Rumblefish highlighted in The Post's 'Power of Sound'
6.01.09
SONIC BRANDING
Ron DiCesare
Sonic branding is on the rise. More and more companies are recognizing the value and power of audio. Even though the concept of audio identifiers is nothing new, there are countless new ways to harness the power of sonic branding.
THE STRATEGIC USE OF SOUND
Paul Anthony, founder/CEO of Rumblefish (www.rumblefish.com) in Portland, OR, has created sonic brands of all types. Kaiser Permanente, Unilever, Red Bull and Adidas are just a few of the companies listed on their credit list.
Rumblefish's innovative thinking blows the format wide open, from audio logos to sonic art and environmental music. "Some people think of sonic branding only as composition for brands," says Anthony. "We here at Rumblefish believe that it is the strategic use of sound in anyway. That means mnemonics and sonic logos, but also includes everything from what's playing on hold on the phone to what's playing in your environment to the music you associate with your brand. It even includes the sound of your environment acoustically, even when there isn't any music playing at all."
Anthony's background is music, and he applies it in an innovative way. "I founded this company as a film composer, so I use the same principles of writing film music and telling a story as I do for writing for brands," he says. "Sound tells half or more of the story. We think of it in that context when we look at the goals of the brand. The questions we always ask for any project is what does your brand sound like? And more importantly, what kind of behavior are you looking for?
"A company's goal might be to have people stay on hold longer because revenue is being lost every time someone hangs up. Well, if you can increase the time spent on hold with music, then maybe that company will need less people to answer the phones, which translates into saving money and increased revenue. A retail store might have a similar goal at their stores, for example. We have found that you can increase the length of stay for a customer at a retail store by 28 percent by playing less familiar music rather than more familiar music. Another example is, and there is plenty of research to back this up, that if you play music at a wine shop, you can influence consumer preference. So, by playing Italian music, you can increase the sales of Italian wine, and by playing French music, you can increase sales of French wine."
When it comes to achieving a company's goal, Anthony does not see any real conceptual difference between short audio segments verses longer ones. "The longer format is essentially the same as the shorter format," he says. "What is the outcome you want from the use of sound? That's why our process is the same for everything, regardless of length. It creates a lot of context for clients and achieves the outcome the client is looking for. It can be a short segment, or a permanent sonic art installation."
Rumblefish raised the bar of sonic branding by creating a unique audio environment for National Australia Bank. "For NAB, we did interactive sound art installations for their new training facility in Australia," explains Anthony. "The workflow for this process is pretty similar to anything we might do, whether it's a sonic logo for TV or online or whatever. We have put in several installations there and these projects are significantly more integrated and complex. So we approached this knowing that banking doesn't really need to venture outside of the box.
"But, when it comes to training their staff, they wanted to open their minds and help them learn and receive messages to expand their skill set by using music," he continues. "There are many studies that show how important music is in terms of learning. So, it's kind of like warming up their brain to learn."
There are three major segments that make up the bank's sonic art installation. The first one is located in the training facility's main entrance for their beautiful staircase. "The piece we created for the stairs used about 30 different speakers equipped with infrared sensors throughout the staircase that trigger the music," he explains.
There are three main compositions for the stairs that are based on the energy the bank wanted throughout the day. "When you walk up the stairs, you hear this composition that completely engulfs you," he continues. "We also have cameras that measure how tall you are and how many people are on the stairs with you so it's completely interactive. It's never the same twice. And you are literally playing the stairs musically because we created sound samples from the actual materials that they built the stairs out of.
"They also have this amazing walkway that was our second sonic art installation called the River of Words. We put in these directional speakers that make it possible to hear the sound of the river only when you are walking down this path. It can't be heard anywhere else. On the path, there are words that are projected on the floor. If you kick the words on the floor, there are sounds that are triggered as you are walking and you can hear them go down the river. So you get this really beautiful effect."
The third major segment is called Dial a Mood. "We preprogrammed music according to mood throughout the training rooms," he describes. "The idea is that it focuses your brain waves so you are better able to learn."
