C2 Client News – JAPAN’S COPYRIGHT DATA CLEARINGHOUSE SELECTS GRACENOTE AS OFFICIAL IDENTICATION AND CONTENT PROVIDER

Japanese Music Data Clearinghouse Adopts Gracenote’s MusicID to Streamline Digital Content Clearance and Compensation Processes

TOKYO, Japan — March 31, 2010 — Japan’s Copyright Data Clearinghouse (CDC) today announced “Fluzo”, a service which uses Gracenote’s audio fingerprinting technology to ensure music recognition, clearance and compensation processes for copyrighted works are streamlined in the world’s largest digital market. Through this agreement, the CDC has implemented Gracenote’s MusicID® service, the industry standard in music identification, and will utilize Gracenote’s Global Media Database, the world’s largest and most comprehensive repository of music information, to establish reliable music recognition processes for downloaded content in Japan.

Due to the rapid growth and development of digital content consumption in Japan, the CDC was formed in conjunction with the JASRAC, the Japanese copyright holders’ society, in 2009 to create a common and legitimate infrastructure for digital content distribution in Japan. The CDC issues universal work codes for all downloaded music to track and manage copyrighted material. By integrating Gracenote’s MusicID into its existing identification processes, the CDC will be able to provide the most accurate and up-to-date music information based on Gracenote’s Global Media Database of more than 100 million tracks from more than 200 countries and territories.

This project also enhances Gracenote metadata for local songs coming out of Japan, ensuring it has the most accurate and complete information on Japanese music and further establishing the company as the definitive source for powering online services in the global music content community.  It also provides labels and music service providers with additional ways to drive sales and capitalize on the momentum from a song.

“We are pleased to have been chosen as the official music identification technology provider for the CDC,” said Aki Kodama, president of Gracenote Japan. “By integrating MusicID into their services, we are helping to enable the growth of legitimate digital music consumption in one of the fastest growing digital markets in the world, while ensuring Gracenote has the most up-to-date information on music content coming out of the Japan.  The CDC’s decision to choose Gracenote is a clear endorsement of our capabilities and furthers our lead in the global market.”

About Copyright Data Clearinghouse (CDC)

CDC, a non-profit incorporated association, was established in March 2009 to promote the legitimate and smooth use of copyrighted works. The CDC aims to reduce the cost and workload for license application procedures and reporting conducted by the music content providers, as well as for the licensing and royalty distribution conducted by the copyright management business operators.

About Gracenote
A pioneer in the digital media industry, Gracenote combines information, technology, services and applications to create ingenious entertainment solutions for the global market.  From media management, enrichment and discovery products to content identification technologies, Gracenote allows providers of digital media products and the content community to make their offerings more powerful and intuitive, enabling superior consumer experiences. The company’s solutions integrate the broadest, deepest, and highest quality global metadata and enriched content with an infrastructure that services billions of searches a month from thousands of products used by hundreds of millions consumers. Gracenote’s customers include the biggest names in the consumer electronics, mobile, automotive, software and Internet industries.  The company’s partners in the entertainment community include major music publishers and labels, prominent independents and movie studios.  Gracenote, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, is headquartered in Emeryville, California. www.gracenote.com.

Mobile World Congress: Gravity Mobile Makes Convergence of Mobile, PC, Home and Automotive Devices a Reality

Leading Mobile Application Designer Demonstrates Multi-Screen Solution at Mobile World Congress 2010 – Gives Consumers a Unified Media Experience

BARCELONA, Spain – Mobile World Congress 2010 – Feb. 15, 2010 – In conjunction with its parent company, Gracenote®, Gravity Mobile will illustrate true personal media convergence by demonstrating MediaLink, a sophisticated capability built upon Gracenote’s powerful platform of digital media management, at Mobile World Congress 2010.  MediaLink showcases how Gravity Mobile enables enhanced and connected content on phones, PCs, set-top boxes, in-car entertainment systems and other platforms, allowing consumers to have a simple, seamless and unified media experience across multiple devices.

Click here to learn more about our client, Gracenote’s latest news from Mobile World Congress.

Gracenote Powers Album Cover Art & Enhances Voice Control in Next Generation of Ford SYNC

Gracenote’s Playlist Plus and MediaVOCS Help System Recognize More Media Search Commands with Better Accuracy; Drivers Can Navigate Their Music with an Integrated Cover Art Database

EMERYVILLE, CA — February 11, 2010 —Gracenote^® today announced three of its products are powering the next generation of Ford Motor Company’s award-winning SYNC®, a fully integrated platform for Ford vehicles and a technology that will become the global interior architecture for all future Ford products.  Gracenote’s Playlist Plus™, MediaVOCS™, and Cover Art offerings are all incorporated into the groundbreaking SYNC system, offering Ford drivers exceptional voice and graphical control over their media on iPods, MP3 players, USB & SD cards and Bluetooth audio devices

Click here to read the full announcement.

Ford SYNC - Entertainment Features

C2 Client Gracenote Partners With Top Four Music Labels to Receive Pre-Release Song Data

Deals Will Speed Discovery of New Music for Consumers and Drive Commerce for Labels

CANNES, France, Jan. 23 — MidemNet 2010 – Gracenote® today announced it has deepened its relationships with the leading music labels, enabling the company to receive metadata and album art for many new song releases prior to official release date.

