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Tag: MTV
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Will Smith invests in PluggedIn, new music video site
Three of the biggest companies in the music industry will be providing content for web-newcomer PluggedIn, which offers high-definition music videos and concerts to be streamed online for free.
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MAP HINTS: Click expands a name. Control+Click centers map on a name. Solid lines are current relations. Dotted lines are former relations. For advanced tools choose Tools > Options from the menu at top. More help. Not seeing the maps? Please go here to check for the latest version of Java.Will Smith’s production company, Overbrook Entertainment, is the major investor. Overbrook Entertainment, which manages artists in addition to producing films, is partnered by Ken Stovitz, Smith’s former agent at CAA. James Lassiter, the producer of I Am Legend and Ali, also produces for Overbrook.
Other investors include PluggedIn’s founding partners Kevin Welk and Brett O’Brien.
PluggedIn intends to do for music videos and concerts what YouTube does for user-created content and Hulu does for TV shows. The company announced yesterday that its users will have access to content from Universal Music Group, as well as EMI and Sony BMG.
The site describes itself as evolving from a “from a rare partnership between proven Internet entrepreneurs and successful music industry executives.”
Jeff Somers, PluggedIn’s CEO, previously worked for Zillow.com, a website that estimates real estate values by address. He formerly worked in vendor relations for Amazon.com.
Co-founders of PluggedIn include XDrive founder Brett O’Brien and chief marketing officer JJ Aguhob. XDrive was purchased by AOL in 2005. Kevin Welk, the CEO of Vanguard and Sugar Hill Records is also a founding partner.
Nicola Marzolla, a former Yahoo software engineer, is an engineer for PluggedIn.
PluggedIn’s content includes more than 10,000 free music videos, some of which can be streamed in high definition.
Users can also save videos and photos of artists such as U2, Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse and Rihanna. PluggedIn also plans on serving as a social network, allowing users to connect to one another by sharing created playlists.
The new content that PluggedIn is able to provide is the HD videos provided by EMI, Universal Music Group, and Sony BMG. The rest of their artist information comes from other websites.
YouTube links are provided to fill in the gaps in music video and TV offerings. PluggedIn links to Amazon, StubHub and eBay to purchase music, concert tickets, ringtones and other merchandise. Artist bios are mostly provided by All Music Guide, and news listings go to outside sites such as MTV.com and newspapers. PluggedIn also offers content from Wikipedia and blogs.
Will PluggedIn provide enough original content for users to be satisfied with the service they plan to offer? Considering the site doesn’t even have the HD music videos of investor Will Smith’s anthems Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It and Miami, PluggedIn’s success may be determined by future content acquisition.
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Will MTV audience care who rocked the cradle?
MTV’s Rock the Cradle has kicked off its debut season, but does the average MTV reality show fan even care about these celebuspawn?
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MAP HINTS: Click expands a name. Control+Click centers map on a name. Solid lines are current relations. Dotted lines are former relations. For advanced tools choose Tools > Options from the menu at top. More help. Not seeing the maps? Please go here to check for the latest version of Java.The nine contestants are the children of musicians of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Specifically, they are the offspring of band members from Twisted Sister, The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers and the artists MC Hammer, Kenny Loggins, Al. B Sure!, Eddie Money, Bobby Brown and Olivia Newton-John.
MTV’s website describes the premise of the show, “Yeah, we’re searching for the next superstar, but this isn’t your average, every day singing competition. We’re shining the spotlight on children of rock stars to see who has what it takes to step out of the parental shadow and fulfill their DNA destiny. ‘Cause, really, isn’t everything better when celebrities are involved?”
But really, how many typical MTV viewers even know the music that made the parents of these contestants famous? Aside from seeing episodes of Being Bobby Brown on Bravo and reruns of the movie Grease on cable, it’s likely that “Hammer time,” would be nothing more than a legend for today’s teens, MTV’s target audience.
The contestants of Rock the Cradle sing each week, and the one with the highest score from the judges is safe from elimination. The rest have to depend on viewer support to keep them from being kicked off the show.
The show is judged by Britney Spears’ former manager Larry Rudolph, choreographer Jamie King, and celebrity stylist June Ambrose.
After the first episode, which aired last week, Lucy Walsh, daughter of The Eagles’ Joe Walsh, received the highest score, which isn’t too surprising. She’s the only contestant who already has a record deal, with Island Records.
Rock the Cradle may get some success if the contestants can hold audience attention without relying on famous parents. It’s pretty certain that the fans of Kenny Loggins, The Doobie Brothers and Olivia Newton-John aren’t tuning in to MTV regularly.
Rock the Cradle airs on MTV on Thursday at 10 p.m.
This post is tagged with: Al. B Sure!, Being Bobby Brown, Bobby Brown, Britney Spears, Eddie Money, Island Records, Jamie King, Joe Walsh, June Ambrose, Kenny Loggins, Larry Rudolph, Lucy Walsh, MC Hammer, MTV, Olivia Newton-John, Rock the Cradle, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, Twisted SisterRead related stories: Entertainment · Music · Television
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Diddy on the way to a hat trick?
P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Sean Combs, Diddy: It doesn’t matter what you call him, this man is a hit maker.
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Click to activate the interactive map (requires Java)MAP HINTS: Click expands a name. Control+Click centers map on a name. Solid lines are current relations. Dotted lines are former relations. For advanced tools choose Tools > Options from the menu at top. More help. Not seeing the maps? Please go here to check for the latest version of Java.Diddy has put together two successful bands through his Making the Band franchise: Danity Kane and Day26. They have officially taken over the charts.
According to Nielsen SoundScan, Danity Kane’s sophomore album, Welcome to the Dollhouse, sold 236,000 copies in its first week. The album was released on March 18.
Yesterday, Billboard reported that Danity Kane dropped from the top position on the Billboard 200 chart, and was replaced by Day26’s debut album. Day26 sold 190,000 records in comparison to Danity Kane’s 89,000 this week. Both groups are on the Bad Boy record label, which Diddy heads as CEO and founder.
Diddy is also the mastermind behind the Making the Band TV series on MTV. He put together the all-female pop/hip-hop group Danity Kane by eliminating potential candidates on the reality show Making the Band 3, which he produced. Danity Kane released their debut, self-titled album in 2006.
This year, he followed Danity Kane’s success with another season of Making the Band, in which he searched for members to make a soulful male R&B group. Making the Band 4 conceived the band Day26 and solo artist Donnie Klang, who didn’t make the band but was signed to Bad Boy records anyway.
Klang is expected to release an album soon, although a release date has not yet been announced. His first single, “Take you There,” which features Diddy rapping, is currently available on iTunes.
If Klang’s album hits number one when it’s released, Diddy will have produced a hat trick of top albums and will be paving the way for a successful Making the Band Tour. It was announced on the Making the Band finale that Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang will perform together in various cities this summer.
Making the Band certainly doesn’t portray Diddy’s modest side. Throughout the show, Diddy flaunts his star-status, shows off his wealth and refers to himself as the best in the business. Diddy even coins his own phrase, “Bitchassness,” which he stamps on a T-shirt, now commercially available through his clothing line Sean John.
After all the bravado and bragging, the charts have confirmed what Diddy has stated all along: He is on his way to re-establishing Bad Boy Records as a hip-hop empire, a status it hasn’t held since the late ’90s when was at its peak with leading artists Notorious B.I.G., Mase, 112, and Diddy himself.
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