torsdag 29. april 2010
Bullock's ties to New Orleans
It's a city synonymous with rebuilding -- so New Orleans seems like the perfect place for Sandra Bullock to raise son Louis.
Sister: Bret Michaels sounds good
Bret Michaels "sounds like Bret" nearly a week after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage, his sister told a radio show Wednesday.
Sandra Bullock files for divorce
Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock has filed for divorce from Jesse James in a Texas court, saying their marriage "has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities."
English Attack teaches English via entertainment
French startup English Attack,which just went into beta, is offering free English language lessons tailored specifically to the young adult market. The company is one of the 20 products pitched by (mainly European) startups in TheNextWeb conference startup rally in Amsterdam this week
Input is the key for language learning, and English Attack targets teenagers and young adults with the type of input they love best: entertainment. The majority of English learners are 15-35, and they are difficult customers. They don’t like rigid text books (in fact, they tend not to be big on reading at all), are enthusiastic gamers and social networkers and, most importantly, don’t like to pay for content online. English Attack builds free language exercises around the type of interactive, social and gaming content they are already using.
The tool is intended to be complementary to more structured English learning like classes and is aimed at intermediate level learners. Teachers can get involved by developing their own exercises. An upcoming teacher platform will also let them assign homework from existing exercises (and track how students scored). Teachers can also advertise for free on the site if they contribute content.
The business model is freemium with paid features to be added in later versions. France is the first test market to be followed shortly by Turkey and Brazil. English Attack says it has 5 or 6 competitors, only half of which are focused on English and none of which specifically target young adults. The company is currently self-funded.
Tags: english, language learning
Companies: English attack!
Input is the key for language learning, and English Attack targets teenagers and young adults with the type of input they love best: entertainment. The majority of English learners are 15-35, and they are difficult customers. They don’t like rigid text books (in fact, they tend not to be big on reading at all), are enthusiastic gamers and social networkers and, most importantly, don’t like to pay for content online. English Attack builds free language exercises around the type of interactive, social and gaming content they are already using.
The tool is intended to be complementary to more structured English learning like classes and is aimed at intermediate level learners. Teachers can get involved by developing their own exercises. An upcoming teacher platform will also let them assign homework from existing exercises (and track how students scored). Teachers can also advertise for free on the site if they contribute content.
The business model is freemium with paid features to be added in later versions. France is the first test market to be followed shortly by Turkey and Brazil. English Attack says it has 5 or 6 competitors, only half of which are focused on English and none of which specifically target young adults. The company is currently self-funded.
Tags: english, language learning
Companies: English attack!
MusikPitch to help songwriters compete for contracts
A startup that allows songwriters to compete for custom music licensing contracts is launching today. The Nashville, Tenn., company, MusikPitch, promises to match songwriters with people or companies looking for custom music via “contests.” A “contest holder” wanting to license a particular piece of music specifies what it’s looking for, including requirements such as song length, genre and budget, and songwriters then compete over a 14-day period to meet those requirements.
Songwriters submit their tracks, and the contest holder then has until 5 days after the close of the contest to review submissions and provide feedback to songwriters that they may use to fine-tune their submissions. At the end of the contest, the contest holder chooses a winner and pays the specified prize, while MusikPitch provides a form licensing contract, in which MusikPitch takes full rights to the song and then licenses it to the contest holder.
MusikPitch’s standard licensing contract will work for 90% of cases, according to founder Scott McIntosh. For the 10% where an industry standard contract isn’t a good fit, for example animation films in which songs are produced in-house as a work-for-hire, MusikPitch will work with the contest holder to negotiate a more suitable contract.
MusikPitch decided on a model in which it essentially serves as the publisher to ensure that songwriters would get performance royalties (based on radio play, TV, and public performances) as well as mechanical royalties (from sales of the music) if a song has commercial potential, according to McIntosh. MusikPitch collects royalties, of which it receives a share, and will refer songwriters to performing rights organizations BMI or ASCAP if it believes the song will be sold commercially down the line. The prize amount is not an advance on future royalties, which the song can generate if it ever goes commercial (ie, if it is used in public such as radio or TV or sold).
The company charges contest holders a $39 flat fee plus 10% of the prize amount. MusikPitch will recommend a prize amount when a company is setting up a new contest, and the recommendation will be based on industry standards for the usage category (for example, movie trailers, personal projects, independent films, etc). However, contest holders are free to set their own prize amounts. A “premium” prize level is meant to incentivize songwriters to provide higher quality work, said McIntosh. If contest holders do not find a winning song for their purposes, MusikPitch will refund their money.
The service is free to songwriters. The standard length of a contest is 14 days, but contest holders can extend this for no additional fee. MusikPitch is also planning to add quick, shorter contests in the future, said McIntosh. The submission file type will be MP3 for the initial entry and then most likely wav files, but will be based on the contest holders’ needs. All contests are closed so that only the contest holder can hear all submissions, and the songwriter is only able to hear his or her own entry.