Whether it's this type of work or for a sonic brand, Rumblefish always starts by asking questions that make up what they call a sonic profile. "The goal is to know who your audience is and how do you want them to feel," says Anthony. "Basically, we want to know the desired outcome the client is looking for based on sound."
Rumblefish runs Digidesign's Pro Tools|HD using Pro Control, with plans to upgrade to ICON control surfaces. Depending on the composer, Digital Performer or Steinberg's Cubase is used. Speakers are from Genelec and Tannoy.
Anthony is embracing the audio community. "We are hosting the world's first sonic branding symposium on July 2, 3 and 4th called 440. We will have sonic branders from all over the world. It will include sound artists, technology people, psychoacoustics people, music houses, you name it."
PRODUCT PLACEMENT: More Rumble-Artists On Life and Damages
3.25.09
Our licensing team sure has been busy earning money for our artists! Some of the many recent placements they've solidified include some exciting TV show syncs. Eddie’s Brother’s gentle acoustic track “Between Nine And Five” was recently featured on NBC’s Life. And the folks over at FX’s Damages must really be fans of Hank Hirsh’s jazz because they are using “What Can I Say” for a second time this season.
PRODUCT PLACEMENT: 4 Rumble-Tracks In IFC Video
3.16.09
Film, TV and videogames may get all the glory, but there are lots of different kinds of projects that license music from Rumblefish. One exciting way that our licensing team is making money for our artists is by finding them placements in the kind of videos that consumers don’t usually see: internal corporate ones. As such, we just licensed three tracks by Face To Face [“The New Way (Instrumental),” “The Compromise” and “The Compromise (Instrumental)”] and one by Rookie (“Carolina”) to IFC for an internal video project for their ad sales team. Congratulations to those artists!
Rumblefish Artists Added To SXSW And Cherry City Music Fest Lineups
3.10.09
We’re in the home stretch, folks! There's just one more week until SXSW, so we wanted to make sure that, while you were planning your schedules for the action-packed conference, you carved out some time to check out the busy Rumble-artists that will be representing in Austin. Diplomats Of Solid Sound, Kaboose, Braille, RedCloud, Loch Lomond, Super XX Man and Zolof The Rock And Roll Destroyer are all playing sets over the five-day festival. Check the Rumbleblog for a schedule of their performances. Also, don’t forget about the Official Rumblefish Day Party on Friday, March 20th. We’ll be throwing down at the Tiniest Bar In Texas (817 W. 5th St.) from 3-7 p.m. Check our blog for further details, and we hope to see you there.
In further festival news, the Rumblefish-sponsored Cherry City Music Festival, which is coming to Salem, Oregon, April 9-11, had added a slew of new acts to its bill, including a handful of our catalog members. Rumble-artists Seahorse, Super XX Man and Courtney Jones are now joining acts like Kimya Dawson, Rafter and the Thermals for the three-day celebration of music and local pride. And that’s not all; bands are still being added to the lineup! Check the festival’s site for full details. Wristbands are available directly from the Cherry City site or, in person, at Tender Loving Empire (1720 NW Lovejoy #109) in Portland.
Tomorrow is the kick-off for the music portion of South By Southwest. That means that this is your final reminder for the Rumblefish Day Party, which will be held Friday at the Tiniest Bar In Texas (817 W. 5th St.). If you’re in Texas for the festival, we hope you’ll stop by and say hello. If you’re staying behind, be sure to check the Rumbleblog often for updates of our SXSW exploits and links to our daily YouTube videoblog. It’ll make you feel like you were there in person, though without the stomach full of barbeque.
Product Placement: 2XL Games New Title Powered By Rumble-Music
3.10.09
We are proud to announce that our dedicated licensing team just placed five songs in the new 2XL Games title, Supercross. The motorcross videogame for the iPhone will now feature “Water (Instrumental),” “Open (Instrumental),” “Down (Instrumental)” and “Bleed (Instrumental)” by Haitz and “Go West” by Underbiz. Look for these Rumblefish songs to amp up the action next time you’re playing Supercross. Congratulations Haitz and Underbiz!
