ITV

Category: Video On Demand

  • ‘The next billion YouTube users are going to come from India:’ Ajay Vidyasagar

    ‘The next billion YouTube users are going to come from India:’ Ajay Vidyasagar

    MUMBAI: Even as Google CEO Sundar Pichai prepares for his India trip with a mandate to outline the company’s vision for the new smartphone users in the country later this month, YouTube has trained its eyes on India in a big way. With a global community of over one billion people that gives anyone the power to create something that everyone can watch, YouTube APAC director of partnerships Ajay Vidyasagar is of the opinion that the next billion users of a platform like YouTube are going to come from a market like India.

    Citing Pichai’s example, Vidyasagar adds, “Senior leaders at Google are very excited about India. India is one of our most valuable opportunities in the world. YouTube is already a mainstream platform in the country. The next billion users of a platform like YouTube are going to come from a market like India.”

    As a definitive step towards its vision for YouTube’s growth in India for churning out original local content, the company has launched YouTube Space Mumbai – the destination for web content creators and aspiring YouTube stars. YouTube Space Mumbai is India’s first and the world’s 8th YouTube Space.

    When asked what influenced the company’s decision to set up YouTube Space in India, Vidyasagar points out a few important stats. “While the year on year growth for YouTube globally is 60 per cent, in India the growth in watch-time has been a whopping 80 per cent. Needless to say India is a very important growing market for us. YouTube Space Mumbai is just one of the many initiatives the company has in store for the country.”

    Not just as a country of viewers, but as content creators too India has seen a steep rise. “There has been a growth of 90 per cent year on year, when it comes to uploading videos to YouTube in India. So getting Spaces to further empower the creators in the country was the obvious next step,” Vidyasagar informs.

    Moreover, YouTube users in India have also made an exponential shift on mobile devices to watch videos. “This year we saw 55 per cent of the total viewership on YouTube in India coming from mobile devices alone. It’s the first quarter when mobile device viewership eclipsed desktops.”

    When asked what this means in a country where mobile marketing is just setting up a roadmap unlike a developed market like China, and how it can impact a YouTube content creator’s revenue, Vidyasagar says, “Our way of looking at mobile or desktop viewership is fundamentally ‘bought and sold’ on a promise of a video view, which is pretty much the same thing on any device. Therefore monetisation isn’t a challenge, even if the device changes. We actually have figures to show now that monetisation is pretty much the same in all devices.”

    Further explaining the monetisation process in YouTube and how the platform gives advertisers a plethora of choices, Vidyasagar shares, “Our advertising team sells reserve advertisements and auction advertisement inventory. The skippable ads that you see are part of a suite that we offer in auction advertising. What ad will be placed on the channel is not decided by the creator but by the buyer of the advertising space. As an advertiser you can choose to buy from the reserve, which means to buy an ad in a specific channel at certain time in a certain volume. And you pay for specific price. But in an auction, you actually bid for an ad to be placed on the platform. So it is not creator led but advertiser led; we give the advertisers a lot of choice in the process.”

    A veteran in broadcast media from his earlier stints at Star TV and Sun TV, Vidyasagar shares how differently a VOD platform such as YouTube functions.

    “When I came to Google, I really thought YouTube is going to be a lot similar to television and very quickly I realised how wrong I was. In a lot of ways, television is a one way communication. You expect the audience to come at a certain hour to a certain television station and then go away. Everything about television is very different in terms of consumption and engagement from a platform like YouTube. Interactivity amongst creators is what drives YouTube and its community at heart. The single biggest difference for me has been realising the power of how creating, sharing and commenting plays such a big role in what was originally a one way communication,” he offers.

    Comparing the television medium to online, Vidyasagar says that in his stint with television, it was mainly the opinion of a handful of decision making people that was more often than not reflected in shows. “On television, we got a very filtered version of what people thought about the content. But when content goes out on YouTube, I have a pretty strong idea of what people actually think about it. This makes you very responsible over what you put out there as a content,” he says.

    That said, both YouTube Spaces global head Lance Podell and Vidyasagar stress the need to get more and more Indians be active on YouTube. While infrastructure and lack of uniform access of internet through the country, specially in Tier II and III cities remains a challenge, the duo is happy to inform that their previous marketing initiative YouTube Offline, which was first introduced to India, has borne fruit and shown a 500 per cent growth in usage across the country. Additionally, a slew of services are being thought of to pull in more users to the platform, Vidyasagar informs.

