TORONTO – Drawing on a few new content deals – not to mention a huge library of content dating back to the 1960s – CHUM’s music station MuchMusic raised the stakes in the broadband viewership battle today with the launch of MuchAXS.
MuchAXS is an online community where fans can discover, program and recommend music and is a clear competitor to the recently launched Overdrive, from MTV Canada.
And it’ll earn revenue, too, Maria Hale, CHUM Television’s vice-president, content business development, told Cartt.ca on Wednesday.
With charter advertisers Doritos and GM, the portal is solidly ad supported and the business model does not rely on user fees or micropayments, which are better suited to wireless models.
MuchAXS is the result of 18 months of negotiations for various rights, said Hale. "There were a whole other set of rights we had to acquire," she said, in order to make content available on line. CHUM has deals with two of the majors – Warner and Universal – as well as with some independents. "We’re negotiating with others as well," Hale added.
"We’ve been in the interactive space for quite some time," she continued, so Much knows what its fans want on line but really, the technology only now has matured enough to make it happen. When surveying surfers in the late 1990s, CHUM found that "it was imperative to have video on a site, but when (those viewers) surfed, they didn’t go to the video at all," explained Hale. The problem? Clunky media players and dial-up Internet.
Now, with slick, thin players and broadband’s growth, video is the key driver to many web sites, especially with younger demos.
Besides music videos, Much will also have exclusive content on MuchAXS, from full and edited versions of its TV programming to exclusive content such as behind the scenes at the MuchMusic Video Awards, for example.
MuchAXS features full-length editions of marquee Much franchises and a lineup of exclusive, uncut classics -featuring internationally-renowned artists and celebrities -culled from its extensive archives. (Much says it has North America’s largest stockpile of music videos, artist performances and interviews).
"MuchAXS is an integral part of our cross-platform strategy," added Hale. "Not only are we delivering exciting online exclusives- including Intimate & Interactive with Billy Talent but there’s a new layer of opportunity for advertisers and sponsors."
Intimate & Interactive with Billy Talent aired Wednesday on MuchMusic at 7 p.m. but fans will be able to watch it on MuchAXS this morning. Hosted by VJ Devon Soltendieck, it’s a special edition of the series with rockers Billy Talent performing a festival-style, outdoor concert just outside the station’s street-front headquarters in downtown Toronto. 
The company also has plans to launch new Much original online series along with the addition of more MuchMusic-produced TV shows.
MuchAXS is available to 99% of Internet users and is compatible with Macs, PCs and all web browsers. Fans can customize their own music video playlists, with artist profiles and ringtones just a click away -including releases from Madonna, Green Day, Nelly Furtado, Kanye West, Rihanna, Simple Plan, Mobile, a full roster of indie artists and many more.
Videos are even partitioned by music genre, with advanced keyword search capabilities (e.g. search by video director, year, record label, artist name and song title). There’s also MuchOnDemand, The NewMusic and The MuchMusic Video Countdown.
Interactivity is enhanced through video rating and sharing, and fans can register to receive RSS alerts about new updates on MuchAXS. Much will also monitor fans’ video picks to help decide what makes the station’s on-air playlist.
