LP33.tv

Take one part Myspace and one part MTV and you get a cocktail of a video-centric music discovery site. LP33.tv is a very unique blend of music 2.0 and is approaching entertainment in a somewhat traditional way mixed with new online trends. LP33.tv is an On Demand music television and digital entertainment network. The site features content of shows based around music videos, artist interviews, music culture, and lifestyle content.

You wont find many major record label big name acts on LP33.tv. These guys are focusing on getting undiscovered and fresh acts that don't have big budget record company's backing their advertising and tour slots, exposure. With so many other music sites out there such as Imeem, which are completely overrun by the major record labels, this comes as a plus for lp33.tv. TechCrunch's Jason Kincade is quoted saying, "I really like the idea behind LP33.tv It's a new approach to helping bands gain exposure, and gives them an alternative to the traditional music labels that are growing significantly less appealing."

The idea behind the site is a good one but the execution is still lacking. Although the new updated version of the site is much more appealing than the previous, the functionality and user interface still has some major weak spots. Trying to view a fan/user profile or an artist profile in the directory is completely suffering from a major bug or just never worked. Auto-play of the featured video with every refresh has proven to be very annoying, not being able to purchase music, merchandise, or even online music downloads, and not being able to search for artist by genre or zip code is a huge setback for artist discovery, to name a few. It seems that the site is focusing more on promotions with festivals such as SXSW, Outside Lands, and lollapalooza for artist content and alliances than real time tools for artist to promote themselves and smooth site functionality for all their users. That being said, it seems that would be a good strategy for building content, but if your site is hard and confusing to maneuver, and generally not catered to the artist and users, what is the point.

lp33.tv Summary:

• Music source: Independent record labels, Independent musicians
• Platform: Basic HTML based web service with flash application in web browser
• Target Audience: Independent music followers, MTV fallowers, Bands and musicians