Fabchannel.com has signed a multi-territory digital exploitation deal with Universal Music Netherlands covering live recordings of Universal artists performing at the Paradiso venue in Amsterdam.  

Under the deal, fans will have access to live concert videos from Universal artists performing at the Paradiso and other Fabchannel related venues.

Fabchannel will record the concerts in broadcast quality and make them available for fans to view on Fabchannel.com and to buy as video and audio downloads on its download store.

In addition, Universal will distribute the video and audio downloads across digital and mobile services.

Fabchannel CEO Justin Kniest says, “This is a significant step forward for Fabchannel. The quality of Universal Music artists contributes to our goal of offering our viewers the hottest and broadest selection of live music. 
   

“Today’s news is a milestone for Fabchannel’s ad-supported live music video model, which enables artists, labels and media companies to make their live music available. This model also gives brands and businesses new ways to connect and interact with a highly-engaged audience of consumers in the 25-and-under youth demographic.”

Fabchannel.com’s online concert video archive contains more than 850 live concerts from venues including the Paradiso and Melkweg in Amsterdam, the Sala Bikini and Apollo in Barcelona and The Roxy in L.A.

Tuesday, February 26 2008
   

Universal Music Netherlands has reached an agreement with Dutch Webcasting specialist Fabchannel.com to record and distribute live performances of the music giant’s acts. 

Through the blanket arrangement, unveiled today, Fabchannel will tape Universal Music artists performing at the Paradiso venue in Amsterdam, and other related venues. All footage will be subject to management approval.

Fabchannel boasts an archive of more than 850 exclusive live concerts filmed at the Paradiso and nearby Melkweg clubs, including gigs by Simple Minds, Damien Rice and the Frames. But until now, only independent label acts had signed up.   

Justin Kniest, CEO of Fabchannel, says Universal’s participation represents a massive breakthrough for his company, which counts the Paradiso, Dutch investment firm Foreman Capital, and the City of Amsterdam among its stakeholders.

“Together we’re going to create new channels,” he tells Billboard.biz.

For the first few months, visitors to the Fabchannel site will have first view of the concert videos, which will stream following a pre-roll ad. Universal Music will then deliver the video and audio downloads to purchase from online music stores and mobile services.”We can create content which both of us can monetize,” he explains. “If we make money from ads or a subscription model, [Universal] get revenue share of our business. And the other way around, when they sell the material worldwide though their distribution network, we get a revenue share from that. It’s a win-win for both of us.”   

A recent Paradiso concert by Jimmy Eat World is the first taped under the new arrangement, and is currently waiting for clearance. Plans are to roll out the formula to other markets. “We’re now looking at partnerships in the U.K., Germany and America,” says Kniest. “We plan to hook up the Paradisos of Europe, and record shows every day.”

Tuesday, February 26 2008
By Lars Brandle, London
   

Fabchannel, which webcasts shows from the best two venues in Amsterdam (Paradiso and Melkweg), is one reason 2008 will be the year live music webcasting makes sense. The company plans to announce a deal Tuesday with Universal Music Netherlands that will let it offer free, ad-supported webcasts of Universal Music artists’ shows at those venues.

Universal artists slated to record shows over the next few months include Richard Bona, Ian Brown, Chamillionaire, DJ Shadow, Feist, Amy McDonald, Method Man, Kate Nash, Roni Size, Sigur Rós, Willie Nelson and more. Webcasts are subject to artist and manager approval, but Fabchannel CEO Justin Kniest said only two or three artists out of the thousand or so the site has recorded have declined to have their shows webcast.

Kniest said the deal covers viewers from around the globe, rather than just those in Holland, despite the fact

As part of the deal, Universal gets a share of revenue from Fabchannel’s ads, which include 10-second video ads that run before the show, plus access to Fabchannel’s recordings of its artists, which Universal Music Group gets to stream and sell on its own sites.

Fabchannel uses four camera angles and high-quality sound recording equipment for these shows, so Universal gets a valuable new source of original content from its artists, and fans get a great high-end alternative to fuzzy, distorted concert videos on YouTube.
We see shows for free and everybody makes money. Perfect.

Monday, February 25th 2008
By Eliot Van Buskirk