    With an aim to attract tens of thousands of fully functional content creators who can add to the YouTube community and also inspire others, the 4G wave in the country will only add an impetus to facilitate the video network’s plans in India.

  • Zeop deployes Broadpeak to improve video delivery

    Zeop deployes Broadpeak to improve video delivery

    MUMBAI:  Broadpeak, a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) technologies and live and video-on-demand (VOD) servers for cable, IPTV, OTT, hybrid, and mobile TV operators worldwide, today announced that Zeop, the first and leading fiber operator based on the French island of Reunion, has deployed Broadpeak solutions to improve video delivery. Using a combination of Broadpeak’s BkS400 cache servers and BkM100 CDN manager, Zeop can cost-effectively distribute VOD content via a content provider located in France, while providing an exceptional quality of experience (QoE) and quality of service (QoS) to end users.

     

    “Recently, we wanted to offer subscribers a wider choice of content. Under standard video delivery architecture, this would have been extremely challenging in terms of the transit and CDN-as-a-service costs incurred. We needed an optimized video delivery solution,” said Zeop CTO Martin Vigneau. “Broadpeak’s video caching technology dramatically reduces our transit and contribution link costs, allowing us to deliver a wider range of popular video content at a fraction of the cost of traditional CDN methods, while providing a better quality of experience and service.”

     

    Broadpeak pre-provisions popular video content in a local cache server, located in the operator’s network in Reunion. Each time an end user requests video content, it is directly streamed by the BkS400 local server, without needing to reach the content provider’s origin server. The technology is deployed on virtual machines, optimizing Zeop’s costs even further.

     

    Broadpeak’s BkS400 servers deliver video content via adaptive bit rate (ABR) technology, guaranteeing a high level of video quality. The presence of a local cache removes any latency that could take place between the origin server and the edge network. This mechanically benefits the QoS, and also the QoE, since higher video profiles will be streamed more often. Broadpeak’s BkS400 server offers broad format support (e.g., Apple HLS, Microsoft Smooth Streaming, Adobe HDS, and MPEG-DASH) so that operators can deliver video content anytime, anywhere, on any device. Zeop is also delivering content in the Microsoft Smooth Streaming format.

     

    Broadpeak’s cache servers also collect analytics about end user sessions, allowing Zeop to identify trends in audience behaviors. Zeop can monitor a full range of statistics related to video streaming, including bit rate per source, cache status percentage (e.g., cache hit, cache miss), requests per second, average time to serve, and HTTP status codes per second. By employing a solution with sophisticated analytics, the operator can provide detailed information to marketing, operations, and support teams to assist them with strategic decision-making.

     

    “Using Broadpeak’s solution, Zeop can now negotiate with other content providers to offer a wider choice of content to their subscribers,” said Broadpeak CEO Jacques Le Mancq. “Broadpeak’s solution also enables Zeop to interface with other CDN service providers and deliver content in a wide range of ABR formats to address all growing consumer demand for high-quality video content on every screen. The end results are lower video delivery costs, more flexibility, and a better QoS and QoE for end users.”

  • TO THE NEW Digital bets high on video content management

    TO THE NEW Digital bets high on video content management

    MUMBAI: Digital services company TO THE NEW Digital, has made a mark in the  digital ecosystem  with Fortune 500 clients like Sony, P & G, Airbus, Time Warner Cable and Nike. The company reached another milestone as it leveraged the power of videos by publishing 2.5 lakh hours of online video content and 1 lakh hours of YouTube channel management for different clients.

     

    TO THE NEW Digital CEO Deepak Mittal says, “Digital revolution has compelled companies to capitalize on new-age communication tools. Video management is the need of the hour for brands to get the maximum out of their video content. At TO THE NEW Digital, we provide end-to-end video optimization and distribution services to promote video content to relevant target audience. We are delighted that we have earned trust of the best brands in the market.”

     

    As per TO THE NEW Digital’s market analysis, by 2020, Asia will be the largest hub for social networkers and mobile operators with about 60 percent digitally-inclined population. Driven by this estimation, TO THE NEW Digital plans to be at the forefront of exploding digital landscape, creating eye-catching content, promoting technocratic practices for the existing and emerging businesses as a sure-shot method of achieving unwavering success, and ultimately delivering the best digital solutions.
     

