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Huawei plagiarized a music video and turned it into a tablet ad
Huawei seems to have become a magnet for controversy of late. The company's being shut out of 5G infrastructure bids across the world, the US is reportedly investigating it for stealing trade secrets, and its CFO was recently arrested for violating Iran sanctions. And at a time when mistrust in the firm is at an all-time high, Huawei now stands accused of straight up plagiarizing a music video in order to sell more tablets.
YouTube and Eventbrite sell concert tickets through music videos
YouTube is making it easier to translate raw enthusiasm for a band into seeing them play live. The streaming giant has struck up a deal with Eventbrite that will show tour listings right below videos from Official Artist Channels. Tap a "tickets" button on a listing and you'll go directly to Eventbrite to purchase a spot at the show. The experience will be familiar if you've ever used YouTube's Ticketmaster tie-in, but this promises to expand the number of artists -- YouTube covers about 70 percent of American ticketing.
'Michael Jackson's Thriller 3D' is coming to IMAX theaters
On what would have been Michael Jackson's 60th birthday, IMAX announced that it's remastering Michael Jackson's Thriller 3D for a limited run in its theaters. IMAX will show the iconic 1983 music video in 3D for one week starting September 21st, before screenings of the new movie The House with a Clock in Its Walls.
Vevo hack defaces YouTube music videos from Drake, Taylor Swift (updated)
If you were in the midst of a music video marathon this morning, you probably got a rude surprise. Hackers (one claiming to have used a script) defaced numerous top music videos, including Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's record-setting "Despacito" as well as clips from Drake, Katy Perry, Shakira, Taylor Swift and others. In many cases, the intruders swapped out the thumbnails with their own (such as a threatening gang image from a Netflix show) and altered show titles. The incident appears to be under control as we write this, but it no doubt panicked more than a few fans and artist representatives.
Apple Music puts all its music videos in one place
In January, Apple released a rundown of some of the features that would be released with iOS 11.3, a list that included Apple Music becoming a "home for music videos." Well now, ahead of the iOS 11.3 launch, Apple has incorporated a section in Apple Music that's dedicated to music videos. You can get to it through the "Browse" tab in the Music app and once there, you'll find sections for new music videos, exclusives, curated playlists, videos by genre and spotlights on particular artists.
YouTube will 'frustrate and seduce' you into its music service (updated)
It's no secret that many people use YouTube as an unofficial Spotify alternative, and artists aren't happy knowing that many of these listeners have little incentive to pay for music as a result. YouTube has a new solution, though: nag users until they switch over. The service's music head Lyor Cohen told Bloomberg in an interview that YouTube will boost the number of ads some viewers see between music videos. This would theoretically "frustrate and seduce" would-be subscribers to YouTube's next-gen streaming service.
Sony recruits Khalid for its next VR music event
Google and Samsung have been adding tons of virtual music experiences, both live and pre-recorded, to their respective line-ups this year. So where does that leave Sony? You'd think a corporation that straddles both industries would be the most likely to gain a monopoly on the burgeoning VR music space. Well, it's not for want of trying. The company kicked off its 'Lost in Music' VR campaign at the onset of the year, courtesy of an immersive music video collaboration with The Chainsmokers. Now, as 2017 draws to a close, it's leveraging its label roster once more for an upcoming partnership with pop hitmaker Khalid.
YouTube adds concert listings to music videos
Google announced a new YouTube feature today that will make it super easy to find and purchase concert tickets. Starting today, official music videos posted on YouTube will show upcoming concert dates for that artist and each show will have a link to where you can purchase tickets. The feature is in partnership with Ticketmaster though, so tickets sold by other companies won't be linked.
Intel AI helped create a music video
AI is increasingly finding its way into music videos, and not necessarily in obvious ways. Intel has revealed that the promo clip for Chinese pop star Chris Lee's "Rainy Day, But We Are Together" is the first music video to lean on its AI technology. Director Timothy Saccenti and Intel's producers created dramatic special effects on the songstress' face (such as trickles of water and twinkling stars) by training a machine learning system to instantly reconstruct a face in 3D and track its movements in real time, including facial expressions. Instead of asking Lee (aka Li Yuchun) to wear tracking markers or the camera crew to shoot a specific way, the creative team could focus on capturing scenes that lined up with their artistic goals.
Jump between a dream and reality in Major Lazer's new music video
Major Lazer's latest EP, Know No Better, came out last month, surprising fans two years after the electronic hip-hop group's previous LP, Peace is the Mission. The original music video for the track — which features Travis Scott, Camila Cabello and Quavo on vocals — has a video game-style first person perspective that shows the unseen protagonist handing out flyers with the title printed on it to various strangers on the street. Now, though, the group has a totally new video for the track. While watching, you can click an icon to switch between two perspectives of a boy's life. It's fun to change viewpoints between his ordinary life and his aspirational dreams, and the story the video tells is both emotional and adorable.
