many. It seems that with recent changes such as this new feature with Youtube, we are closer than ever to all of these mediums merging, placing an emphasis on better content, while also creating revenue for that content. With this emphasis on better content, it seems YouTube is really trying to focus on fostering a greater creative environment rather than shafting its biggest fans. 

Rest assured puppy fans, nothing is happening to your favorite cuteness addiction, just the content that actually has a good deal of production value behind it. 

There are days to be serious, but today is simply not one of those days. Spoiler alert! Today is April Fools Day, and what a glorious day it is for the Internet. Here are of my favorites in no particular order.

1. Google Nose

It’s become a bit of a tradition for Google to introduce some sort of pseudo-app every April Fools and this year’s edition comes in the form of Google Nose with the slogan “Smelling is believing.”

Had she not smelled her phone, I might have believed them.

2. Netflix Suggestions

Upon perusing the web for some other April Fools fun, it seemed that Netflix had performed the prank of all pranks. Netflix typically gives me ultra-specific categories, but today seems to be extra special on that front. Here is the suggestion from my own personal account:

Sadly I did not get anything about Nicolas Cage freak-outs as seen here.

By now I’m sure the majority of you are all too familiar with the Harlem Shake dance meme that has overtaken Gangnam Style as the latest viral sensation to hit the web.
I’ll admit, I too am guilty of spending a shameful amount of time watching these videos online…

While the Harlem Shake may have been burning through it’s 15 minutes mercilessly, there’s no denying that it marks one of the most popular and pervasive memes of 2013. Within just a span of a few weeks, it already boasts well over 170 million views from 40,000 different YouTube channels.

Between punching inflatable giraffes and underwater tabletop dancing, it’s hard to choose which Harlem Shake videos are the most creative. Thankfully, Mashable has compiled a comprehensive list of must-sees for viewers. Check it out here.

And for those of you hoping this meme couldn’t fade into obscurity any sooner, I’ve got bad news for you. A variation of the Harlem Shake, or rather, “Harlem Fake” has made its way to the Internet—but this time, viewers are greeted with a twist once the bass kicks in.

Here are a few clips of funny Harlem fake-outs:

If you thought your favorite catchy pop songs couldn’t possibly get any catchier, well, you’re wrong. Robin Skouteris came out with a mashup of 24 artists he titled “PopLove (2012).”

Yep, you guessed it. His mashup features the most catchy and popular songs of 2012 that just can’t make it out of your head. The mashup includes Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake”, Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” Calvin Harris’ “Feel So Close,” Ellie Goulding’s “Lights,” Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know,” and much more. I must say, this is my new guilty pleasure. Rather sure I have already contributed 25+ views to this insanely catchy mashup!

Before we dive into all the holiday tunes and listing the top albums of the year, we decided to compile a nice covers only playlist! We have quite the eclectic staff. You’ll see covers from Bon Iver, System of a Down, Johnny Cash, and Adele. Enjoy our interesting mix below!

We just recently finished a project for our client Buyvite which we are extremely proud of! The process included various elements such as, consulting, building storyboards, designing a unique inforgraphic, writing a script, recording voice overs, and animating and editing a video for Buyvite’s website. Our lead strategist Justin worked very hard on implementing and creating unique ideas, which is definitely conveyed in the finished product.

Justin explains the step by step process from consulting to the animation:

This is a beautiful cover of Danny Riley’s “Through Their Eyes” which comes on the 5th year anniversary of his passing.  A big thank you to Michael Tiernan for sharing his take on Danny’s poignant song.

What are you looking forward to most about Super Bowl XLVI? The game? The parties? The halftime show? As the most watched TV broadcast of the year, the Super Bowl brings much hype. Although the football game is the most obvious reason why people tune into the broadcast, many people tune in for other reasons, specifically the commercials.

