We've already written about a number of efforts to crowdfund and crowdmanage music bands, and now in Scotland a crowdmanaged music festival is in the works that was prefunded by a local brand.

Last week Tennent's Lager launched Tennent's Mutual, a new music venture that will ultimately result in a live music festival this fall in which fans select artists, debate locations for gigs and call the shots on ticket prices. To kick off the effort, Tennent's created a start-up fund of GBP 150,000. Fans who sign up before June 30th will be given founder member status and the right to vote on the "who, what, why, where?" of all decisions as to how that start-up money is invested. Counsel will be provided by the Rolling Stones' Andrew Loog Oldham, Babyshambles' Drew McConnell, journalist and broadcaster Keith Cameron, former Scots chart-topper Ken McCluskey and local musicians Stewart Henderson of Chemikal Underground and Johnny Lynch of The Fence Collective. Tennent’s Mutual is a not-for-profit enterprise, and no booking fees will be charged for shows. Ticket income, meanwhile, will be ploughed back into the central fund, creating a self-generating amount that will grow and continue to create yet more live events.

Chemikal Underground's Stewart Henderson puts it nicely: “Generally speaking music has gone digital and you can't put the genie back in the bottle. This is a total watershed time that we're living in at the moment. It will change things completely—irreversibly. What Tennent’s has done is they’ve effectively set themselves up as patrons. It’s a positive thing as it allows things to happen that may not have otherwise.”

As fans and customers claim increasing control in the music industry and beyond, it's a smart brand that will jump to the forefront with funds and a supporting model. Imagine the transformation in Microsoft's image if it ponied up the funds and let users decide how they were spent! It's just a matter of time before this comes to other countries and other industries; who else will stand up and be an early leader?

Website: www.tennentsmutual.com
Contact: www.tennentsmutual.com/contact

Spotted by: Lyuba Stevasarova

In much the same way that movie studios market soundtracks, video game producers have published game soundtracks for years now. With the release of Grand Theft Auto IV later this month, in-game music marketing is being taken to a new level. Whenever they hear a song they like on one of the game’s fictional radio stations, players can call a dedicated number from their cell phones. Within seconds, they’ll receive a text message with information on the song and artist. The game’s publisher, Rockstar Games, is also developing a community site around GTA IV, and members will be able to receive emailed links to the songs for easy downloading from Amazon.com’s MP3 store.

Besides songs, GTA IV's radio stations—which include international funk hosted by Femi Kuti, and disco tunes courtesy of DJ Karl Lagerfeld—also feature commercials and DJ banter. Music has always been an important part of Grand Theft Auto’s virtual world, serving as a background to the gritty action in the same way songs helped define the ’80s TV series Miami Vice. So it makes perfect sense for Rockstar to create an additional revenue stream around music downloads. Smart way to cater to consumers' infolust while promoting music sales. (Related: Online database can name that tune.)

Website: www.rockstargames.com/IV
Contact: www.take2games.com/index.php?p=global_contacts

Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen

When a company employs 1.6 million front-line workers throughout the world, chances are that at least a handful of them will have knock-your-socks-off singing abilities. That’s what McDonald’s reckoned when it launched its Voice of McDonald’s II.

As the title implies, this is the second time around for the event, which debuted in 2006. Then as now, company talent shows were nothing new. But the sheer number of McDonald’s participants—some 3,600 working at restaurants in 53 countries signed up for the most recent contest—helped generate valuable media coverage and customer involvement. This time round, customer votes helped select the finalists whose video performances are posted on the contest website. In April, the three top performers from the event will compete for a USD 25,000 first prize at the company’s world convention in Orlando, Florida.

Advertising and marketing bloggers have generated considerable buzz about the campaign, enough that other large companies could well emulate it. Corporate event organizers and team-building experts, and those wanting to enter that business, should be able to invent countless variations of the idea—everything from sports competitions to the funniest YouTube videos to events where finalists get to challenge the pros. As with “American Idol,” the basic idea behind these contests is universal: the yearning ordinary people have to be discovered and the fact that many who lead ordinary lives have talents which deserve to be shown off.

Website: www.mcdonalds.com/usa/voice.html
Contact: www.mcdonalds.com/contact/contact_us.html

Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen

Whether it's board riders or hotel seekers being targeted, there's no doubt that the verticalization of video sites continues apace. The latest evidence: Shoetube, a new video-sharing site for those obsessed with shoes.

Launched about two weeks ago by Massachusetts-based Powderhouse Productions, Shoetube aims to use online video and social community to connect women through their passion for shoes. The free site features original video programs, user-generated videos and photos, and sponsor-created content, along with professionally written blogs, forums and articles on fashion news and trends. Among the site's regular video programs, for example, are Behind the Boot, which provides access to the makers and shakers of the shoe world; Real or Deal, a studio show daring viewers to guess which shoes are from high-end designers and which are knockoffs; and Walk on By, in which Shoetube.tv hosts ask passersby nationwide, "Where'd you get those shoes?" Coming soon is a Boutiques section, which will showcase videos and photos, blogs, contests, polls, and shoe deals from well-known shoe companies. Ad-supported Shoetube provides sponsors with promotional opportunities through video ad overlays, boutique microsites, banners, contests and polling efforts. Through a collaboration with Nine West, for example, Shoetube is helping to promote the shoe brand's 30th anniversary and the launch of its fall 2008 boot line; to celebrate Shoetube's launch, meanwhile, shoe brand daniblack is offering a USD 1,000 sweepstakes prize to a Shoetube.tv registrant.

From aardvark fanciers to zwieback aficionados, it's a niche-filled world out there, full of opportunities for topic-specific video sites. And when there's the likes of Twistage (which Shoetube used) and Magnify at the ready for help on the technical end, there's no reason not to pick a niche and get to work!

Website: www.shoetube.tv
Contact: www.shoetube.tv/about-us/contact-us

Spotted by: Amy Leung

The world of independent music is a crowded and competitive one, with millions of bands languishing in obscurity both online and off. indieSolo is a site that hopes to help the cream rise to the top, so to speak, by giving one independent band centre stage each day.

Launched at the end of 2006, Canadian indieSolo gives unsigned independent musicians the opportunity to showcase their music and talent for an entire day in the hopes of getting discovered. Bands are chosen by audition, and those selected get 24 hours to promote their music, show off their unique personalities, build their fan base and make money through the sale of CDs, ringtones, merchandise and donations. indieSolo offers free hosting of up to three MP3s for each band, and a rating system measures their popularity and buzz. Fans, meanwhile, gain an easier way to discover new music. They can interact with bands they like, give feedback, and download free MP3s and ringtones. The site keeps a list of the top MP3 downloads, while forums and blogs foster community interaction. Participation on ad-supported indieSolo is free for both artists and fans.

indieSolo was created by Johnny i, founder of EyeShout Media. He explains: "I see indieSolo empowering the indie artist like MySpace empowered the entire indie music industry."

As traditional music distribution models give way to web-enabled ones, sites like indieSolo offer a win-win by bringing new freedom and exposure to musicians and helping fans discover new music. The concept cries out for genre-specific versions—focusing on the blues, say—as well as application to other art forms, such as a site showcasing the authors of books. The main challenge will obviously be to attract enough traffic to these sites, but it will be interesting to see what this model can do! (Related: A luxury deal a day.)

Website: www.indiesolo.com
Contact: www.indiesolo.com/contact

Spotted by: Lori Reiser