'Take On Me' app turns your home into an '80s music video
A-ha's classic video for "Take On Me" was the result of painstaking effort -- it took 16 weeks to rotoscope the frames, creating that signature blend between the real and hand-drawn worlds. Now, however, you only need an iPhone to recreate the look yourself. Trixi Studios has shown off an augmented reality iOS app that produces the "Take On Me" look in your own home. The proof-of-concept software makes do with virtual versions of A-ha's Morten Harket and the pipe-wielding thugs, but its effect is more convincing than you might think.
Wiz Khalifa snags the YouTube crown from 'Gangnam Style'
For a while, it looked as if Psy's "Gangnam Style" would have an unassailable lead as the most-viewed YouTube video. After all, the catchy K-Pop tune was so popular that it broke YouTube's view counter. However, it's time to crown a new champion. As of 5:30PM Eastern on July 10th, the music video for Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's "See You Again" is the most played YouTube clip of all time -- people had seen the sentimental tribute to Paul Walker 2,894,026,649 times at the moment of the official count. Psy had a good 5-year run, but it's evident that he's far from alone in the 2 billion club.
Muse makes bizarre music video with AI and found footage
Artificial intelligence is all over the place these days, predicting our thoughts, protecting our crops, playing video games and even generating adorably weird pickup lines. British band Muse is getting in on the act now with a new AI-generated music video that pulls internet video footage of celebrities, politicians and artists to match the lyrics to the hit song, "Dig Down." The result feels like even more political than the original video, which explores the consequences of technology within a media-fueled cyberpunk dystopia.
Experimental music video changes every time you play it
Artists and scientists say breakthroughs are often "lucky accidents," but one band is basing an entire music video on that premise. The song Midnight Oil from UK-based Shaking Chains uses algorithms to select semi-random bits of video from the hundreds of hours uploaded every minute on YouTube. The result is a music video that's completely different every time you view it.
Vevo pauses its music video subscription plans
You probably aren't champing at the bit to pay for a music video subscription service, but if you are... well, you'll have to keep champing. Vevo chief Erik Huggers tells Variety that his company is putting its subscription plans on hold in favor of international expansion. Paid viewing is "still in the cards," but Vevo wants to lay the groundwork for it through a larger presence on the world stage.
YouTube wants you to make a music video for Elton John
Like many legendary musicians, Elton John didn't get music videos for some of his best-known songs -- they simply came too soon for the likes of MTV. Thanks to the internet, however, he's getting a second chance. YouTube is backing a competition, Elton John: The Cut, that challenges you to brainstorm an official music video treatment for "Bennie and the Jets," "Rocket Man," or "Tiny Dancer." There will definitely be some tall hurdles to clear. A trio of YouTube creators will screen the initial entries, and the resulting finalists will face scrutiny by John as well as long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin, DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg, music video director Melina Matsoukas and Moonlight director Barry Jenkins.
YouTube deal ends years-long fight over music videos in Germany
German music fans haven't had it easy in the past 7 years. A royalty dispute with music rights group GEMA has forced YouTube to block thousands of music videos in the country, leaving locals no choice but to either find alternative video sources or (gasp) settle for audio alone. At last, though, they can relax: GEMA and YouTube have reached a deal that makes sure GEMA members get paid for video streams. The exact terms of the deal aren't public, but it'll cover both the usual ad-supported free viewing as well as the eventual European launch of YouTube Red subscriptions.
Broods used the Microsoft Band to create music-video magic
Microsoft is no stranger to collaborating with musicians to show off creative uses for its technology. With the Music x Technology project, the company has worked with acts like Big Grams, Neon Indian, KEXP, Phantogram and others to use its Kinect to enhance the musical experience for fans. I got a first-hand look at "Realiti: Inside the Music of Grimes" back at Moogfest in May, an exhibit that let fans remix parts of a song by interacting with a mesh surface. With the help of creative agency Listen, Microsoft teamed up with electropop duo Broods to produce a music video using the Microsoft Band.
Change the romantic pairings in Cassius' latest music video
The French musical duo Cassius has released a new music video that, for the first time, lets you change actors in the middle of a scene. Created for the group's single "The Missing" from the upcoming album Ibifornia, it features an interactive video from the director collective We Are From LA. During scenes with couples making out, you can switch between 20 actors just by clicking on the person you want to change, making for more than 100 possible versions of the video. The technique is not unlike YouTube's multi-angle videos, but you choose the actor, rather than the camera.
Vevo revamp puts a personalized music video feed on your phone
If you're fond of gorging on music videos while you're waiting for the bus or lounging on the couch, Vevo has your back. It's launching redesigned Android and iOS apps that bring its more personalized experience to phones and tablets. The simpler interface revolves around a Spotlight section that shows both recommended videos (based on what you've watched and liked) as well as a New for You playlist that offers a relevant feed of the latest and greatest clips. You might not have to spend any time sifting through videos just to find something you'll enjoy, in other words.