Companies spend months strategizing, preparing, creating, and producing innovative and engaging commercials that will grab the viewer’s attention in hopes of promoting their product. In years past, the commercials were kept secret up until the moment they aired and were shown once during the live taping of the game, but last year some marketing officers went against the traditional approach and implemented a new plan of attack. As our society has become more and more engrossed into the world of social media, companies have discovered that combining their commercials with a social media overlay increases not only the awareness of their product, but also “gets the ball rolling” before the commercial airs live on TV.

We are proud to announce the launch of an awesome website for the very talented (and only 15 years old!) Scott James! Check it out here.

We implemented Topspin for Scott’s mailing list collection and e-commerce, Soundcloud for Scott’s audio content, YouTube for Scott’s video content and Facebook to feed Scott’s photos.

Marie Parie is a new client here at Oniracom! She presents a different genre than we normally work with and we are excited to start working with her. She is a Parisian pop artist that moved to the United States in 2005, providing her with a unique view of American society. Marie is fascinated by the process of dating and is motivated by the power of futuristic music. Her full length album, Alien Victory, is aimed to be released early this year. Watch her first music video, Dating, here! Follow her on MySpace and Facebook to stay tuned for the release of her album!

Peter Tanham of Amp Music Marketing writes, “When we start working with any musician, two of the most important goals we start with are:

1.) Build a strong mailing list

2.) Build a popular Facebook page

Fans are going to be more comfortable interacting with the artist through these mediums, and they are also the ones that drive the most sales.”

Highlights from this article include:

The importance of Facebook Ads

Implementing effective Facebook Ads

1.) If You Like Those Guys…  it’s called a “power play,” pick musicians that are similar to your style and pay to be played to their fans.

2.) Building A Good Landing Page: make sure your Facebook ad redirects them to a customized landing page which will encourage them to click the “like” button with some incentive to hear or get your music. Make sure it is the most similar sounding music to the artist you referred to in the “power play.”

3.) Target Your Ads… and run multiple campaigns!

4.) Ask Questions. Encourage Clicks and Likes - (reference pseudo ad image on the left).

“At the MobileBeat 2010 conference in San Francisco, Eric Tseng said that Facebook “really sees mobile as the future,” and that we can expect to see Facebook’s “Like” buttons in mobile applications soon.

Tseng used geolocation as an example to illustrate the power of the mobile Open Graph. If you were to walk near a coffee shop and get a location-aware notification that there’s a happy hour going on there, you’ll probably be even more inclined to visit it if the notification comes bundled with recommendations from your Facebook friends.”

From Paramore’s rendition of “Use Somebody” to Framing Hanley’s version of “Lollipop,” cover songs seem to be all the rage right now. Which is exactly why we love BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, because honestly, what is better than watching your favorite artist cover a song that we already know all the words to?

So, what is Live lounge on BBC - Radio 1, you ask? Well, Radio 1 is a station on BBC and Live Lounge is a separate segment on Radio 1. The radio show features interviews and performances with musicians spanning all genres. After the interview is conducted the interviewee will usually perform a cover song in addition to one of their original songs. Interestingly enough, the cover usually tends to be outside of the musicians typical genre, the result… pure awesome-ness.

Now that we’ve had a year to reflect on Michael Jackson’s death, I have compiled a list of MJ favorites from Oniracom’s staff.

What is your favorite Michael Jackson song/video?

 

Blip.fm is a Social network founded in 2008, but just starting to pick up some good steam. The layout is nearly identical to Twitter, in that you have your “blips” that come in from all of your “favorite DJs” just as tweets come in from whom you’re following.

As the website itself will tell you:

A blip is a combination of 1) a song and 2) a short message that accompanies it. The way you create a blip is to first search for a song that you want to hear (or a song that you want your listeners to hear), then add a short message (under 150 characters), finally you submit it. Submitting a blip is also referred to as “blipping”, so from here on out, when you read “he blipped my favorite track” it means “he submitted a blip that had my favorite song attached”.

Video after the break

“Wow” is all I could say after stumbling upon Pomplamoose (thanks Taylor).  Not only is the band’s sound appealing to my ears, but the band’s video editing works seamlessly alongside my brain’s interpretation of each layer of sound.  I’ve included three of their videos for you to check out, but of course you can see them all on the Pomplamoose YouTube Channel.