A small number of invitations to MusikPitch went out Monday and Tuesday. McIntosh said the goal is to target songwriters who are already producing quality work, but he hopes MusikPitch will also discover new songwriters. McIntosh would like to have up to 50 contests being run a day, with 50-100 entries per contest, a number he believes won’t overwhelm contest holders but would provide them with a large enough entry pool to find a winner.
In addition to finding songs to license for TV shows, video games, films, and corporate jingles, MusikPitch would also allow contest holders to find songwriters to create a personalized wedding or reunion song.
MusikPitch is the second venture focused on songwriters for McIntosh (the first was StartMySong). It has raised $100,000 from angel investors. There are many companies in the crowdsourcing space including 99designs for design work and Crowdspirit for software, but the contest concept is new to music licensing. The closest competitor is probably Taxi, but its process is less automated, with the label or publisher telling Taxi what they are looking for and Taxi filtering through the submissions itself (similar to the traditional A&R function). There are “a lot of people tap dancing around it,” said McIntosh.
Companies: MusikPitch
People: Scott McIntosh
Songwriters submit their tracks, and the contest holder then has until 5 days after the close of the contest to review submissions and provide feedback to songwriters that they may use to fine-tune their submissions. At the end of the contest, the contest holder chooses a winner and pays the specified prize, while MusikPitch provides a form licensing contract, in which MusikPitch takes full rights to the song and then licenses it to the contest holder.
MusikPitch’s standard licensing contract will work for 90% of cases, according to founder Scott McIntosh. For the 10% where an industry standard contract isn’t a good fit, for example animation films in which songs are produced in-house as a work-for-hire, MusikPitch will work with the contest holder to negotiate a more suitable contract.
MusikPitch decided on a model in which it essentially serves as the publisher to ensure that songwriters would get performance royalties (based on radio play, TV, and public performances) as well as mechanical royalties (from sales of the music) if a song has commercial potential, according to McIntosh. MusikPitch collects royalties, of which it receives a share, and will refer songwriters to performing rights organizations BMI or ASCAP if it believes the song will be sold commercially down the line. The prize amount is not an advance on future royalties, which the song can generate if it ever goes commercial (ie, if it is used in public such as radio or TV or sold).
The company charges contest holders a $39 flat fee plus 10% of the prize amount. MusikPitch will recommend a prize amount when a company is setting up a new contest, and the recommendation will be based on industry standards for the usage category (for example, movie trailers, personal projects, independent films, etc). However, contest holders are free to set their own prize amounts. A “premium” prize level is meant to incentivize songwriters to provide higher quality work, said McIntosh. If contest holders do not find a winning song for their purposes, MusikPitch will refund their money.
The service is free to songwriters. The standard length of a contest is 14 days, but contest holders can extend this for no additional fee. MusikPitch is also planning to add quick, shorter contests in the future, said McIntosh. The submission file type will be MP3 for the initial entry and then most likely wav files, but will be based on the contest holders’ needs. All contests are closed so that only the contest holder can hear all submissions, and the songwriter is only able to hear his or her own entry.
A small number of invitations to MusikPitch went out Monday and Tuesday. McIntosh said the goal is to target songwriters who are already producing quality work, but he hopes MusikPitch will also discover new songwriters. McIntosh would like to have up to 50 contests being run a day, with 50-100 entries per contest, a number he believes won’t overwhelm contest holders but would provide them with a large enough entry pool to find a winner.
In addition to finding songs to license for TV shows, video games, films, and corporate jingles, MusikPitch would also allow contest holders to find songwriters to create a personalized wedding or reunion song.
MusikPitch is the second venture focused on songwriters for McIntosh (the first was StartMySong). It has raised $100,000 from angel investors. There are many companies in the crowdsourcing space including 99designs for design work and Crowdspirit for software, but the contest concept is new to music licensing. The closest competitor is probably Taxi, but its process is less automated, with the label or publisher telling Taxi what they are looking for and Taxi filtering through the submissions itself (similar to the traditional A&R function). There are “a lot of people tap dancing around it,” said McIntosh.
Companies: MusikPitch
People: Scott McIntosh
5 tips for finding a community manager
(Editor’s note: Erin Bury is the Community Manager at Sprouter, an online collaboration tool for entrepreneurs. She submitted this story to VentureBeat.)
While more and more companies are adding community managers these days, too many are leaping onto the bandwagon without actually knowing what they’re looking for.
These next-generation communications persons blend social media savvy with an up-to-the-minute knowledge of online trends and master networking skills. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all role. The person and qualities your company requires depend on a number of factors, including where you are in your business’s growth trajectory, how big the company is, your budget limitations and your specific goals.
