The unique music video web server O2 Stream Music has undergone substantial changes. The portal has been converted to a layered music web site where, in addition to playing clips, users can also launch music shows or buy concert tickets. At the same time, EMI, the last of the major publishers with which O2 Stream Music has an agreement, is adding its artists to the database. Thousands of clips from independent bands are also available for viewing through the service under the Bandzone.cz server.
With publisher EMI, the database is complete
When it launched in April 2009, O2 Stream Music initially had 10,000 clips from publishers Universal, Sony Music, Warner Music, and Supraphon. Now the database of major recording companies is complete. An agreement for co-operation with the last label of the "big four" , EMI, has been reached.
"I dare say that according to Czech conditions, this is a revolutionary moment. I don't know any other website that offers Czech users official clips from all the biggest publishers - this means all the most popular acts in the world. Even on YouTube there are many clips that are inaccessible to users in the Czech Republic, and you never know whether you're going to find what you're looking for," says Stream.cz General Director Miloš Petana.
Several very popular acts from the EMI stable, such as Kabát, Kryštof, and Divokej Bill, have been added to the database, as have clips from Lucie Bílá, Robbie Williams, and Coldplay.
"This is a unique project that has managed to gain many fans. And we are glad that we can be a part of it. This is great news for Czech internet users because the EMI catalog has a full range of video clips, especially domestic productions, for them to choose from," says EMI Marketing Manager Libor Lisý Bandzone.cz act videos cross over from YouTube.
However, O2 Stream Music does not just want to remain a big name on the music scene. At the same time, it signed an agreement for cooperation with the biggest Czech music server, Bandzone.cz, which brings together thousands of independent and amateur acts from the Czech and Slovak Republics. Another 3,000 clips from these bands, which, until now, could only be seen on the Bandzone.cz channel on YouTube, have been added to the O2 Stream Music database.
"We decided to move our video channel from YouTube based on the fact that O2 Stream music offers us the opportunity to continue working with bands and interesting music video clips and help promote them, either through advertising, or, e.g. interviews with the bands in Stream.cz. Linking Stream to Seznam.cz is also important to us. We believe that cooperation between the biggest Czech music web site and the biggest Czech video server will provide many benefits not only to both projects, but mainly it will help young bands and talented video clip creators get considerably more attention," said Michal Novak, Founder of Bandzone.cz.
The O2 Stream Music database currently contains 30,000 official, legal videoclips. To compare, the respected server MTV.com has 16,000, most of which are inaccessible to Czech users.
Music shows, events calendar, concert tickets
But that's not all. The portal itself has undergone major changes, offering other attractive content in addition to the video clips themselves. For instance, on O2 Stream music there is an events calendar that enables users to find music events throughout the Czech Republic, and through partner firm Ticketpro, they can buy tickets to these events right on the site.
"We're glad to see O2 Stream Music is slowly transforming into a full-value music television show that also has an interactive format," says Evžen Chlanda, Marketing Manager for Products and Services, Telefónica O2 Czech Republic, adding, "The music industry is still looking for a viable business model for the internet age. We are certain that O2 Stream Music is such a project."
Popular music shows, such as Mixér and Osudové okamžiky, which were previously part of the parent portal Stream.cz, are also now part of O2 Stream Music.
"We wanted Stream.cz visitors to find all their music content in one place, in O2 Stream Music. It's more logical and clearer. We have music shows about, for instance, Madonna, right beside the complete collection of her clips," says service Playlist Editor Martin Krušina.
Check it all out for yourself - you'll find the redesigned portal at www.o2streammusic.cz.
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About the project:
O2 Stream Music is a unique project that originated on the basis of cooperation between server Stream.cz and Telefónica O2. Its activity begain in 2009 and in short time it became one of the most successful music servers in the Czech Republic. According to NetMonitor statistics, it had roughly four hundred thousand real users. One of the main factors of its success is that it contains full versions of high-resolution clips, with no time limits or imposed advertisements. Several clips have been placed on the server even before they've been premiered on television.