Product Placement: Rumble-Artists On Damages
3.03.09
Fans of Glenn Close’s critically acclaimed legal drama Damages heard some songs by Rumblefish artists on the FX network’s hit show recently. The February 11th episode featured Amelia’s “Et Vous,” and one week earlier Hank Hirsch’s “What Can I Say” played during a dinner party at Close’s character’s home. Congratulations go out to those Rumble-artists as well to our hard-working licensing team who won them the placements.
Party People: Rumblefish At Cherry City Music Fest
2.23.09
Rumblefish is proud to announce our sponsorship of the inaugural year of the Cherry City Music Festival in Salem, Oregon. The fest takes place in venues across the capital city from April 9 through 11, and tickets have just gone on sale (they are currently $30 until April 1). New members of the Rumblefish catalog Super XX Man are scheduled to play on Thursday night, and scores of other artists from the Thermals and Rafter to Jeremy Jay, Kimya Dawson and Viva Voce are slated for shows throughout the weekend. Check here to view the ever-expanding lineup. An official Rumblefish afterparty is planned for Friday, April 10th, following the Kill Rock Stars showcase, in the upstairs ballroom at the historic Grand Theater. Let us know if you plan to attend the festival, (or, better yet, are playing it) so we can be sure to catch up while we down in Salem.
Artist Accolades: Mike Coykendall On TV And In Print
2.23.09
Portland resident and friend-of-Zooey-Deschannel M. Ward has just released and new album, Hold Time (Merge), and that means that Rumble-catalog artist Mike Coykendall, who just happens to be an integral part of Ward’s band as well as his engineer, has been in the news a lot. If you caught the full-page Sunday New York Times, you read about Coykendall’s home studio, where both the new M. Ward and She & Him albums were recorded. And if you caught Ward’s rousing performance on Late Show With David Letterman last week, you saw Coykendall rocking out on his guitar, front-and-center. If you haven’t heard his solo stuff yet, though, do yourself a favor and take a moment to explore his listings on the Rumblefish Music Licensing Store. If you’re a fan of M. Ward, we promise you won’t be disappointed.
Product Placement: Sorel Snowboarding Video Powered By Rumble-music
2.17.09
We love all of our amazing clients, but we are especially proud of the local Portland businesses that use Rumbelfish music to inject emotion and attitude into their projects. So we are pleased to announce that we have just licensed "Yeah People," one of our favorite garage rock anthems by Oohlala, to Sorel Footwear (a division of Portland-based Columbia Sportswear) for a video that will be played on the Jumbotron during the US Snowboarding Grand Prix. Check the Rumbleblog to see the rockin' snowboarding footage for yourself!
Party People: Rumblefish At SXSW
2.17.09
It is almost time for South By Southwest, the music industry’s annual bacchanal of bands, BBQ and beer in Austin, Texas. Are you attending? Drop us a line (sxsw@rumblefish.com) so we can make sure to catch your show while we are in town. Also, we are pleased to announce the official Rumblefish Day Party. Friday, March 20th, from 3-7 p.m., we’ll be rocking the house over at the Tiniest Bar In Texas (817 W. 5th St.) with catalog artist Loch Lomond as well as Nico Vega, Dear And The Headlights and Driver F. So if you’re planning to be town for the festival, please stop by and enjoy the killer tunes. We've got tasty free Lonestar beer, vodka Red Bulls and Bacardi mojitos; all that's missing is you!
Animoto Celebrates Valentine's Day
2.11.09
Forget boring chocolates! With Valentine’s Day mere days away, Rumblefish client Animoto has devised the perfect last-minute gift for your sweetie. Their online valentine will turn regular old photos of you and your significant other into a swooning video slideshow, complete with the musical accompaniment of your choice. (Click here to check out their example video, and note that it beats with the heart of catalog artist Mike Schmid’s emotional “To Show You My Love.”) The idea has already garnered rave reviews from sites like Tech Crunch. But Animoto’s slide shows aren’t just for special occasions. Powered by Rumblefish music, they can make a business presentation more exciting or bring vacation shots to life. Check them out here.
