Kyte today announced significant updates to its social
communications platform that allows artists to monetize their brand
and grow their audience during a time when the music industry is
suffering from declining album sales. The availability of the new Kyte
Premium Player, which features custom branding and viral
functionality, along with Kyte´s new branded Premium Facebook
applications with live streaming capability allow artists and fans to
communicate directly, buy and sell merchandise and share multimedia
content in real-time using a webcam or a mobile phone.
"It´s no secret the music industry is in a time of struggle and
looking for new and innovative ways to turn artists into brands, so
they can capitalize on their image instead of relying on album sales,"
said Daniel Graf, co-founder and CEO of Kyte. "We think SXSW is the
perfect venue to launch the Kyte Premium player because it presents
another opportunity for musicians and filmmakers of all sizes to
promote themselves and reach a wider audience."
Kyte is currently working with artists from all four major record
labels, as well as various artist management companies and independent
labels, to capture exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of their tours
as well as everyday life. These artists use the Kyte Platform to
broadcast mobile video in real-time to multiple online and mobile
destinations. Artists such as 50 Cent are achieving millions of show
views and massive viral content distribution across thousands of
websites.
"My fans are so important to me and being able to communicate with
them and share the parts of my life that are real and authentic just
by using my phone is incredible," said Grammy-nominated artist Raheem
DeVaughn. "Kyte allows me to reach out to my audience in a new and
meaningful way and the best part is that with this technology my fans
can share themselves with me, too. I plan to use Kyte to connect with
new people everyday and introduce them to me and my music -- this is
the future of artist promotion."
Kyte Premium Player
Designed to meet the needs of media and entertainment partners,
the Kyte Premium Player sets a new standard in digital artist
promotion and online brand building.
The player delivers a high level of visual and functional
enhancements, including custom player branding, elevated viral
elements and e-commerce integration -- meaning that artists can now
sell their films, music and merchandise using their Kyte channel. Best
characterized as a "super-widget," the Kyte Premium Player provides
unmatched revenue opportunities and promotional possibilities for
media companies, recording artists and filmmakers. The Kyte Premium
Player blurs the line between producer and audience, converting
passive viewers to active participants and engaging the audience
through real-time, two-way communication.
Kyte´s advanced social communications platform features live video
streaming, multimedia chat, easy-to-use production tools and immediate
distribution across the web, mobile and IPTV.
Kyte Premium Facebook Applications
The Kyte Premium Player can be delivered as a custom branded
Facebook application, allowing artists to connect with fans and
deliver a self-contained media experience to one of the most popular
social networks on the Web.
The Kyte Premium Facebook application is more than a simple widget
-- it´s a branded social communications platform, featuring live video
streaming, multimedia chat, viral distribution capabilities and
monetization opportunities.
Despite its sophisticated feature set and broad customization
options, a custom branded Kyte Premium Facebook application can be
deployed in minutes using a simple web-based tool. Furthermore,
Kyte-powered video content can now be shared amongst friends using
Facebook´s messaging system. Meaning friends can send shows to one
another and interact with the player from within their Facebook inbox
or Wall.
Live Streaming
Live webcam streaming is now available on the Kyte platform,
allowing users to connect in real-time, chat and comment on posts as
they happen and broadcast a continual video stream to multiple
destinations, instantaneously.
Live mobile streaming is currently in private beta and will be
available to users in the spring. Nokia N95 users can sign up for the
beta now at http://www.kyte.com/platform/mobile_producer_beta_form.
About Kyte
Kyte provides anyone -- from consumers to major recording artists
-- with an easy way to instantly broadcast mobile and online video to
multiple destinations, including social networks, blogs and other
mobile phones. For content creators, publishers and mobile operators,
Kyte provides new revenue opportunities and viral distribution
channels through an engaging social communications experience. The
company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with a European
office in Zurich, Switzerland. Investors include Draper Fisher
Jurvetson, Telefonica, Nokia Growth Partners, Steamboat Ventures,
Intellect Capital Ventures, DoCoMo Capital, Holtzbrinck Ventures,
Swisscom and others. For more information, please visit:
http://www.kyte.com.
