Metablocks develops a broad range of applications for its music and entertainment clients, these include Like-Gated and Share-Gated music download apps that leverage both Facebook and Twitter. The idea behind these application is simple – motivate fans to “Like” a Facebook page or share a message (on Facebook or Twitter) in order to download a FREE MP3 track (or album) from their favorite music artists.

Facebook Consumer Examples:

• Dunkin Donuts/ UMGL Music Download
• Sears / UMGL Download
• Kraft / Curb Records Download
• Bruegger’s Download

Facebook Music Label Examples:

• Music Application Round Up

Stand-Alone (mpCloud.com) Examples:

• mpCloud Download Applications

Tweematic Examples

• Luke Bryan and Gary Allan (Twitter and Facebook)
• Lee Brice (Twitter and Facebook)
• B.Reith (Twitter and Facebook)
• Assembly of Dust “Buy It or Share It” Album Download (Twitter, Facebook & Email)

We have done several exclusive contents in the past including Blake Shelton’s 25 Days of Christmas as well as Scotty McCreery’s 12 Days of Christmas. We also have been running 2 seasons of the daily Hunter Hayes Road Race, so you could safely say we love unlocking exclusive content countdown!

This new project (promoting Blake Shelton’s new album: Based on a True Story..) follows in that same tradition but brings together even more mashups than countdowns we have done in the past. These include YouTube (Vevo) support (Videos), Soundcloud integration (for audio track), Facebook connect integration (for comments and sharing), Twitter API (for sharing) and back end analytics via Omniture.  We also make sure to include the buy links and social links as well. Enjoy!

You can check it out at: http://www.blakeshelton.com/listen or http://www.tweematic.com/bsb/.

Initial Page

Before Unlocking

After Unlocking

We have talked about our voice and text application beta program in the past, and we are finally beginning to launch some of the applications we have been working on during the last couple of weeks.  Stay tuned for other new voice and text application in near future.

New telephony infrastructure platforms such as Twilio and Plivo are enabled a new generation of voice and text applications that are significantly better and less expensive than the first generation tools from companies like Mozes (now ePrize), TextMarks, and SayNow (now Google). Unfortunately many early adopters who initially flocked to these tools to manage their mobile marketing campaigns has since moved on as the cost and inflexibility of these systems  far out-weighed their value.

So, what makes our new voice and text application solutions different:

• Cost: Forget expensive monthly fees or multi-year enterprise-wide licensing, instead use these application on  a per artist, pay-per-use or per project basis. Don’t throw away valuable existing mobile lists or mobs that you may be paying monthly to maintain! Instead we can help you move them and use them on a pay-per-use basis.
• Flexibility and Creativity: There is more to mobile marketing that just texting! We can develop application that use voice, voice and texting, or texting only. While 1st  generation tools pretty much focused entirely on texting, the new generation of telephony applications combines voice, texting, click-to-call, VOIP, SIP and a handful of other technologies to create apps that are creative and engaging.
• Full-service vs self-service: While most simple service service tools that cost $20 a month are nice, more often than not you get what you pay for! Building compelling voice and texting application requires a certain level of creativity, flexibility and control not available in self-service offerings.
• Social media integration: Most 1st  generation mobile marketing tools pre-date social media and lack proper integration with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.  Even today, many of these tools surprisingly lack ANY real social media integration.  Our goal is to make social media integration a priority and not an after-thought. By marrying voice and texting with social media profiles, clients and artists can better identify and communicate with their customers and fans.

Maggie Rose Song Premiere and FREE Download Voice Application
This week we launched a unique voice application for RPM Music country music artist Maggie Rose. This two-part voice application includes a phone number that fans can call  (442-333-ROSE or 442-333-7673) and a Facebook page that fans use to download a FREE acoustic track.  You can visit the page here: http://www.facebook.com/MaggieRoseMusic/app_476237192426082

By calling 442-333-ROSE, fans can premiere Maggie’s new single ‘Better’ and unlock exclusive content in the process. Once they call the number and preview the song, they unlock a free MP3 download from Maggie’s Facebook page by simply entering the phone number they called from. Fans can also leave Maggie a message (some of which will be featured along with the fan’s profile). Additionally, the voice app allows fans to get download/buy links immediately texted to them  as well as to subscribe to updates from Maggie on their mobile phones or via email.

Some of the application’s technical highlights and features include:

• Voice and SMS integration
• Text-based mobile marketing signup system that is rules compliant (you can text to: 442-333-7673 to signup for news updates)
• Vanity Numbers: 442-333-ROSE (442-333-7673) –  support for both local and toll-free vanity numbers
• Facebook Integration – your phone call is married to your Facebook profile allowing the application to  personalized content
• Built-in reminder features for users who forget to get the free download
• Voice message player with automatically generated audio waveforms
• Google analytics integration for both the voice and Facebook application

Our new Flashmatic platform allows clients to drive digital signage at trade shows or POS locations and deliver real-time content and social media feeds. This new XML-drive web-saavy platform allows clients to combined both static, promotional and dynamic content to create compelling experience for show participants. We were recently asked by our client Curb Records to deploy a solution for them at CRS 2013 in Nashville and here is a clip of that application.

Features and Functionality

• Dynamic updates with ability to control source and frequency on the fly
• Ability to run or cache content locally (plus support for system to fallback to local content if connectivity is lost)
• Real-time monitoring
• Social media feeds (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, FourSquare i.e.)
• Feed moderation and curation
• Support for images, video, audio, and text
• Pre-built modules including: Twitter, Instagram, Weather, RSS, Photo Gallery, Voting i.e.
• Marketing support for advertising, QR-codes, texting i.e.
• Trade show, Point-of-Sale (POS) and mobile application scenario support

Stay tuned for more updates and news on the Flashmatic or give us a call if you interest in deploying applications on this platform.