Trailer Blazers: His Boy Elroy In 'Gomorrah' Spot
2.02.09
Have you seen the trailer for Gomorrah, the critically acclaimed Italian mob movie that won the Cannes Grand Prix and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Film? Well, it owes its suspenseful vibe to the percussive His Boy Elroy track “Thriller” that anchors it. If you haven’t seen the trailer for this award-winner yet, be sure to check it out here.
Artist Accolades: Say Hi To Barsuk
2.02.09
File it under “you heard ’em here first”: Former catalog artist Say Hi has signed to Barsuk Records. Though we are sad to see them go, their debut for the Seattle-based indie stalwart, oohs & aahs, will hit stores March 3rd, and we plan to be first in line to buy it.
Network News: Rumble-Artist In Marsalis Tribute
1.26.09
The Rumblefish licensing team is always hard at work securing sync opportunities for our catalog artists. Most recently, George Clinton’s “Sick Cat” was placed in a film that was part of the Kennedy Center’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Of America featuring Wynton Marsalis and Sandra Day O’Connor. A Celebration Of America was broadcast on CNN as part of their MLK Day observation.
Sonic Branding Scoop: Sonic Logo For National Wildlife Federation
1.26.09
Our sonic branding team has been busy, too. Next time you see a public service announcement from the National Wildlife Federation, pay close attention to the conservation group’s new animated logo. Rumblefish helped create it! Working with artists from Futuristic Films, we enlivened their insignia with a unique sonic signature and some soaring animation. Check it out here.
Network News: Rumble-Artists on Life, Eleventh Hour
1.13.09
Our amazing licensing team closed out 2008 with some killer TV placements for Rumblefish artists. Ron Rogers “Hey Santa Clause (I Wanna Go Rocking With You)” was featured on NBC’s Life and Kenny Polson’s “Black Swan” was included on CBS’s new drama Eleventh Hour.
Rumble-Artist Accolades: Hills Rolling, Control Escape
1.12.09
The close of the year brought accolades to many Rumble-artists. Hills Rolling, who we featured on the podcast back in September, made the Top 10 of 2008 list over at Bullz-Eye.com. And Control Escape (our favorite band with a member named Peapod) won first prize in Converse’s Get Out Of The Garage songwriting contest for their song “Kenny’s Big Adventure.”
Awards Season Update: Rumblefish Places Music In The Wrestler and Last Chance Harvey
1.11.09
Many of the prestige pictures filling multiplexes this month are buoyed by great tracks from the Rumblefish catalog. Last Chance Harvey, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson's newest flick about late-in-life love that has earned Golden Globe nods for its two leads, features two tracks by our artists: "City Skies" by Dylan At The Movies and "Miss You More" by the Lark.
Our boffo licensing team also placed songs in Darren Aronofsky's latest film, The Wrestler, which is garnering rave reviews for its comeback-worthy lead performance by Mickey Rourke (he's already been nominated for a Golden Globe, an Independent Spirit Award and a SAG Award). Two Rumble-artists, The Days The Nights and Samsaya, whose songs "Her Name Is Alice" and "Dodge It," respectively, help score the tribulations of Rourke's over-the-hill professional wrestler, are featured alongside artists like Bruce Springsteen and Guns N' Roses.
Rumblefish Launches Wedding Collection Site for Wedding Videographers
12.19.08
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASERumblefish Launches Music Licensing Site for Wedding Videographers
The New Wedding Collection Site Helps Videographers Quickly and Legally Find the Perfect Song
December 19, 2008—Portland, Oregon, USA, Earth—This month, Rumblefish, Inc. the sonic branding and music licensing agency, launches the Wedding Collection, a music licensing store connecting videographers with authentic, inspired music for their wedding productions.
“It's hard to imagine a beautiful wedding without music," asserted Paul Anthony, CEO of Rumblefish. "Music is the language of emotion and the right song can bring couples and their families instantly back to those once-in-a-lifetime moments. We're excited about helping couples tell their story using music from our new expertly curated wedding collection.”
