Even though Whit wrote about them a while back, I haven’t really followed the live music world as shown through the eyes of CONCERT.TV. They’re probably the biggest distribution channel out there right now (besides YouTube), considering they have cable and satellite provider partnerships that allow them to reach into the audiences that still only consume their media via television. But these guys don’t really make a whole lot of noise or get any attention for a pretty decent web presence — I’m surprised I don’t see people linking to this stuff more often. Although I’m not too surprised considering the way the site was designed; it’s mostly Flash-based (and therefore impossible to search for stuff) and none of the videos can be embedded on blogs or fan MySpace pages due to “exclusive” rights granted in the artist contracts.
So there you have it. A great site that doesn’t really seem to be connecting with the community of people consuming its content, because people can’t comment or embed this content elsewhere (where they might be commenting and engaging with the content already). It’s great content and I shouldn’t complain because I get to watch these videos for free, but it’s just not going to make too many dents into the long-tail of highly engaged music audiences if you don’t let us web users choose how we want to view this content. The key for these guys will be to start opening up their archives for free embedding while looking at the sponsor or ad-supported music model that would allow their content to get monetized while staying mobile. That’s my wish, I guess.
Still, give it a look if you’re sick of browsing your other online video outlets. I’ve been enjoying the Jammuary channel, especially this version of “Orch Theme” from the Disco Biscuits’ latest live DVD, Progressions
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