Pete Cashmore Talks Foursquare, iPad, and Location on Bloomberg [VIDEO]
If you had to pick the one buzzword that’s dominating social media chatter today, it would have to be location. Just over a year ago, Foursquare burst onto the scene at the SXSW conference in Austin, TX. Since then, it’s only grown dramatically.
The result has been a battle for domination in the geolocation space. While many still think Foursquare could be the next Twitter, rivals such as Gowalla are giving the mobile startup some heat, and big players such as Facebook and Twitter are launching location features or are about to launch them.
Our own Pete Cashmore sat down with Bloomberg’s Cris Valerio to discuss the location trend, the battle brewing between Foursquare and Gowalla at this year’s SXSW, the gold mine that is location-based advertising, the iPad, and even a little bit about the future of Mashable.
It’s quite a fascinating video — if you do watch it, let us know what you think of the location trend (and Pete’s on-air performance) in the comments.
Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Gowalla, Mashable, Twitter
‘Predators’ Preview Debuts at SXSW
SXSWi (the South by Southwest Interactive conference) is certainly our favorite track of the SXSW experience, but it’s not the only portion of the festival taking place this weekend. Film goers are out en masse in Austin too, and directors — both big and small — are using the event to showcase their films. Or in some cases, using it to show off preview of their films.
Texas-native Robert Rodriguez (whose Troublemaker Studios is based in Austin) showcased the first preview of July’s Predators, his newest movie, last night.
Predators stars Adrien Brody and Topher Grace in what is essentially a reboot of the storied franchise. Rodriguez, a fan of the original series, produced and contributed to the screenplay. Fox already has a Predators website, complete with Twitter and Facebook integration.
The preview that was shown at SXSW is already online and you can watch it here:
Knowing Rodriguez’s love of digital filmmaking and his Predator fandom, we fully expect to see a digital — possibly even viral — campaign for the film, especially as we edge closer to release. The full trailer will be online on March 18th.
So, are you excited about Predators? Let us know in the comments!
Tags: movie trailers, Movies, Predators, sxsw, sxsw2010, sxswi
Keyboard Cat: The Next Generation [VIDEO]
For years now we have all found solace and joy in Charlie Schmidt’s “Keyboard Cat,” a musically inclined feline with Beethoven-sick skills and a mischievous mien. Now, a new kitty is on the scene: Bento. And believe you me, this Cat’s got synth-drenched magic coming out of his claws.
By now we all know the story of Keyboard Cat — a video born 30 years ago when an unemployed performance artist named Charlie Schmidt turned camera and creative eye to his cat, Fatso.
Years later, Schmidt uploaded the vid to the Internets and, lo and behold, people liked it. Because, well, people enjoy cats — especially when they’re acting like people.
Now, with little fanfare, a new video has been uploaded to Schmidt’s YouTube channel, the description of which reads:
“REJOICE!!! The waiting is over. As predicted by Keyboard Cat Church…He is back!!! Fatso is reincarnated as ‘Bento.’ He comes with Fatso’s approval, support, talent and spirit. It is truly time to celebrate!”
Check it out below. Minds will be blown. (And before you ask, commenters: Yes, it is a slow news day, but that doesn’t make this video any less awesome.)
[via Peggy Wang at Buzzfeed]
Tags: humor, keyboard-cat, music, viral video, youtube
How Musicians Are Using Social Media to Connect with Fans
Greg Rollett runs a music marketing company from his laptop in Orlando, FL. He is an advocate of the New Music Economy and very hopeful that artists can still live the rock star lifestyle in the digital age. Connect with Greg on Twitter, @g_ro.
Today’s musicians, both mainstream and indie, are using social media to connect with fans, build anticipation, and generate revenue in new and unique ways. The products range from singles to mix tapes to digital six-packs, even oddly shaped USB sticks, vinyl, and the occasional traditional album.
But how are these artists reaching their new fan bases online through social channels? Much like the business world, social media promotion for musicians is still a very new game, with no exact recipe for platinum success.
There are however, some innovations being put forth, and a new connection is being formed between artists and fans — a connection that empowers both to give each other what they are looking for.
Fan-Funded Projects
We have all heard about the success of micro lending organizations like Kiva, which use multiple small payments to contribute to a larger goal. The same process is being applied to creating an album or a music-based project.
One such project is the Washington D.C.-based indie hip-hop group Panacea. The producer/MC duo listed their project on Kickstater, a funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, inventors, explorers, and others.
The project was posted on the morning of February 26th. According to Jeremy Calvery, the group’s Director of Digital Media and Promotion, “We were at $1,000 before the end of the first day. We had to increase the number of $200 packages from three to five over the weekend because people were e-mailing and literally begging for the chance to ‘buy’ the whole back catalog. Less than five full days from the first e-mail to the list, we had reached the funding goal of $3,800, which was set to be just a bit more than what the minimum press of 250 vinyl copies was going to cost.”
Another hip-hop outfit, the Get Busy Committee, also launched a project on Kickstarter. In their drive to raise $3,218, they included one premium pledge level at $1,000 — an investment that netted the donor a song about him or herself to be included on the record, as well as a platinum plaque. They sold this spot within 24 hours.
Using Video to Create Buzz
Another approach musicians are taking is the use of web video series. Indie pop artist Mike Posner has been telling his story over the course of a video series titled “One Foot Out The Door.” Daniel Weisman, Mike’s manager, stated that he was attempting to create an income stream for Mike while he was finishing college and working on his debut album.
Daniel and his management company Elitaste were approached by the shoe company Puma about integrated artist campaigns. Puma ended up sponsoring Mike’s last semester in college, and provided a camera crew to follow him from classes, to the studio, to shows all over the country.