    ETV, a large network of satellite TV channels in India, approached TO THE NEW Digital to optimize, publish and manage its content on YouTube channel for their 17 regional channels. ETV wanted a 24×7 support system and operations to increase visits and traction through video SEO services. TO THE NEW Digital helped them increase their monthly subscriber growth rate by 254 percent.

    Digital multi-channel network #Fame also engaged TO THE NEW Digital for end-to-end services for their multi-channel content publishing, management and promotion to increase viewership/subscriptions. By deploying analytics-driven content curation, contextualization and multi-platform content publishing, #Fame achieved a significant growth in their monthly viewership rate.

  • Crime Patrol maker looks forward to more online content

    Crime Patrol maker looks forward to more online content

    MUMBAI: Shlok Entertainment, headed by the makers of Crime Patrol, Subbu and Neeraj Naik, had launched an intense suspense thriller titled The Razor’s Edge on Youtube some time back.

    Talking about the film, Shlok Entertainment director and producer Subbu said, “With the evolution of the internet, we broke the norms with this film and released it on the internet as we feel that it is the right medium for our target audience. A digital release will allow the viewers to enjoy this film in their own space.”

    He further added, “Now twitter gives you an option to watch a one minute snippets whether it’s news or anything else. A majority of the audience watch television episodes on YouTube. A few years ago, Tata Sky started the trend where, with the help of a DTH recorder one could record and watch a favourite show at a convenient time. Now YouTube has taken it to the next level. Most of the channels have started their own web platforms and are uploading their content to tap into online audience.”

    The Razor’s Edge was released on 23 October, 2015, and received 5,342 views so far. “The response has been decent. I would not say that the response was very good but we are happy with it. It will take time to get the eyeballs but soon will meet our target,” Subbu said.

    The film attempts to expose the trials and tribulations of the film industry while keeping the audience at the edge of their seats. It follows the journey of the protagonist, Sameer played by Pankaj Singh, who like any newcomer, finds no takers for his script. Moreover he lacks backing. His fortune takes a turn when he befriends Tanya played by Shweta Gulati. All doors mysteriously open up for him.

    Suddenly Sameer has a line of producers knocking on his door to work with him. Things looksbright for Sameer until Tanya becomes the prime suspect of all the gruesome murders of the producers who refused to work with him.

    When asked why he chose to go digital with the film Subbu said, “The idea was to make a suspense thriller because we have been doing shows in that genre for a long time now. With a shorter thriller film it was a good opportunity to foray into digital. Digital is the next big thing with growing viewership and advertising revenue therefore we wanted to explore the platform with this film.”

    The production house is looking forward to create more content for online platform. The plan is to come up with new films with an interval of two to three months for online viewership. The team is already working on the couple of ideas.

    Speaking about the revenue model he explained, “Currently the concept is not the revenue generating because the digital platform still commands lesser share of advertisement as compared to television. Moreover we lack sponsorship. From a revenue perspective, it looks difficult right now as lots of people are a part of it and many big companies have been associated with a huge library of content with them.  So the subscription model works for them. But for smaller entities like us, it may be revenue generating when sponsors come in, because at the end of the day advertising works on viewership. We are hoping more for sponsors to come in as we garner more views on the videos.”

    Recently we have seen many OTT players bringing back the discontinued shows on their digital platform. “I see a lot of that happening right now. Netflix has pioneered this trend of moving content from television and putting it on digital. There are a lot of companies that wanted to make content for digital. Today’s younger generation doesn’t watch television which is why the digital space is growing. They prefer to watch series online and some of them don’t have television sets at home. Social media’s growth has also promoted the online content,” he said.

  • Gamification, localization and monetisation way forward for #fame

    Gamification, localization and monetisation way forward for #fame

    MUMBAI:  Fame Digital Private Limited (FDPF) is fundamentally focusing on three objectives for its online entertainment app, #fame – gamification, localisation and monetisation.

     

    When it comes to gamification, #fame talent league (FTL) is the first step in that direction. FTL is a path breaking initiative that will encourage and enable content creators to test their popularity with audiences in real time. FTL will start on December 5, 2015. As may be recalled, #fame launched the country’s live video app in May this year and in a short span of time this has emerged as the largest live video platform. 