I’ve been a Community Manager for a year and a half for Sprouter,. When I began, our goals were simple: Build our brand recognition on a grassroots level while working on new features and functionality behind the scenes.
When we launched the current version of our site last August (with a new name and new branding), the focus shifted to getting media attention, gathering feedback from users and answering questions from the community. These days, my role includes speaking at, attending and organizing events, planning out social media strategy, public relations; customer service, content creation – and sometimes playing receptionist. (I should point out Sprouter only has four people on staff).
The point is: My role at the company has changed dramatically and it will continue to evolve. So too will your needs vary depending on where your company is in its evolution.
While it’s essential that your community manager have an outgoing personality and at least a basic understanding of social media and communications, it’s more important to first know what you’re trying to achieve and then find a potential hire that matches those ambitions. Otherwise, you’ll never get the most out of the role.
If you’re in the market for a Community Manager here are my five tips for finding someone who works for you and your business:
Figure out your priorities – What’s important now – and what do you expect to be important in a year? Is your main priority to build brand recognition before your public launch or to acquire more customers for your established company? Know what you want the community manager to focus on, so you can develop the role from there.
Use those priorities to build your job description – If your priority is to get media coverage then consider hiring someone with a public relations background. If you’re looking to create great content for your blog or newsletter, then look for someone with journalism or other writing experience. And if you’re looking for someone who can shake hands at events, make sure they’re not afraid to walk up to a crowd of strangers and introduce themselves.
Communicate duties and goals effectively – Make sure to outline metrics goals and specific day-to-day duties you want the candidate to achieve – giving them something to work toward. Community management is about relationships, but it’s also about impact on your bottom line.
Experience isn’t as essential as you think – Since the role of community manager is fairly new, you’ll likely interview people who have never held such a position. Don’t overlook them due to this inexperience. This is truly a field where the best way to learn is by doing. Ambition and smarts can actually be more valuable than experience.
Bring them into your inner circle – The best tool a community manager has in their arsenal is a deep understanding of your business. They’re the ones communicating your message, so make sure they understand your growth strategy and your goals for the future. If you regularly update your them, they’ll not only be able to evangelize your company, they’ll be able to adapt the role as needed.
Tags: community manager
While more and more companies are adding community managers these days, too many are leaping onto the bandwagon without actually knowing what they’re looking for.
These next-generation communications persons blend social media savvy with an up-to-the-minute knowledge of online trends and master networking skills. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all role. The person and qualities your company requires depend on a number of factors, including where you are in your business’s growth trajectory, how big the company is, your budget limitations and your specific goals.
I’ve been a Community Manager for a year and a half for Sprouter,. When I began, our goals were simple: Build our brand recognition on a grassroots level while working on new features and functionality behind the scenes.
When we launched the current version of our site last August (with a new name and new branding), the focus shifted to getting media attention, gathering feedback from users and answering questions from the community. These days, my role includes speaking at, attending and organizing events, planning out social media strategy, public relations; customer service, content creation – and sometimes playing receptionist. (I should point out Sprouter only has four people on staff).
The point is: My role at the company has changed dramatically and it will continue to evolve. So too will your needs vary depending on where your company is in its evolution.
While it’s essential that your community manager have an outgoing personality and at least a basic understanding of social media and communications, it’s more important to first know what you’re trying to achieve and then find a potential hire that matches those ambitions. Otherwise, you’ll never get the most out of the role.
If you’re in the market for a Community Manager here are my five tips for finding someone who works for you and your business:
Figure out your priorities – What’s important now – and what do you expect to be important in a year? Is your main priority to build brand recognition before your public launch or to acquire more customers for your established company? Know what you want the community manager to focus on, so you can develop the role from there.
Use those priorities to build your job description – If your priority is to get media coverage then consider hiring someone with a public relations background. If you’re looking to create great content for your blog or newsletter, then look for someone with journalism or other writing experience. And if you’re looking for someone who can shake hands at events, make sure they’re not afraid to walk up to a crowd of strangers and introduce themselves.
Communicate duties and goals effectively – Make sure to outline metrics goals and specific day-to-day duties you want the candidate to achieve – giving them something to work toward. Community management is about relationships, but it’s also about impact on your bottom line.
Experience isn’t as essential as you think – Since the role of community manager is fairly new, you’ll likely interview people who have never held such a position. Don’t overlook them due to this inexperience. This is truly a field where the best way to learn is by doing. Ambition and smarts can actually be more valuable than experience.
Bring them into your inner circle – The best tool a community manager has in their arsenal is a deep understanding of your business. They’re the ones communicating your message, so make sure they understand your growth strategy and your goals for the future. If you regularly update your them, they’ll not only be able to evangelize your company, they’ll be able to adapt the role as needed.
Tags: community manager
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