Virtual Festivals propels festivals into Web 2.0

I just stumbled upon this rather interesting additiion tot Web 2.0 and its applications with respect to but in the long run not limited to music.

Virtual Festivals Propels Festivals Into Web 2.0

Url: http://www.virtualfestivals.com
Independent music portal Virtual Festivals.com has taken its biggest stride yet in its crusade to bridge the gap between live music events and online by unveiling its most ambitious development to date; 'MyStage', a fully-featured, user-generated content platform within the Virtual Festivals website that allows fans to share their own videos, photos and blogs with the world.

This exclusive facility now adds a whole new dimension to the festival-going experience by empowering anyone in possession of a video-capturing device, be it a camera or mobile phone, to upload and broadcast their personal festival experiences to a worldwide audience of millions. Just like YouTube and Flickr, users can rate each other's submissions, subscribe to receive content from particular users, sort footage according to popularity, search by tag (keyword) and even embed content on third party websites (such as their MySpace or Facebook profiles).

In addition to standard photos and video clips, users can also publish live 'video blogs' which record a real-time feed from the user's webcam directly onto the web server, removing the need to save material to disc beforehand. Another innovative twist allows users to create bespoke 'widgets' - dynamic, viral content windows, which can be placed on third party websites to highlight his or her latest, most viewed or highest rated content on Virtual Festivals.

Beyond the fans, MyStage offers considerable benefits to the industry. Festival organisers are able to have their own official channels, providing them with unlimited video streaming potential and a ready-made audience at no cost, and Virtual Festivals is currently in talks with several major festivals about integrating a white label version of the platform with their official websites. The service also offers attractive new opportunities for sponsor brands to interface directly with Virtual Festivals' highly targeted audience and several major brands have already signed up for campaigns (to be announced shortly).

The addition of user-generated content completes the transition of the organically-grown website, first launched from its founder's bedroom in 1999, from a static information site to an open lifestyle portal, on which user-generated and editorial content coexist to create dynamic, participatory experiences. The process began in earnest when Virtual Festivals integrated with Faceparty.com in March and reinvented itself to become the social network for festival goers.

Virtual Festivals Founder and Managing Director Steve Jenner Comments: "I've always been frustrated with festival coverage - whether it's on TV, in the press or online, even on our own site - because, no matter how good it is, it is always going to be limited to a subjective viewpoint of the event, and therefore only part of the whole picture. Finally, by empowering every person present at an event to contribute to the coverage, it becomes possible to objectively capture the magic of a festival. This prospect - a founding goal of mine for Virtual Festivals - leaves us tremendously excited."