SayNow, a service that enables “celebrities to connect to their audience over the phone” will announce $7.5 million Series A funding September 12, in a round led by Shasta Partners. Tugboat Ventures’ Dave Whorton, a SayNow advisor since early 2006, also participated in the round as did Costella Kirsch. Rob Coneybeer, MD of Shasta Ventures will join the SayNow board of directors
SayNow connects celebrities using a web based interface and phone messages. The service works both ways: celebrities can leave messages for their fans, and fans are able to leave messages for their favorite stars.
The pitch is simple: SayNow believes that voice is the “truest form of communication a fan can have with a celebrity.”
In practice, it’s a little like audio blogging. Celebrity messages tend to focus on what the star is currently doing, be that touring, recording etc in an informal manner.
The company’s technology is already being put to use by a broad range of well known record labels, including Zomba Label Group, RCA Music Group, Sony BMG Nashville, Universal Music Group (Def Jam Recordings, Island Records), EMI (Capitol Music Group), Hollywood Records, and TVT Records. Artists using SayNow include the Foo Fighters, Mario, Hurricane Chris, MIMS, Tila Tequila, Huey, T-Pain, Bobby Valentino, Papa Roach, Plain White T’s, The Rocket Summer, Kenny Chesney, and Chris Young.
wow big move by shasta
any word on what the deal structure looks like with the celebrities? equity? how often do they have to use the service? etc.
Blah.. people running after stars.. makes me sick..
this website will be a hit though..
John
From what I can gather it’s being used as a marketing tool by the record companies, so no equity or what not.
This site will be a smash hit! I see users going insane when their profiles get commented by an artist on myspace, imagine a call?
Hello Britney I love you new hairstyle.
This is a cool idea. Funny but cool.
That is what we love funny and cool.
gotcha…thanks for the reply Duncan.
the sort of venture that industry execs love but no one else.
i am certain they will never release call volume…too painful to admit only fourteen people wanted to hear prercorded messages from foo fighters
crazy, what goes around comes around:
http://www.stre...cle.asp?id=5456
IMHO, this is the DUMBEST idea I have ever heard of — a stupid gimmick.
Surprises me too that the round was so large, especially compared to that of say, Twitter. Still, SayNow may be able to take their model in a different (more compelling) direction that I blogged about here: http://www.leve...deas.com/?p=432
Also who is Tugboat Ventures?