     

    Localisation -#fame is also planning to launch more of regional and local versions on the app to differentiate the sections over the next couple of quarters. The company is also looking at launching south Indian version of the app, as well as planning to launch in Indonesia and Thailand

     

    Speaking with Indiantelevision.com about the three fundamental plans, #fame CEO Saket Saurabh said, “There are three plans for #fame, one is that we have launched #fame talent league, also over the next couple of quarters we are planning to launch more of a regional and local versions to differentiate the sections of our app. Apart from this, we will be looking for monetisation also. Therefore gamification, localization and monetisation are the core components in building the name of #fame.”

     

    Commenting monetisation potential of video, Saurabh said, “Within digital, video is the fastest growing section. We believe that access with 4G is coming and the hardware is becoming cheaper; video is becoming the new language of the consumer internet. Revenue will follow consumption. In two years we have brought on board 20 to 25 top brands in India across categories like FMCG, automobile, durables and telecom. We are planning to bring more traction now. In the next six months, we are planning to reach out to 60 to 65 brands. Therefore, we feel that video has tremendous monetisation potential and great monetisation flexibility. Video monetisation is moving beyond pure play inventory.”

     

    Saurabh added, “We had launched the first live video app in the country in May. We have seen more than 30,000 people going live using our ap. That gave us the confidence that there is clearly an opportunity to discover the digital talent and that is why we started building a tech feature in our app, which in a sense is an innovation, because it has the kind of real time global audience looking at the live app.”

     

    Since May, #fame has seen 20 lakh downloads, with more than 30,000 performers going live and over 30,000 watch hours of content. 

     

    Earlier, #fame had launched its first digital singing competition Web Singer with Pritam in November, 2014. “The experience with Web Singer has been great. This is why we call ourselves as #fame, because there is an opportunity for a talent to really emerge and connect directly with the audiences. All our initiatives are designed to allow talent to come forward whether it’s our live video app or the launch of #fame talent league which is on the top of the app,” he added.

     

    India has 35 crore internet users and in couple of years India will have half of its people using internet and we are already a one of the largest market in the world. 

     

    India’s inherent advantage is that it is already a mobile ready country.  “There are three fundamental trends that are making it big; one is that hardware access is getting cheaper as you get mobile phones now in Rs 6000-7000 price range, which makes video access easier. Another factor is the Indian population and the demographics which play an important role as we have a whole generation of youngsters who have grown up not with television as their first screen, but with mobile phones. The third factor is that digital will be seen as the support medium by content creators and networks over time. The rise of OTT in couple of years is a great reflection that brands have realized that digital requires original content.  In the next couple of years we will see a tremendous growth in digital medium,” Saurabh predicted.

     

    #fame is spending about 30 to 40 per cent of its investments in user acquisition and user engagement. Speaking about the competition Saurabh informed, “I think there is space for everybody, in the case of live video, we are the pioneers in India and we are trying to build that category. In digital, there are all kinds of players. We have OTT, content creators, YouTube and Facebook, hence it’s a fairly a vibrant place. Also, live video space and digital space are all in their early stages. I don’t see competition is really an issue right now.  Here we need to have more innovations.”

     

    4G is creating a lot of buzz in the country. Saurabh said, “I think 4G will take another 6-8 months as it is not in the mainstream in India and is only available in some major cities.  The entry of more players and alliances will make an impact and there will be more, in combination with cheaper hardware manufacture. There will be a lot of cooperative marketing which will help mainstream 4G.”

  • #fame announces Closeup Websinger Round 2

    MUMBAI: Live video app #fame announced the launch of Round 2 of Closeup Websinger.  This round will see Raghu Dixit as the theme mentor and Pritam Chakraborty, who makes his digital debut, as a maha mentor. The theme of Round 2 is folk fusion as the theme. Closeup Websinger is about sourcing the next big voice of Bollywood from the web.  

     

    Closeup Websinger consists of five rounds and the winner of each round with different themes will then compete for the ultimate title of the Bollywood Singing Jodi. The show also brings together some of the biggest names in the Bollywood music industry. Ace music composer, Pritam will be seen grooming and guiding the budding talent along with theme mentors; Raghu Dixit, Benny Dayal, Aditi Singh Sharma and Monali Thakur. Unlike other talent shows, the judges here will mentor the talented participants and hone their talent further to make them Bollywood ready.

     

    Commenting on the hunt for the next folk fusion talent, Dixit said, “Folk as a genre forms an imperative part of Bollywood music. Through Closeup Websinger, I am searching for an artist that has a perfect blend of Folk and Bollywood music in the voice.”  