The arrangements with all four major labels – EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group – as well as hundreds of top independent labels enable Gracenote to incorporate new music information and enriched content into its media database before many songs are released. Obtaining this information prior to release means Gracenote-powered services can offer consumers up-to-the minute information and recommendations for new music once it becomes publicly available. It also provides labels and music service providers with additional ways to drive sales and capitalize on the momentum from a song debut.

Gracenote’s Global Media Database is the largest in the world, with more than 100 million tracks and eight million CDs from more than 200 countries and territories. Through these arrangements, Gracenote will receive cover art and new release data for the creation of audio fingerprints from music labels. Once this data is received, it is combined with the company’s editorial content, such as genre and era, and linked to enriched content like lyrics. Finally, all of this information is loaded into Gracenote’s database and is utilized by the company’s identification and recommendation products, MusicID® and Discover™.

Now any consumer using an iPhone, Sony Ericsson phone with TrackID or more than 30 AT&T handsets with MusicID 2 can identify new songs the first time they are played – whether it’s in their car listening to the radio, out at a dance club, or simply hanging out at home. This allows music fans to instantly search for related artist information, get recommendations and playlists for related music they might like, or link to a digital store to instantly purchase the new album or tracks.

“Universal Music is committed to providing music fans with even more compelling interactive opportunities to discover new music and connect with their favorite artists,” stated David Ring, Executive Vice President of Business Development & Business Strategy for UMG’s eLabs. “And through Gracenote, we’ll be even better positioned to extend these discovery opportunities across a wide array of available wireless devices.”

With today’s announcement, Gracenote now has pre-release access to tens of thousands of unique albums from major labels as well as independent distributors such as DiscMakers, INgrooves, IODA, IRIS, and The Orchard. “Gracenote’s Content Partner Program empowers and enhances the music discovery process, allowing music fans to experience and buy music quickly and easily,” said Kevin Arnold, Founder and CEO of IODA. “This translates directly into increased visibility and sales for our artists.”

About Gracenote

A pioneer in the digital media industry, Gracenote combines information, technology, services and applications to create ingenious entertainment solutions for the global market. From media management, enrichment and discovery products to content identification technologies, Gracenote allows providers of digital media products and the content community to make their offerings more powerful and intuitive, enabling superior consumer experiences. The company’s solutions integrate the broadest, deepest, and highest quality global metadata and enriched content with an infrastructure that services billions of searches a month from thousands of products used by hundreds of millions consumers. Gracenote’s customers include the biggest names in the consumer electronics, mobile, automotive, software and Internet industries. The company’s partners in the entertainment community include major music publishers and labels, prominent independents and movie studios. Gracenote, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, is headquartered in Emeryville, California. www.gracenote.com.

Gracenote is a registered trademarks of Gracenote, Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

For More Information Contact:

Veronica Skelton
Concept Communications for Gracenote
415.342.3435
veronica@conceptpr.net

Truth in Public Relations

A couple of weeks ago I attended a cocktail party in downtown San Francisco, hosted by one of our newer clients, real estate search engine Roost.  The party featured fabulous wine from Peay Vinyards, poured by vineyard co-founder Andy Peay himself.  Before the party started Andy and I were chatting about the fact that they’ve focused on Pinots from the very beginning, even when they weren’t trendy.  When I remarked how interesting it is that all industries go through their trends and people scamper to take advantage of them – be it wine, fashion, publishing, technology – Andy simply said, “That’s why it’s so important to be true to yourself.  Then, you build an audience based on your core beliefs.”

And then, you never need to waver from them.

My partner Samantha and I have been reflecting on our core beliefs as we celebrate a milestone anniversary for Concept. It was this week five years ago that she and I had a summit at her house in Seattle, out of which came the agency as we know it today. And in the past five years, many PR tactics and agency philosophies have come in and out of fashion. Yet despite working in an industry renowned for taking liberties with the truth, we’ve always remained true to our clients, to the media, to each other, to our employees, and to ourselves – as people and as a company. Our reporter friends appreciate it, and so do our clients.

We believe our principles have guided us to do our best work – isn’t that what your principles should do? —  and why we appeal most to clients who subscribe to our core principles of Integration, Integrity, and Imagination.  It’s also why we’ve had a continuously strong business that has thrived during boom years and is weathering the current economic downturn, and why great clients like Gracenote and ARCHOS have been working with us for years. 

To everyone who has supported us over the past five years, we thank you for believing in us.

Veronica Skelton
Co-Founder and Managing Director – San Francisco Office
Concept Communications

Gracenote’s Content Partner Program Tops 2,000 Members Representing More Than 20,000 Labels Worldwide

Universal Music Group Signs On; Groundbreaking Program is Designed to Drive Sales for Record Labels, Content Aggregators, and Individual Artists 

CANNES, France – MIDEM – Jan. 19, 2009 – Gracenote® today announced its Content Partner Program now has more than 2,000 members from around the globe, from major labels such as Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, to independent labels and individual artists, representing more five million recordings and 20,000 labels in 63 countries.  Recently, Universal Music Group, The Orchard, IODA, IRIS Distribution, Discmakers/CDBaby, KOCH Entertainment, Consolidated Independent and hundreds of other labels joined the program, which is designed to help record labels, content aggregators, and individual artists build awareness, capture consumer interest and drive sales for their digital media through global distribution, automated marketing and commerce opportunities.

Click here to read more…