MTV Offers Fans a 'Soundtrack'
by Ashley Barton & R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 7/20/2008 6:00:00 PM MT
Ever wonder who sang that tearjerker song during your favorite episode of The Hills?
Fans of MTV can now find the music they hear on MTV through its new Soundtrack Web site (www.soundtrack.mtv.com), an online interactive platform that could eventually extend to other MTVN networks, according to Brian Graden, president of Entertainment for MTV Networks Group.
Soundtrack.mtv.com, the first-ever interactive music guide for television, lets fans discover every music moment on MTV shows in real time and will also serve to propel new artists into the channel, Graden said.
Soundtrack has integrated almost all MTV's programs into the Web site, which showcases the artists and their music being played on MTV at any given time. Users visiting the site will be able to hear a 30-second clip of a background song featured in such shows as The Hills and Making the Band.
For a longer version of that song as well as for other information about the artist, users can click on to a dedicated artist page.
Each featured independent artist has total control of his or her pages to create personal profiles, stream music and promote upcoming performance events, according to Gaurav Misra, vice president of MTV and VH1 Programming.
Soundtrack will eventually be integrated with MTV.com, and fans will be able to buy songs through Rhapsody, which it acquired in August 2007.
Fans will also be able to rank their favorite artists and songs and expose up-and-coming bands to millions of MTV viewers on MTV.com.
Graden would not predict how many hits the site will generate, but he's confident that the numerous in-show promotions it will receive throughout the day will drive significant sampling.
He also said the Soundtrack platform could be extended to other MTVN outlets, including MTV2 or even VH1.
“In our initial phase, it's been the young adults and MTV audience that most have that instant passion to know what song moved them,” he said. “But this could also extend to channels outside of our family, and we've talked about that. But we want to get it right here first.”
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