     

    This show has already announced the 12 semifinalists who will compete against each other to make it to the top 6 finalists. This was through a meticulous screening by Dixit and Pritam. The Top 6 finalists will then perform live every day on #fame – an app, to build their social following. They will sing, interact, and take requests from their fans and music lovers, thus getting their fans to follow them on the app.  The finalists will urge their fans to like, share and comment their videos, etc, thus increasing their social scoring and chances to win the final battle. 

     

    Through this proposition, the music lovers can watch them perform anytime, anywhere on their mobile screens, without having them to tune into Television at a specific time. Lastly, this property beautifully l the power of social & digital through views, likes & comments based scoring, not just through SMS.

     

    Watch the music videos of the 12 semifinalists on the official Close-up Websinger YouTube channel –

     

  • Netflix to premiere original 10-part documentary crime series

    Netflix to premiere original 10-part documentary crime series

    MUMBAI: Netflix ’will exclusively premiere an original ten-part documentary crime series called Making a Murderer on 18 December, 2015. 

     

    Inspired by a newspaper article from 2005, directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos have spent the last decade documenting an unprecedented real-life thriller that spans more than thirty years. Set in America’s Heartland, Making a Murderer follows the harrowing story of Steven Avery, an outsider from the wrong side of the tracks, convicted and later exonerated of a brutal assault. His release triggered major criminal justice reform legislation, and he filed a lawsuit that threatened to expose corruption in local law enforcement and award him millions of dollars. But in the midst of his very public civil case, he suddenly finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime. 

     

    The series takes viewers inside a riveting, high-stakes criminal case where reputation is everything and things are never as they appear. The filmmakers have documented every angle of the story, following the second investigation and ensuing trial of the accused, petitioning the court to avoid having to turn over their footage, gathering archival materials, and interviewing those closest to the case. 

     

    “There are an unbelievable number of twists and turns in the story arc of Making a Murderer, it feels like it has to be fictional. Ricciardi and Demos have navigated very complex terrain and skillfully woven together an incredible series that leaves you feeling like you’re right in the middle of the action,” said Netflix VP – original documentary programming Lisa Nishimura.

     

    “If we had not been there to witness these events we would have trouble believing they actually occurred. Our goal has always been to share that experience with viewers. Our partnership with Netflix has allowed us to tell this story in a way that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else,” added directors Ricciardi and Demos. 

     

    Making a Murderer examines allegations of police and prosecutorial misconduct, evidence tampering and witness coercion. The filmmakers look at what went wrong in the first case and question whether scientific advances and legislative reforms over the past three decades have gotten us any closer to delivering truth and justice in the system. 

     

    Netflix will present a special preview of the first two episodes of Making a Murderer at the DOC NYC film festival on 13 November. 

     

    Making a Murderer is the latest project in Netflix’s slate of original documentary and docu-series programming, including the Oscar-nominated films The Square and Virunga as well as What Happened, Miss Simone?, Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom and Chef’s Table.

  • PlayStation Vue inks content deal with Disney, ESPN, ABC

    PlayStation Vue inks content deal with Disney, ESPN, ABC

    MUMBAI: Disney and ESPN Media Networks and Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (SNEI) have entered into an agreement to bring the company’s media networks to PlayStation Vue, the cloud-based live TV service.

     

    Disney will offer ESPN, ABC-owned local stations, Disney Channel, ABC Family, and more networks on PlayStation Vue with the service’s unique features, including the ability to play multiple streams from one account and a powerful, intuitive user interface.

     

    In addition, local ABC affiliate stations will also have the opportunity to opt-in to the PlayStation Vue service with their live linear programming.

     

    “This deal demonstrates our continued commitment to offer the best content on TV to PlayStation Vue users. The addition of Disney and ESPN’s primetime programming and live marquee sports to our portfolio ensures subscribers will have access to the most popular network programming on television today. We’re also proud to be the first Internet-based pay TV service to offer Disney’s networks with the streaming features that set PlayStation Vue apart from the industry, making TV viewing a more enjoyable experience for the whole household,” said SNEI vice president, head of PlayStation Vue Dwayne Benefield.