Videographers are charged a one-time twenty-five dollar licensing fee that allows the director to distribute multiple copies for the couple’s family and friends. It also frees the director to post projects on the Internet without fear of copyright violations.
The Wedding Collection, a virtual music boutique, makes it simple for videographers to quickly search for music based on “theme”, “style” and “scene”. Music supervisor and Rumblefish curator, Rebecca Raber, formerly of CMJ and Rolling Stone Magazine, handpicked and organized the Wedding Collection to help videographers quickly find the best independent music for their project and video concept. The song categories are diverse and include themes such as “country,” “extreme sports,” and “hipster”. For directors and couples that want to add more edge or humor to their wedding video, themes such as “bridezilla” and “bloopers” are also included.
The Wedding Collection is live and available today at .
ABOUT RUMBLEFISH: Rumblefish, Inc. has been a trailblazer in the development of sonic branding and music licensing since 1996. The first-of-its-kind sonic branding agency, Rumblefish develops audio or “sonic” profiles that enable its clients to express unique brand attributes and to create sonic branding programs that enhance the customer experience. Rumblefish’s Music Licensing StoreSM, a first-to-market online service for pre-cleared music, offers a diverse and rich music catalog that makes licensing music fast, easy and affordable. Dubbed “an iTunes for Corporate America” (CNBC), the store offers a broad range of authentic, independent music for use in television programs, films, websites, podcasts, professional videos, retail environments and more. The Rumblefish client roster includes Kaiser Permanente, National Australia Bank, NBC-Universal, HBO, Nike, The North Face, adidas Originals, Umpqua Bank, Red Bull, MTV, Mitsubishi and Pabst Blue Ribbon. For more information, please visit http://www.rumblefish.com.
Media Contact:
Dawn Leonetti
Rumblefish Marketing
P: 503.819-0845
E: dawn@rumblefish.com
YouTube Taps Rumblefish for Music Catalog Access
12.03.08
Portland, OR—December 3, 2008—YouTube™, the world’s most popular online video community, has partnered with the sonic branding and music licensing agency, Rumblefish, providing millions of video creators access to fully licensed music from the Rumblefish catalog of independent artists.
Dubbed the “iTunes of corporate America” by CNBC, Rumblefish is providing YouTube video makers access to its audio library of over twenty-five thousand original songs through YouTube AudioSwap. People can use the AudioSwap tool to add licensed music tracks to their videos and share with the YouTube community (http://www.youtube.com/audioswap_main). This unprecedented deal gives the YouTube community more music choices—including independent, authentic sound from up-and-coming artists around the world.
Since YouTube launched AudioSwap in February 2007, YouTube users have been able to sample and select pre-licensed music for the purpose of soundtracking their videos, adding songs for meaning or emphasis, or musically updating an existing video with a complete music swap. Today’s unprecedented Rumblefish deal furthers YouTube’s goal of being a one-stop shop for people to watch user-generated films, professional music videos, and premium content.
"The combination of Rumblefish’s extensive catalog of independent music with YouTube’s global community and AudioSwap technology creates a powerful new music hub," said Glenn Brown, Strategic Partner Manager, YouTube. "Through this partnership, the YouTube audience will have easy access to the same extensive list of premier, licensed Rumblefish tracks that professional industry media creators use when making their videos."
Regarding the partnership, Paul Anthony, Rumblefish CEO added, "Our customer, the professional film-maker and industry story-teller, taps the Rumblefish catalog when they need carefully curated music for films, TV shows and videogames.” He continued, “This deal is exciting for indie filmmakers because it connects them directly to the same pre-licensed, quality indie music but at a price that they can afford.”
Rumblefish’s diverse catalog includes everything from ambient, metal, experimental and electronica to the classics and full orchestral scores, giving Rumblefish’s customer and now YouTube video creators a complete palette to choose from. Opening Rumblefish’s catalog to hundreds of millions of YouTube users will also empower independent artists to generate revenue that was previously untapped prior to this arrangement.