Daniel wanted to do something special for the Mashable readers when I reached out to him, so fresh off the upload, here is the premier of Episode #10 of “One Foot Out The Door.”
Live streaming has also been worthwhile for big announcements. Underground artists the Kottonmouth Kings turned to Ustream to tell their fans all about their new album and when they could expect it in local stores.
The video was watched live and formatted like a press conference, with fans getting the chance to ask questions and share their feedback. It was a smart way to bring their fans into the experience and give back to the community that has supported them for 10+ years.
Creativity From the Fans
Rob And Kal are a pop/rock act from the UK who are taking fans inside their studio and the music creation process. They call it Mubla 2.0, which Rob defined as “our interactive recording project where we come up with song ideas and you help us develop them with your comments, suggestions and musicianship.”
So far they have five songs in progress with fans like Adam saying, “I just feel the intro has a little too much going on and 2.33 to 2.56 I almost want the piano to play and pull at the heart strings.” Another commenter named Russell gave tips like, “Think drums and a bit more of heavier guitar would go down nicely particularly near end.”
This concept empowers fans and gives them a product they feel responsible for and connected to. The project can only strengthen the bond between fans and artists, and result in an easier sale when the time comes to release an album.
Reaching Out to Non-Music Bloggers
Glasses Malone, a new artist signed with Cash Money Records, is turning to bloggers to get the word out about his new album “Beach Cruiser.” What makes his campaign unique is that unlike traditional artists who look to get their tracks on highly trafficked MP3 blogs and review sites, Glasses and his team are focused on adding value to bloggers whose primary focus is not on music.
A marketing rep for Glasses told me, “These bloggers are more open to running contests and integrated campaigns than traditional music bloggers because they are not accustomed to being pitched by a major label artist. We have found blogs that love unique and fresh content that will separate them from their peers and competition, and it is working out very well for us so far.”
Armed with a research team, they have been targeting biking blogs, college blogs, beach lifestyle sites and more, all with the hope of driving new traffic to Glasses’ site and generating some pre-album buzz.
Conclusion
No matter what the labels and corporations are doing, musicians are taking it upon themselves to use social channels to connect with fans, offer value, and create relationship. This has ultimately led to new business models and revenue streams from sponsorships, touring and live appearances, custom products, and social monetization through advertising.
What are your expectations from artists in today’s music industry? What other unique social media promotions have you seen from your favorite musicians? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
More social media resources from Mashable:
- How The Roxy Became the #1 Venue on Twitter [INTERVIEW]
- 8 Great Spotify Hints, Tips and Tricks
- The Science of Building Trust With Social Media
- How Companies Are Using Your Social Media Data
- How Twitter in the Classroom is Boosting Student Engagement
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, karimhesham
Reviews: Mashable, iStockphoto
Tags: bands, BLOGS, music, record labels, social media, trending, ustream, video, Vimeo, web video, web video series
The Engadget Show: Inside chiptunes and 8-bit visuals
Greetings humans! If you’ve seen The Engadget Show, then you’ve been privy to some pretty incredible performances by a group of musicians and artists who eschew familiar instruments in exchange for hacked and modded handheld gaming devices. We grabbed our cameras and got a brief look at the history of the chiptunes movement, the difference between Game Boy music and music from Game Boys, and most importantly, how these artists and visualists make it all happen. Kick back and take a look at the segment (featuring the likes of Glomag, Paris, and Outpt) — you’ll be glad you did!
Special guests: Glomag, Paris, and Outpt
Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm
Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger
Edited by: Michael Slavens
Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec
Download the Show: The Engadget Show Segment – 005 (HD) / The Engadget Show Segment – 005 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted)
Subscribe to the Show:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
Continue reading The Engadget Show: Inside chiptunes and 8-bit visuals
The Engadget Show: Inside chiptunes and 8-bit visuals originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HDI headquarters walkthrough: details galore on the new face of in-home 3D
For those unaware, HDI’s flagship product is a planned 103-inch 3D HDTV that uses a proprietary technology in order to showcase content in the third dimension (or 2D, if you’d like). We sat down with Chris Stuart (Director of Technology) and Edmund Sandberg (Chief Technology Officer) in order to get an overview of the tech, set the story straight in regard to pricing and availability, and dig in a little deeper on its plans for distribution and expansion. We also plopped down in front of the company’s prototype 97-inch set and a 46-inch 3D LCD that has remained mostly a myth up until now, and we’ve certainly got plenty to share in terms of impressions. If you’re eager to learn more (and take a behind-the-scenes look at a television R&D lab), give that ‘Read More’ link a gentle press.
Gallery: HDI 3D prototype HDTVs
Continue reading HDI headquarters walkthrough: details galore on the new face of in-home 3D
HDI headquarters walkthrough: details galore on the new face of in-home 3D originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sony’s ultra-compact concept shooter will come with an APS sensor, UI shows up on video
Yesterday we brought you pictures of the touchscreen-loving user interface on Sony’s genre-straddling camera concept, so what better way to improve on that than with video and a few specs? Beyond the break you shall find one of those excessively stylized promotional vids you know and love to hate, but tolerating the fluff with reward you with some nice hints about how the shooter is operated plus finally some word on what’s inside. An Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor is touted, along with the accompanying capability to shoot 1080p AVCHD video. While we still find the design of these interchangeable lens cameras ridiculously appealing, there is one thing we have to complain about and that’s the clunky naming scheme. Please Sony, give us something sexier to call it than an “ultra-compact camera concept” — how about the Sony Beta, it comes after Alpha and is typically used to denote an unfinished product. You can have that one for free.
Sony’s ultra-compact concept shooter will come with an APS sensor, UI shows up on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
