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Hipset (YC S12) Unveils YouTube Network in Partnership with Tyga, Soulja Boy

32 points by schlichtm 14y ago

fotbr 14y ago
Quoth the article: "Oh yeah, and they have this little feature called “Boost,” which gives celebs the ability to require fans to subscribe to their YouTube channel or follow them on Twitter or Instagram or like them on Facebook before accessing one of their videos." Ugh. Attempting to force me to subscribe to a youtube channel or do anything "social" before I can view a video is repulsive, and will guarantee that I will not give that artist any of my attention or money. Base your business model on that if you want, but recognize that you are offending some potential viewers / eyeballs (obviously, your customers are the celebrities paying you, not the fans). I hope you track the viewers who make it to the "you have to sign up/like/friend/follow/etc" page and go no further, AND make those numbers available to your customers so they can see how many (possible) fans their desire to use that "feature" is turning away.
- earbitscom 14y ago
  I tend to fall in this camp as well. Maybe for an artist I already like but haven't Liked on Facebook I would do this, but it amazes me how many times I go to a band's FB page that I don't know and have to Like them to listen to their music. I have never done it, and they have lost any potential to convert me. When we created our virtual currency that users earn for taking actions like these, we consciously decided not to make it a "Like-gate", but instead to give you credits anytime you do these things, and then you can spend them at your convenience. It may result in fewer fans, but they'll be far more qualified as someone who heard you and liked you enough to engage, as opposed to engaged in order to hear you, and then later blocks your posts in their Newsfeed.
splitrocket 14y ago
Do they have rights to Tyga and Soulja Boy's content? Typically that stuff is all packaged in the record label deal.
whiddershins 14y ago
I keep seeing this with entertainment-industry startups: begin out with an idea that works for small artists, morph in to an idea based on capitalizing on the fan base of large artists. Some problems are just more solvable than others.

32 points by schlichtm 14y ago

fotbr 14y ago

Quoth the article: "Oh yeah, and they have this little feature called “Boost,” which gives celebs the ability to require fans to subscribe to their YouTube channel or follow them on Twitter or Instagram or like them on Facebook before accessing one of their videos." Ugh. Attempting to force me to subscribe to a youtube channel or do anything "social" before I can view a video is repulsive, and will guarantee that I will not give that artist any of my attention or money. Base your business model on that if you want, but recognize that you are offending some potential viewers / eyeballs (obviously, your customers are the celebrities paying you, not the fans). I hope you track the viewers who make it to the "you have to sign up/like/friend/follow/etc" page and go no further, AND make those numbers available to your customers so they can see how many (possible) fans their desire to use that "feature" is turning away.

earbitscom 14y ago
I tend to fall in this camp as well. Maybe for an artist I already like but haven't Liked on Facebook I would do this, but it amazes me how many times I go to a band's FB page that I don't know and have to Like them to listen to their music. I have never done it, and they have lost any potential to convert me. When we created our virtual currency that users earn for taking actions like these, we consciously decided not to make it a "Like-gate", but instead to give you credits anytime you do these things, and then you can spend them at your convenience. It may result in fewer fans, but they'll be far more qualified as someone who heard you and liked you enough to engage, as opposed to engaged in order to hear you, and then later blocks your posts in their Newsfeed.

splitrocket 14y ago

Do they have rights to Tyga and Soulja Boy's content? Typically that stuff is all packaged in the record label deal.

whiddershins 14y ago

I keep seeing this with entertainment-industry startups: begin out with an idea that works for small artists, morph in to an idea based on capitalizing on the fan base of large artists. Some problems are just more solvable than others.