The Rumblefish music catalog on YouTube will be accessible for users today through a free AudioSwap tool that will replace the entire audio track of a video with licensed music. Click here for more information on AudioSwap.
# # #
About Rumblefish
Rumblefish Inc. has been a pioneer in the development of strategic sonic branding and music licensing services since 1996. The multidisciplinary agency develops sonic profiles that express clients’ unique brand attributes and creates sonic branding programs to enhance the customer’s experience with sound. Rumblefish also launched the first online Music Licensing Store (MLS) to make licensing music fast, easy and affordable. MLS, “an iTunes for Corporate America” (CNBC, January 2007)), offers a broad range of authentic, independent music for use in television programs, films, Web sites, podcasts and more. Rumblefish clients include Kaiser Permanente, National Australia Bank, NBC-Universal, HBO, Nike, The North Face, adidas Originals, Umpqua Bank, Red Bull, MTV, Mitsubishi and Pabst Blue Ribbon. For more information, please visit www.rumblefish.com.
e: dawn@rumblefish.com
p: 503.819.0845
YouTube Contact: Kathleen Fitzgerald
e: press@youtube.com
Rumblefish Tapped as Exclusive Music Provider by Virtual Active for World’s First Interactive Exercise Videos
10.08.08
Contact:Judy Kalvin
Kalvin Public Relations
jkalvin@kalvinpr.com 914.693.0123
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rumblefish Tapped as Exclusive Music Provider by Virtual Active for World’s First Interactive Exercise Videos
Rumblefish’s pre-cleared music catalog powers Virtual Active’s new experiential exercise video content; fitness enthusiasts virtually run, hike or cycle all over the world
Portland, Oregon–October 8, 2008, USA, Earth– Rumblefish, Inc., a music licensing and sonic branding agency, has been selected as the exclusive music provider for Virtual Active’s new video programming content. The content, the first-of-its-kind to be released to market, is designed to change the gym enthusiast’s cardio-workout by taking the exerciser to beautiful outdoor locations from the convenience of their neighborhood gym.
The content is being offered to fitness gyms nationally. Once purchased, the video programming is installed on gym treadmills, exercise bikes and elliptical machines. As exercise enthusiasts work out on machines installed with Virtual Active content, they are taken on visual journeys such as guided hikes to the summit of Mt. Whitney, road cycling excursions and even cultural tours all over the world. Each video is carefully paired with Rumblefish’s unique, fully licensed music selections to help propel the visual experience and ultimately make exercising more dynamic, efficient and satisfactory.
“This revolutionary video content is shaping the way people work out, allowing them to run, hike, or cycle in beautiful destinations around the world right from their treadmill video screen,” said John Ford, CEO of Virtual Active. “When looking for the perfect music partner,” he continued, “Rumblefish stood out from the rest, with both its catalog of authentic, independent music and its ease of technology architecture. Exercise enthusiasts will now be able to watch our unique content with superbly matched music to help further improve their workout experience.“ Produced as the director literally runs or hikes alongside the action with state-of-the-art camera stabilization equipment on extremely technical and physically grueling terrain, these videos are unprecedented. During initial testing viewers have said that their overall workout experience seems both “shorter” and “easier” due to the video quality, compelling content and mood appropriate music—qualities that most individuals seek when working out.
As Virtual Active began production they also began a search for the most content appropriate, commercially pre-cleared music to help drive the visual stories that vary from educational to cardio-challenging. Virtual Active tapped Rumblefish, Inc. as its exclusive partner. Rumblefish was chosen due to the musical breadth and diversity of its catalog as well as its ability to flexibly and easily marry its technology to that of Virtual Active’s visual content.
"Virtual Active delivers a ground-breaking exercise experience that will change the fitness industry and we're very proud to be a part of it,” stated Paul Anthony, Rumblefish CEO and Founder. "Our hand-picked songs for Virtual Active workouts will inspire the spirits and minds of fitness enthusiasts, decreasing perceived exertion and improving performance."
