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Pitchfork launches live music video site

Nick

Nick

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Pitchfork logoIndie music fans will be interested to learn that the Pitchfork music site have launched a live new music video site Pitchfork.tv. The site features live performances in high quality video by bands both well-known and obscure from Radiohead and Nick Cave to King Khan and Jay Reatard.

I have to agree with Newteevee that it’s pretty good. There’s always a danger with new music video sites that the content is simply music videos from YouTube or aspiring musicians who’ve uploaded some of there dubious work themselves but the new site seems to feature some genuinely exciting, professionally filmed gig performances and talent. The quality of the footage is superb too – far bigger and better than you get on YouTube, even in full screen mode.

Unfortunately however, there’s no option for embedding videos in blogs and it’s not particularly intuitive when it comes to navigation. There are no suggestions for further viewing related to the content you’ve just watched and no history of your viewing activities. However, I don like the fact that it auto plays so basically, you can watch (or listen) to a whole gig by the same band without it stopping or starting – it just cycles through the tracks automatically until you stop it.

This is obviously a niche noncommercial service that Pitchfork are attempting to appeal to a select number of discerning alternative indie fans. But with such a small viewing audience, it does beg the question how are they going to afford to keep filming and distributing high quality footage. As Chris Albrecht points out:

Right now, Pitchfork.tv has a very small, intimate feel, which is best because the company would never want to be perceived as big and corporate. But as it has to start paying for all this video bandwidth, it will need to make adjustments (and add advertising) to remain viable.

However, if you’re tired of watching sub-standard mobile phone footage of your favourite upcoming bands on YouTube, Pitchfork.tv is a breath of fresh air although European fans will have to wait a while to see their bands on their as it’s predominantly focused on American talent. I’ll certainly be adding it to my video favourites for now.

Nick

Nick

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