Contact Information: Press Contacts: Bobbi Marcus PR & Events, Inc. Bobbi Marcus Tel: 310-889-9200 bobbi.marcus@bobbimarcuspr.com Kelly MacGaunn Kelly@bobbimarcuspr.com
OWL and Billboard Launch Landmark Concert Series
Superstars Alicia Keys, R. Kelly, Usher and David Archuleta Among Top Artists Slated to Perform as Part of Billboardlive.com's Stellar Lineup; R.Kelly Live Concert From Nokia in Dallas at 8 PM CT October 29
| Source: Billboardlive.com
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - October 29, 2009) - Our World Live (OWL) and Billboard have
entered into a strategic alliance to bring music fans billboardlive.com, a
new internet concert series that allows unprecedented access to the biggest
names in entertainment. Music and television industry veterans Tzvi Small
and Ron Weisner serve as executive producers for the series.
A free online live performance show that is a must-see event for music
fans, has been long absent from the entertainment landscape. Launching
October 29 and airing Thursdays live online from a different city,
billboardlive.com will be the first live web concert series streamed in
High Definition, allowing for a pristine viewing and listening experience.
Billboardlive.com utilizes OWL's state-of-the-art technology, powered by
Microsoft Silverlight to provide fans with five-camera angles, where the
viewer becomes the director for the ultimate interactive viewing
experience. Instead of being confined to traditional static concert
footage, fans will have the ability for the first time ever to view the
concert from five different angles of their choosing. In addition to the
larger, full-screen view, fans will see four smaller screens at the bottom
of their computer. They can replace the main image at any time with any of
those views for a different experience with just the click of their mouse.
Each show will also highlight a specific Billboard chart of the week. At
the same time they can Twitter and send live messages to their Facebook
friends directly from the concert 5 camera player.
"The focus is all about musicianship. Most shows give artists three minutes
to do their latest hit; billboardlive.com gives artists an opportunity to
show what they do best without any restrictions. There's a lot more than
their current hit that people want to see," says highly respected music
industry veteran Ron Weisner, who is executive producer of
billboardcom.live, along with OWL CEO Michael Williams and noted television
producer Tzvi Small.
Through OWL's strategic alliances with Microsoft and the internationally
divisions/distributors, billboardlive.com has a potential worldwide
audience of millions of viewers per weekly episode.
"OWL has had a dream that some day technology would reunite live
performances with their fans everywhere," Williams says. "Through OWL's
hard work and determination, along with our alliance with Microsoft, HSP
and Billboard, our long awaited dream will now become reality."
Additionally, billboardlive.com fills the giant void that currently exists
in exposing new talent. While billboardlive.com will feature the biggest
names, it will also highlight developing artists sometimes performing with
the headliner or in their own sets. Billboardlive.com puts the act of
musical discovery back into fans' hands.
Scheduled to perform on the series: R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, Usher and David
Archuleta.
"Top-notch artists doing live concerts in this extraordinary innovative way
is a fantastic opportunity for music fans," says Billboard publisher Howard
Appelbaum. "It feeds into what our larger strategy is: bringing great
unique content and letting people behind the velvet rope of the music
industry."
In addition to the live concert, billboardlive.com will be including other
exclusive elements, including rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage, as
well as interviews with the featured performer.
Fans can easily access the series by simply going to www.billboardlive.com
and downloading Microsoft Silverlight and the OWL video player onto their
computer at no charge.
Other alliances include Microsoft's MSN Music and Windows Media.com, which
will push the series worldwide.
For OWL, bringing the future of entertainment to the music fans of today
provides a means to enjoy their favorite artists in a whole new way.
"Every number of years, there's a new technology that comes along and
dictates how the content reaches people," Weisner says. "Billboardlive.com
is the next giant step up."