About Rumblefish
Rumblefish, Inc. has been a trailblazer in the development of sonic branding and music licensing since 1996. The first-of-its-kind sonic branding agency, Rumblefish develops audio or “sonic” profiles that enable its clients to express unique brand attributes and to create sonic branding programs that enhance the customer experience. Rumblefish’s Music Licensing StoreSM (www.musiclicensingstore.com), a first-to-market online service for pre-cleared music, offers a diverse and rich music catalog that makes licensing music fast, easy and affordable. Dubbed “an iTunes for Corporate America” (CNBC), the store offers a broad range of authentic, independent music for use in television programs, films, websites, podcasts, professional videos, retail environments and more. The Rumblefish client roster includes Kaiser Permanente, National Australia Bank, NBC-Universal, HBO, Nike, The North Face, adidas Originals, Umpqua Bank, Red Bull, MTV, Mitsubishi and Pabst Blue Ribbon. For more information, please visit www.rumblefish.com.
About Virtual Active
Virtual Active is a fitness entertainment network that provides cutting edge content for commercial health club facilities. Virtual Active’s innovative production techniques have resulted in a diverse library of the most realistic virtual running, hiking, and cycling exercise experiences on the market. Virtual instructor programming allows health clubs to get more from their unused off-peak group exercise spaces, while digital signage solutions provide a new method for communicating with clients, driving usage of fee-based services. For more information, please visit www.virtualactivetravel.com.
Rumblefish Strengthens Board of Directors; Names Two New Appointees
9.18.08
Industry heavyweights Kevin Law and Alvin Collis join Rumblefish boardRumblefish, the sonic branding and music licensing agency, has added music heavyweight Kevin Law and sonic branding visionary Alvin Collis, to serve on the Rumblefish Board of Directors. The two new appointees will help guide the quickly evolving company to their next level of growth.
“As Wynton Marsalis said, ‘Only the humble improve’ and it is truly humbling for myself and the entire Rumblefish team to have Kevin and Alvin so intimately involved in the Rumblefish mission and vision,” says Rumblefish CEO, Founder and Chairman, Paul Anthony.
Kevin Law is considered one of the most respected creative executives in the industry, earning multiple #1 billboard hits with success in music genres ranging from hip-hop to country. Law has signed and/or produced artists that have sold in excess of 40 million albums/singles worldwide. In addition to being an esteemed producer, Kevin Law’s accomplishments and accolades are many. Several of the artists he has signed and developed throughout his career have won Grammy Awards and Kevin himself has been nominated for two Grammys for his work with American rap star, Nelly. Kevin is currently the CEO of Uncommon Inc., a strategic investment and operations advisory firm. He is also the founding partner of a television production company with Kevin Bacon, which recently sold Sparring Partners, its first show, to Warner Brothers Television. From 1999 to 2006 he held the position of Executive Vice President of Universal Records, a division of Universal Music Group.
“Rumblefish has built the best music licensing platform and pre-cleared music catalog in the business. I’m excited to be a part of the important next stage of growth as this innovative agency uses its talent and passion to help businesses succeed by harnessing the power of music and sound,” comments Law.
The second new board appointee, Alvin Collis, is a seasoned sonic branding visionary who developed the concept of Audio Architecture in 1992, which opened the door to the emergence of a new design discipline that came to be known as Audio Branding. In 1997 Collis was named Muzak’s Creative Director of Audio Architecture and Senior Vice President of strategy and brand and was given the mission of re-branding the company. During his watch, the 70-year-old brand was transformed from a purveyor of generic background music to one of the world’s leading retail and restaurant music solutions for leading companies including Armani, Crate & Barrel, Dean & Deluca, Gap, Home Depot, DKNY, Old Navy and Banana Republic.
"Rumblefish is setting the standard for a branding discipline that even the savviest companies have largely, until recently, ignored,” states Collis. "Their sonic branding methodology is state-of-the-art, rooted firmly in both progressive brand-building practices and musical expertise. Add to this, musical and licensing expertise, and an imaginative, anything-is-possible approach to creative tactics, and you've got something that no one else can touch."