     

    Disney and ESPN Media Networks EVP of affiliate sales & marketing Justin Connolly added, “PlayStation Vue provides a unique way to engage with our content and an opportunity to reach a segment of viewers who want a different kind of television experience. The addition of our content to the PlayStation Vue platform will make the offering more compelling as consumers navigate their video options.”

     

    Users will be able to watch content from Disney and ESPN Media Networks on a pay TV service over the Internet, using features like on demand offering, unmatched viewing experience and simultaneous streaming.

     

    Additional details, including launch timing, will be announced at a later time.

     

    Disney and ESPN Media Networks will offer the following networks on PlayStation Vue: ABC Owned Stations Group, ABC Family (becoming Freeform in January), Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN College Extra, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Bases Loaded, Fusion, Longhorn Network and SEC-ESPN Network.

  • YouTube adds two new virtual reality features on Android

    YouTube adds two new virtual reality features on Android

    MUMBAI: YouTube has trained its eyes on the next big thing in the digital video space – Virtual Reality (VR). The video network has added two new VR features to YouTube’s Android app.

     

    “If we’ve learned anything in the past 10+ years at YouTube it’s that capturing and sharing videos is a great way to bring people there with you—whether “there” is an Icelandic glacier, a special performance by violinist Tim Fain, or just a friend’s birthday party,” YouTube VR senior product manager Kurt Wilms, YouTube product manager Sanjeev Verma and Jump product manager Husain Bengali collectively said in a post. 

     

    “Virtual reality makes the experience of being there even more awesome and immersive, so today we’re bringing two new VR features to YouTube’s Android app. All you need is your current phone, and a Google Cardboard viewer,” they added.

     

    YouTube now supports VR video – a brand new kind of video that makes you feel like you’re actually there. Using the same tricks that we humans use to see the world, VR video gives you a sense of depth as you look around in every direction. Near things look near, far things look far. “So if you were excited about 360° videos, this is pretty freakin’ cool,” they added.

     

    To give it a try, find a VR video on YouTube – like the Hunger Games Experience or TOMS Shoes Giving Trip – tap the new Cardboard icon, drop your phone into your Cardboard viewer, and you’re off! 

     

    Creators can also check out technologies like Jump to capture and share their own VR videos.

     

    “Our second bit of news is for the universe of existing YouTube content. And that’s the fact that you can now watch any video using Google Cardboard, and experience a kind of virtual movie theater. Just select the new “Cardboard” option from the watch page menu, drop your phone into your viewer, and you’re done. You’ll now have the largest VR content library right at your fingertips,” they said.

  • #fame to cater India’s first digital singing competition

    MUMBAI:   #fame, a LIVE video app, has pioneered another content upheaval by launching Close-up ‘Websinger’. The show will give India its first ever digital singing sensation.

     

    The show consists of six rounds spread over two months each that has Pritam as the chief judge and mentor who will spot the next singing sensations of India on the web.

     

    #fame Close-up Websinger will soon announce the finalist of the round 1. This was through a meticulous screening through three rounds namely Acoustic, Duet and Solo. Round 1 saw Pritam taking grooming session with the finalists and giving them tips to make it to the next round.

     

    Catch the glimpses of the session here

     

    Round 1 so far received an overwhelming response with over 3mn views on the YouTube Channel. Not only this, Pritam will be announcing the winner of round 1 on 14th November LIVE on the app

     

    Speaking about the launch Pritam Chakraborty asserted, “I have always believed in the power of talent and the reach of digital and #fame is mix matching the combination meticulously. I am extremely happy to be associated with Close-up ‘Websinger’. There is a whole new generation of artists who are waiting to be discovered and Close-up ‘Websinger’ is the perfect platform for them to make an impact on a global stage”.

     

    Speaking on the success of round 1 so far, Saket Saurabh, CEO, #fame said, “We at #fame are committed to discovering and promoting the best emerging talent on the digital video platform. I am very excited with the number of entries for India’s first digital singing competition Close-up Websinger has got so far. We have engaged over 12mn+ audience across 30+ cities giving these aspiring singers a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to shape their future in music industry.”

     

    A one of its kind digital singing coup, Close-up Websinger is the definitive destination for next breed of talented singers in the country. The next round will see Raghu Dixit as the judge and Pritam as a maha mentor and will have folk music as the theme of the show. 

     

    With over a million downloads, over 25,000 unique Performers and more than 40,000 live sessions of programming, #fame has emerged as India’s No.1 live video app.