The band’s sense of marketing is spot on with today’s new media / self-promotion techniques.  They cover two popular songs but with their very unique style—Lady Gaga’s “Telephhone” and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” (both embedded in this post if you click “Read More”).  Of course covers of current pop songs help an emerging (super talented) artist spread virally/quickly (anyone up for a Susan Boyle cover?). 

And for their holiday track “Always in the Season,” Pomplamoose offers a cool direct-to-fan trade at the end of the video: donate an animal to a friend through World Vision and get 2 free mp3 downloads in return.  Fans mail their proof of purchase to the band, and in turn get their download links.

Pomplamoose - “Always in the Season”

The following post was written by reknown producer and industry thinker Sjoerd (Sjoko) Koppert.  Besides working with bands such as The Who, Pink Floyd, ABBA, Janis Joplin, Frank Zappa, Beach Boys, Yes, and Lynyrd Skynrd, he also orchestrated the launch of FedEx in Europe and the Middle East in 1986 while on a personal break from the music industry.  He is well-known for being an insightful and forward thinker for the music industry, as he has constantly adapted his strategies to maintain success in an ever-changing business.

Oniracom is currently working with Sjoko on two original music series, produced in high quality to be premiered on the web before moving to television and film.  (More on that soon!)  Here’s a snippet on some of Sjoko’s thoughts for YouTube future in their fast maturing market. Enjoy:

Points for thought

After launching FedEx in Europe in ‘86 I attended my first “official” FedEx board meeting in Memphis and caused a lot of consternation. When asked my opinion about the state of the corporation my response was: “Dangerous. You are a single product company in a fast maturing market.” To say this remark caused consternation would be a severe understatement. After all, I was addressing a board that had only ever experienced and accommodated growth. But my statement was truth based on fact and before long they recognized that they had to take serious action in order to preserve their market position.

Today I see a very similar situation with YouTube. They are a single product (delivery platform) company, a market leader in a maturing market. Alternative delivery platforms are developing and growing. Just in recent weeks we have seen developments. Hulu is moving from being just another delivery platform to content development (Article). AOL is moving from content provider to include delivery platform (Article). Shifts have also been spotted from companies such as Yahoo (Article) and MSN/Bing (Article). History has shown that this market movement is to accelerate. As such, a company like YouTube will have to make strategic moves in order to preserve and built its market position.

Currently, we are awaiting YouTube’s response to a request for a more “fixed rate” schedule of advertisements for two original series. This is a move away from their Google based advertising platform. Our request to YouTube is based on our concept research, our proven capability to deliver and the interest in the shows from corporate sponsors. 

Our contact with sponsors is due to my history with marketing / advertising / sponsorships, but our core activity is content development. I am a producer first and foremost and a marketing / development person as a necessity. No question YouTube can handle sponsorship / product placement and have the people in place to do so. The latter is one of the reasons I requested for a YouTube person to be part of our “closing team” when finalizing major sponsorship deals. It helps us and comforts our corporate sponsors.

And here comes today’s key question:

YouTube is considering a strategic decision in changing their manner of advertising. Should they perhaps consider a different strategy and partner in the production of shows?

Personally I think of YouTube as a partner anyway, be it an “initial delivery partner” only. I would not have any objections to them becoming involved financially. Yes we would forego a percentage of our long-term revenue, but I do think they have much to offer to counterbalance that. I would value your opinions. 

In evaluating the above, please consider that currently our production entity owns both shows and YouTube is the initial delivery platform. After YouTube the shows will go to television and after that other alternative platforms (DVD etc.). In other words, there will be a large ongoing residual value. Naturally we would have to share the revenue with YouTube should they partner us in producing the content.

Do you think this would benefit both parties? Or do you think YouTube should stay away from production and revenue share? I welcome your opinions!

Sjoerd Koppert