All Photos © Billy Bennight for The Los Angeles Beat
In a week that both the MTV Music Awards and Coachella were blowing up with an avalanche of media hype it might come as surprise to many that there was launch of a new premium music, entertainment and sports web-based platform called “OZ Creators World.” This is an event that could prove to be a game changer in web-based programming. Hailing from Iceland, OZ.com is headed by creative entrepreneur Gudjon Gudjonsson with the driving concept of connecting artist and entertainment directly with their fan base. I was able to engage in the OZ.com experience at a cocktail reception at the Ace Hotel highlighting this fan and Creator oriented platform with real time demonstrations. Part of the evening’s plan was followed these demonstrations while enjoying a live concert by some of Iceland’s best bands, featuring Samaris, Retro Stefson, and GusGus. The new service connects fans, though a modest monthly subscription fee, to their favorite artist or form of entertainment on an exclusive and intimate level without commercial interruption, which frees up the artist from commercial constraints and generate content focused for their fan base. Oz.com offerers a polished and engaging platform that benefits both the consumer and the creator.
Photo Gallery After The Break
I viewed content, in this case GusGus, on both big screens and on an iPhone 6 plus during my demonstration in the back staircase of the ACE Theatre. The processes seemed easy to use, even on a mobile device. The app is available for Droids and Apple devices. OZ.com is pioneering something they call “Moments”. Moments allows the user/fan to create and customize content to be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, Pinterest and Linkedin. Moments allows those fans to share an amazing moment of content, pivotal point in a performance or key point in a sporting event with their friends on these various platforms curated by the user. Those shares create advocacy, loyalty and a sense of immediacy to the creator’s content. It’s a remarkable tool to bring an audience into the performers world. It’s also an effective way to drive advocacy for the artist and monetizing for those involved creating content. The OZ.com is giving creators artist and content control with the artist taking the lion’s share of monetization with a 70/30 split favoring the content creator. Moments is a smart way for fans and creators to connect and spread the word via social media.
Creator’s content will be provided by Fuel TV, Samaris, Retro Stefson, GusGus among many others. Fuel TV will be offering programing involving Extreme Sports: while OZ.com will fill channels with unique artist owned content from filmmakers, writers, chefs, athletes, comedians, musicians and how-to experts. OZ.com offers great commercial free content to compete with YouTube, Tidal and Vimeo.
Gudjon
Gudjon Gudjonsson drove home the OZ.com experience with a tech meet talent stage presentation in the Ace Theatre, where he officially launched OZ.com in the entertainment capitol of the world, by enlightening us about the new platform that can reach 150 countries and can accept payment in a 130 currencies. Oz.com allows free access of the artist to reach out to their fans and it interfaces with all of their our devices. He initially engage us as any peripatetic Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur would do. But he’d then follow it up with music or a performances and an interviews. It was novel and exciting approach to go from concept to application in one easy step on stage. Gudjon drove home OZ.com platform’s enticing points then sweetened the deal with some of Iceland’s best entertainment. All the bands put on stellar performances to highlight their commitment to engaging their fans via OZ.com’s platform with original and creator driven content.
Besides all the great music, Canadian Rebecca Halls, one of the OZ.com creators, entertained the house with her bendy yoga inspired lazer hula hoop performance that would offer serious competition with any “Burner” hula hoop performance I’ve witness. Rebecca will be offering yoga and lifestyle content through OZ. These other performances added gravitas to this launch. The beautiful moody harmonies Samaris opened the set of the performances juxtaposed with Gudjon’s positioning and focusing the idea of Creator driven content. Retro Stefson acoustic vibe provided some soulful and emotionally engaging song-craft. Finally, GusGus delivered a very sophisticated polished dance driven performance that brought fans to the out of their seats upfront to boogie to these electro pop darlings. It’s my impression that Gudjon got it right by closely linking talent and technology for this new media platform launch. The sky is the limit with OZ.com offering premium and specialty content that is creator oriented and fan based focused as it competes for YouTube, Tidal and Vimeo for eyeballs.
