Music Industry Embraces Crowdsourced Lyrics Translation of Hits by International Superstars and Breaking Talent
SINGAPORE, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Music Matters -- Viki, Inc., the global TV site powered by avid fans, today announced that it has signed deals with Warner Music Group (WMG), LOEN Entertainment and SEED Music Group, along with other labels and agencies, to stream thousands of music videos from hundreds of artists on the Viki platform. The deals were announced at Music Matters, the largest music industry event in Asia Pacific.
The music videos will be immediately available on Viki.com to users in the United States, Canada, Europe, as well as most countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. Other key markets will roll out later this year. Artists featured range from global superstars to emerging talent, representing a wide range of genres and multiple languages. Globally popular rock and pop artists, as well as K-Pop and Rap artists IU, Drunken Tiger and Brown Eyed Girls, among others. Videos will be available online with select titles rolling out on multiple screens later this year.
"Viki's mission is to bring down language barriers around great content, and there's no better way to do it than through music, which is universally loved," said Razmig Hovaghimian, CEO and co-founder of Viki. "We're excited to launch with such amazing partners who understand that when lyrics are translated, the music becomes even more relatable and engaging, opening up new opportunities for music to be discovered by a whole new world of fans."
More than 12 million users come to Viki each month to watch their favorite TV shows and movies, subtitled into 150 languages by its community. Undiscovered global prime time shows and movies find new audiences when translated into dozens of new languages on Viki. Music videos, including fresh new content each month, will add to a fast growing catalog of tens of thousands of hours of streamed content on Viki, which has been translated into more than 200 million words to date.
"We're committed to enabling innovative new music experiences, that excite audiences while recognizing the value of content," said Stephen Bryan, Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy and Business Development, Recorded Music, Warner Music Group. "Viki will help both global superstars and local talent to forge deeper connections with audiences that don't speak their language. At the same time, it offers fans a new way to champion their favorite acts and contribute to their success."
Viki efficiently, quickly and inexpensively removes language barriers, helping premium video content to cross into new foreign markets. For music companies, Viki opens new and previously untapped markets and offers additional revenue opportunities.
"Through the alliance with Viki, we've established a foothold for spreading K-Pop throughout the world," said Won-Su Shin, the CEO of LOEN Entertainment. "We anticipate that many users can now share their favorite music more conveniently and that global competitiveness of Korean music will be strengthened."
About Viki
Viki is a global TV site with TV shows, movies and other premium content, translated into more than 150 languages by a community of avid fans. With over 1 billion videos viewed and nearly 200 million words translated, Viki uniquely brings global prime-time entertainment to new audiences and unlocks new markets and revenue opportunities for content owners. In 2011, Viki announced $20M in Series B funding from strategic investors include BBC Worldwide and SK Planet, a subsidiary of SK Telecom; as well as from existing investors Greylock Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Charles River Ventures and Neoteny Labs, among others.
