Published
Tue, Apr 24, 2012, 12:15
- The popular music hosting site has relaunched with a new business-oriented aim.
Official.fm has announced a re-launch of its website involving a new platform for musical promotion.
Frequent users of the site might have previously associated it with file hosting and sharing, and indeed the website was utilized by electronic music blogs like Sonic Router, mnml ssgs and teshno to host their respective mix series. But this week the website has announced its new model for music promotion, geared towards labels and artists to share and market their own music, rather than the hosting of files like podcasts. The website seeks to offer a completely free promotional tool for artists, currently funded by private investors, offering direct competition to SoundCloud, which asks users to pay regular fees in exchange for more hosting space and other expanded features.
In an article on Techcrunch, CEO Jeremie Abihssira discusses the new model. The website will allow users up to ten different "projects"—artist aliases, bands, and so forth—with each project allowed up to 100 tracks, with no infrastructure for purchasing extra space a la SoundCloud. Abihssira claims the new model is aimed towards "small and medium artists," admitting that the site would likely not provide much financial gain for bigger artists but could prove invaluable for smaller-scale acts. Artists and labels that are confirmed to start using the website include Ann Arbor label Ghostly International, as well as Soul Clap and hip-hop acts Killer Mike and Wiz Khalifa.
All previously held "media" accounts (e.g. for websites and blogs) will be cancelled in 45 days as of the writing of this news story, with refunds offered to those who paid for Pro accounts. Users will be able to migrate their content over to the new system—which does not allow for podcasts—or "join the brainstorming" in an effort to figure out how to handle media clients in a new way.