NEW DELHI: Not satisfied with having gained fame as the social media app where people share their music videos,YouTube is now setting up Foundry to help new musicians to gain name and fame.
Music makes up more than 30 percent of videos watched on Google's YouTube, and Foundry is its latest product to create original music. Content from Foundry will be hosted onYouTube itself as well as in theYouTube Music app. The company will highlight videos from Foundry artists in its music app via a playlist feature, and has floated similar initiatives with music industry executives.
YouTube has already hosted workshops with over 25 artistes at its production facilities in Los Angeles and London to teach them how to better use the site. Videos of live sessions recorded during those workshops will first appear onYouTube.
YouTube executives have also been reaching out to peers in the music industry to outline ways to better promote artists and bring more exclusive videos to the service.
One of the primary focuses is to offer musicians live video production. YouTube regularly streams major concerts and music festivals around the world and aims to equip artists with the tools to show off their live shows as well.
YouTube has the added benefit of making streaming on its platform and compete with Facebook which went on streaming video since launching Live last year.
To promote the Foundry, YouTube has been hosting two-day sessions with big name artistes. The first took place in Los Angeles in September 2015, followed by one in London in December. The next session is slated to take place in New York on 25 April and will feature BJ the Chicago Kid, Gemaine, The Range, Built by Titan, and Miracles of Modern Science.
The outreach from Google and YouTube appears to be an effort to play nice with the music business, as the parties are in the process of renegotiating licensing agreements.
Original programmes are one of several features thatYouTube is using to develop its paid service, Red, which combines Google’s music subscriptions with entertainment, news and music videos. YouTube has already created dedicated apps for kids and gamers.
However, it is learnt that music companies in the United States are not happy with this development and think it will kill the business.