Comments on: Aussie music site We Are Hunted is instant online sensation

By: Rethink music streaming - We are hunted | Whitey blogs here...

Rethink music streaming - We are hunted | Whitey blogs here... — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:50:58 +0000

[...] came across a new music streaming site on Mumbrella this afternoon – We Are Hunted. The site tracks what’s being said about music on various [...]

By: Très Awesome Aussie Music Start Up | Fanbloodytastic

Très Awesome Aussie Music Start Up | Fanbloodytastic — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:08:27 +0000

[...] / Ben Johnston and Wotnews getting a colossal amount of attention on Tumblr, Twitter, TechCrunch, Mumbrella, Wired and news.com.au as well as hundreds of [...]

By: Ned Dwyer

Ned Dwyer — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:46:05 +0000

seems my comment got chewed up on here…

Who is behind Guvera.com?

It seems like a combination of Hulu.com and RCRDLBL.com – which I would be glad to have in Australia.

I know RCRDLBL.com have struggled to get enough advertising dollars but I hope it works out for Guvera.com

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:29:54 +0000

” I don’t think you are in a position to speak for every brand out there.”

good point mr and I agree completely, but I’m not claiming to by any means

By: Mr Corbett

Mr Corbett — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:20:30 +0000

“Brand love is only worthwhile if it brings sales” …that’s more subjective than objective Ben I think. Philosophically I agree with your statement but I don’t think you are in a position to speak for every brand out there. There are very few absolutes left in the communications world but I certainly feel brand love has a value in its own right irrespective of a link to sales (altho a link to sales is ideal of course).

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:50:38 +0000

“build huge brand love which utlimately would deliver increased sales”

Brand love is only worthwhile if it does bring sales. Do you want people to love your brand or buy your product. Not saying the two are mutually exclusive but it’s something to think about.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:44:30 +0000

Love this.

However, I just wanted to mention it’s quite hard to track down a license for webcasting even when you are doing it as a not-for-profit.

I personally approached a solicitor that specialised in licensing and followed the avenues to obtain a license. It was recommended that I license with APRA, who had thus far not given me any concrete licensing info for webcasting through USA servers, but apparently they are who I should license through given that I am an aussie and residing here in Australia.

The whole online copyright issue is a mess and even when someone like me wants to do the right thing and license music to webcast, I can’t.

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:32:17 +0000

There’s also another very cool Aussie music video site – http://www.moshcam.com – great quality footage…and for those who have slipped pleasantly over the middle-age line and want to hark back to a more energetic youth, have a look at The Exploited footage from the Metro…!! (http://www.moshcam.com/#?page=.....#038;id=14)

By: Simon Morel

Simon Morel — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:22:45 +0000

Hey Simon,
You should check out http://www.thelocalscene.com.au, those guys have been doing indie downloads for free that are paid for by advertisers for about 18 months…

By: Mr Corbett

Mr Corbett — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:17:40 +0000

Ben I am cannot agree with your second paragraph – too focused on advertising and not enough on communication.
Certainly there are many (too many?) brands that only equate an advertising / marketing spend with DIRECT acquisition. However there are a (growing) handful of brands that will see a real opportunity with the Guvera model to build brand love and brand affinity by bringing people free music. Any progressive brand should feel confident that this increased brand love and afifinty that they received will translate into increased sales. Any brand facilitating the highly personal and emotional connection people have with discovering and enjoying new music could make a very strong powerplay by investing money into a platform where people (their potential customers) got it for free.
Generation G(enerosity); otherwise simply known (without the wanky title) as brands just giving love to get love back is real and there are many examples. Only this morning Adobe has decided to give away one of its paid for products to designers who are having a hard time.
They are giving in the hope to get back.
As long as a brand could control its investment into Guvera (investment the key word, not cost) then it could be a very potent position to take…a position that leveraged correctly could build huge brand love which utlimately would deliver increased sales.

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:04:35 +0000

I think the music revolution is going to play out in an interesting way.

Right now no one is getting paid really. Expecting advertisers to pay for it all is unrealistic and unsustainable. To do this you need to show a clear ROI correlation between funding someone’s music library and selling more burgers/cars/credit cards/mobile phones (ultimately at the end of the day we’re selling)

For a music web business working within the scope of current royalties even with 100% sell through of ads you’d barely break even so the current depth of offering isn’t sustainable either.

I don’t think Hunted is a new way of delivery really … it’s moreso a new way of making sense of all the blogs like the Hype Machine Zeitgeist did at the end of 2008 when it did a top 50 based on a formula across music blogs. Comparing it to the current chart system is way off as this approach will always lean towards acts that have more passionate supporters – niche acts – and that is its unique point … connecting with influencers not the 14 year old who just discovered Lady GaGa.

Remember, ARIA charts are based on sales … this approach is based on plays. There’s a big difference. People are paying for one thing, and they’re taking the other for free.

By: luke

luke — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:51:42 +0000

i think this is amazing.

how many time have you looked at the official charts and thought “who the f**k actually buys that sh*t in Number 1″

would love to know more about their measurement tools.

By: Simon T Small

Simon T Small — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:35:40 +0000

Ben

You’re right, they are quite different in their approach, however, at a broader level they’re similar in they’re a new approach to music delivery, both resulting in listeners not paying cash.

The music industry is continuing to stick it’s heels in while ‘new media’ businesses create new ways to connect people with music.

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:02:24 +0000

hey simon – not sure how similar guvera and hunted are to be honest …

By: Mohit Bhargava

Mohit Bhargava — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:48:21 +0000

This is sweet. Curating content purely based on popular user behavior is clever (& obvious!).