“Drinking from the Fire Hose of Life”

We hear the casual question often from family, friends and even casual acquaintances: “How’s it going?”  My answer of late is “I’m drinking from the fire hose of life!” And I mean that in the best possible way. The same can be said of PassAlong Networks. We are in a very busy, and very exciting time!

 

A lot has happened on the home front and at PassAlong Networks since I last blogged just a few months back.

 

Here at home:

• My daughter, Jennifer, graduated from college.

 

 

• My daughter, Amanda, completed three months of study in Italy.

  

At PassAlong:

• We switched our entire independent catalog of music to MP3 format. Now the music we sell for 2 million songs is playable on you iPod, your PC or Mac, your phone, … truly interoperable for our digital lives!

 

• We launched 80 stores on our StoreBlocks platform! This nationwide rollout included all f.y.e and Sam Goody locations.

 

• We announced our Connected Consumer division. This work is bringing our StoreBlocks platform to all types of consumer electronics devices. We even worked with partners to demonstrate a 7 Series BMW with access to the complete catalog of 3 millions songs right in your car. This was shown last month at the International Car Show in Geneva, Switzerland. We also demonstrated our Connected Consumer technology at the National Association of Broadcasters convention.

 

• We ran over 300 promotions with major brands from MTV to American Red Cross to Pepsi to Scotties Tissue, and more, offering over 7 million songs free to consumers.

 

• We announced a variable pricing pilot program with Digonex and Nettwerk Music Group that will let us learn how the market responds to true dynamic variable pricing that is driven by demand.

 

• PassAlong Networks was recognized as one of the Top 100 Private Companies in Media and Entertainment by AlwaysOn at the OnHollywood event this month in Hollywood, California.

 

• OnTour® won Billboard Magazine’s “Best Use of Technology by an Artist” award for the release of OnTour® by Canada’s Bare Naked Ladies.

 

• We launched freedomMP3™, enabling digital resellers to sell MP3 files and ensure the artist gets paid as the songs are shared. freedomMP3™ also enables new advertising models.

 

• PassAlong Networks was named a “Music City Future 50” winner.

 

And, back at home:

• And we welcomed a new puppy, Riley Grace, to our family!

 

 

Those are just a few sips from the “fire hose of life.” It truly is a good thing, and it shows no sign of slowing down.

We are readying new versions of OnTour and StoreBlocks. We are launching Speakerheart, our platform for independent artists. And we have a new advertising model coming to market this summer! More on these and other new announcements soon…

 

So rather than wait for a break in the action, it’s time to get the blog machine fired up again. There is so much to talk about in this ever-changing industry. The team here at PassAlong invites your feedback on our products and services, and on the innovations coming to market in the months ahead . We want to connect artists and fans and the companies that serve them, so please let us know: What would make your digital life easier?