GMM Grammy In Talks With YouTube (Thailand) To Start GMM YouTube

[webfact]

GMM Grammy in talks with YouTube on digital music service

Watchiranont Thongtep

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- GMM Grammy plans to add more digital music services to boost revenue and appeal to new-generation listeners while retaining existing ones.

Krij Thomas, chief operating officer for the music unit, said yesterday that the company was negotiating with YouTube (Thailand) to start GMM YouTube, the largest online video network. If this project is approved, GMM Grammy will gain access to millions of eyeballs in the social media both at home and overseas, just like VEVO.

This also could help the company protect its music against online piracy, he said.

GMM Grammy is joining with TJ Media, a leading South Korean manufacturer of karaoke players, to offer digital music playlist arrangement services in a karaoke format. The services will be embedded in the removable memory card in karaoke players, namely the AJ and Soken DVD models. Users of these DVD players can buy and download the latest playlist to get new songs at TJ Media's authorised dealers.

The service will be launched next month and is expected to generate Bt50 million in revenue from music downloads this year and Bt100 million next year.

GMM Grammy is interested in music- and video-streaming services that are similar to those on Apple TV. It plans to expand its distribution channels for physical and digital products to convenience store chains like 7-Eleven and B2S bookstores and online outlets like ensogo.com.

"We hope that such marketing efforts will be a key strategy to manage more than 700 songs that are produced by our composers each year," Krij said.

A satellite TV channel called GMM Music will be introduced at a cost of Bt100 million. Under the operation of GMM 1 Sky, the station will provide live music programmes, behind-the-music-production shows, talk shows by music professionals and interactive programmes to attract general viewers and music listeners as well as to recruit new blood artists.

The project is expected to realise Bt50 million in receipts this year and hit the break-even point by the middle of next year.

With revenue projected to increase to Bt2.2 billion this year, the music business should take the lead in driving all the businesses of GMM Grammy, except the media business and new business, namely GMM 1 Sky, he said.

-- The Nation 2012-02-28

[Pseudolus]

I find this all a little confusing. So they want to start a GMM channel to push their music through? Surely they can just do this without all the trumpets blowing. Or, due they want a URL like GMM-Youtube.com which will then push the (presume censored and moderated) youtube website through? If so, will youtube be added to the list of blocked websites (well, blocked but easy to view anyway) to make sure the hiso owners of GMM get more money? If they are doing the former, how will this stop people downloading illegally anyway? People want music on their MP3 PLayers etc and not have to watch it all on Youtube all the time. Also, how can they recoup their investment from this? A lot of out lay for what exactly? a small slice of the advertising rights on each upload? Not forgetting that it's a load of tripe they produce anyway so surely they would want to hide away from the world instead of proverbially washing their pants in public so the world can see their holes and skid marks.

[TheWalkingMan]

Isn't this just another music channel with talk shows?