Viacom's erstwhile music channel launches an app that will recognize the song playing around you and prime you with bios to read, videos to watch, and tickets or songs to buy. October 31, 2013 5:00 AM PDT (Credit: MTV) MTV, long ago the go-to place for music videos, launched an app Thursday that puts music at the fore, and takes on the elements of Shazam, Ticketmaster and Vevo in the process. The MTV Artists app is the latest the Viacom network has rolled out after revamping the app infrastructure for all the Viacom music channels. It follows the release earlier this year of a separate MTV app that provides on-demand video of the reality and scripted programs that have become the mainstays of MTV's programming. The MTV Artists app, however, is about music, and it's pooling the capabilities of a number of other apps in one place. MTV thought about looping the new capabilities into its video app. Dermot McCormack, head of connected content for Viacom Music, said users were clear they wanted two different experiences: one video, one music. Related stories VH1 unrolls video app with its TLC biopic outside pay gate To get MTV doc sneak peeks, Miley fans can't stop tweeting Apple said to be eyeing HBO, Viacom, ESPN as TV partners For MTV, making VMAs a most-tweeted event is so 2012 Sony, Viacom strike early deal for Internet TV service The app can identify songs by listening to music playing around you, similar to a Shazam or SoundHound, or users can search for an artist by name or lyrics. As the mobile extension of the channel's Artists.MTV.com Web site -- a sort of IMDb of music -- the app pulls up artist info-at-a-glance including bios and recommendations of similar artists, as wells as audio and video clips, including music videos. Some content will be exclusives from the artist, some artists' pages will have archive clips from MTVs vaults. So throw in a dash of Vevo as well. The video and music clips aren't meant to replace full tracks, though, as the app allows you to buy albums and single MP3s through iTunes. It also tells you where and when an artist is performing and buy tickets, purchased via Songkick and their partners within the app. Advertising plays a part, too. Pepsi has the initial presence on the app at launch. The Artists app is just on iPhone at the moment. MTV's video app is poised to launch on Android devices soon, MTV said.
Viacom's erstwhile music channel launches an app that will recognize the song playing around you and prime you with bios to read, videos to watch, and tickets or songs to buy.
MTV, long ago the go-to place for music videos, launched an app Thursday that puts music at the fore, and takes on the elements of Shazam, Ticketmaster and Vevo in the process.
The MTV Artists app is the latest the Viacom network has rolled out after revamping the app infrastructure for all the Viacom music channels. It follows the release earlier this year of a separate MTV app that provides on-demand video of the reality and scripted programs that have become the mainstays of MTV's programming.
The MTV Artists app, however, is about music, and it's pooling the capabilities of a number of other apps in one place. MTV thought about looping the new capabilities into its video app. Dermot McCormack, head of connected content for Viacom Music, said users were clear they wanted two different experiences: one video, one music.
Related stories
- VH1 unrolls video app with its TLC biopic outside pay gate
- To get MTV doc sneak peeks, Miley fans can't stop tweeting
- Apple said to be eyeing HBO, Viacom, ESPN as TV partners
- For MTV, making VMAs a most-tweeted event is so 2012
- Sony, Viacom strike early deal for Internet TV service
The app can identify songs by listening to music playing around you, similar to a Shazam or SoundHound, or users can search for an artist by name or lyrics. As the mobile extension of the channel's Artists.MTV.com Web site -- a sort of IMDb of music -- the app pulls up artist info-at-a-glance including bios and recommendations of similar artists, as wells as audio and video clips, including music videos. Some content will be exclusives from the artist, some artists' pages will have archive clips from MTVs vaults. So throw in a dash of Vevo as well.
The video and music clips aren't meant to replace full tracks, though, as the app allows you to buy albums and single MP3s through iTunes. It also tells you where and when an artist is performing and buy tickets, purchased via Songkick and their partners within the app.
Advertising plays a part, too. Pepsi has the initial presence on the app at launch.
The Artists app is just on iPhone at the moment. MTV's video app is poised to launch on Android devices soon, MTV said.