Law and Collis join existing Directors:
- Paul Anthony (Chairman, Rumblefish CEO & Founder)
- Doug Fieldhouse, founding investor, CEO & President of Inc. Magazine, Hall of Fame winner Vesta Corp (a virtual payment company)
- David Van Wie, the Founder of Social Communications (Sococo) and InterTrust Technologies Corporation (sold for $453M to Sony/Phillips in 2003)
Rumblefish Inc. has been a pioneer in the development of strategic sonic branding and music licensing services since 1996. The multidisciplinary agency develops sonic profiles that express clients’ unique brand attributes and creates sonic branding programs to enhance the customer’s experience with sound. Rumblefish also launched the first online Music Licensing Store (MLS) to make licensing music fast, easy and affordable. MLS, “an iTunes for Corporate America” (CNBC, January 2007)), offers a broad range of authentic, independent music for use in television programs, films, websites, podcasts and more. Rumblefish clients include Kaiser Permanente, National Australia Bank, NBC-Universal, HBO, Nike, The North Face, adidas Originals, Umpqua Bank, Red Bull, MTV, Mitsubishi and Pabst Blue Ribbon. For more information, please visit www.rumblefish.com.
PEER REVIEW: Pity Those Loser Mops
8.25.08
Our own Creative Director, Brian Rupp, wrote a peer review on Swiffer's new ad spots—check it out on Brandweek.com—or view the PDF here.
Bank hits the right note
8.01.08
Australian Creative recently published an article on Rumblefish and Umpqua Bank's Discover Local Music project. Story by Simon Wright, creative director at Principals.View a PDF of the article here.
Paul Anthony to Judge 8th Annual IMAs
7.30.08
Rumblefish CEO Paul Anthony to Judge 8th Annual Independent Music AwardsPortland, Oregon – July 30th 2008 –
Paul Anthony, CEO of Rumblefish®, a sonic branding and music licensing agency, has been selected as a music industry panelist for the 2008 Independent Music Awards (IMAs). Joining him on the judging panel are distinguished musicians/artists Peter Gabriel, Roger Daltry and Suzanne Vega and music/media industry notables Joe Cuello of MTV, Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone and Mike Errico (blender.com). They will select winners in the categories of song, design and music videos.
“Indie music is fueling the new music economy and the IMAs are complimenting this process,” said Anthony. The Independent Music Awards is an international program that helps Indie artists and releases overcome mainstream obstacles and reach wider audiences. “I am flattered to be a part of it,” he adds.
The IMAs are known as ‘the awards program for the indie revolution’ according to Music Resource Group, the awards program organizer. The international program promotes top-ranked independent artists, labels and releases to more than 15 million music fans and music industry leaders through a variety of outlets, including distribution of a cd of the winners’ music and participation in music shows and festivals throughout the world.
After an online and judging selection process, IMA finalists will be announced in October and the winners in December 2008. Winners and finalists will participate in print, online, broadcast and retail promotions, as well as performance opportunities, throughout 2009.
*
Rumblefish Inc. has been a pioneer in the development of strategic sonic branding and music licensing services since 1996. The multidisciplinary agency develops sonic profiles that express clients’ unique brand attributes and creates sonic branding programs to enhance the customer’s experience with sound. Rumblefish also launched the first online Music Licensing Store (MLS) to make licensing music fast, easy and affordable. MLS, “an iTunes for Corporate America” (CNBC, January 2007), offers a broad range of authentic, independent music for use in television programs, films, Web sites, podcasts and more. Rumblefish clients include NBC-Universal, HBO, Nike, The North Face, adidas Originals, Umpqua Bank, Red Bull, MTV, Mitsubishi and Pabst Blue Ribbon. For more information, please visit www.rumblefish.com.
Rumblefish Named Official Music Provider for World Renowned 48 Hour Film Project
5.12.08
Rumblefish, the world’s leading Sonic Branding and Music Licensing Agency, partners with 48 Hour Film Project, providing thousands of filmmakers around the world who participate in 48 Hour Film Project with a variety of expert-curated licensed music for their films for the first time since the project’s inception.48 Hour Film Project aggregates more than 30,000 filmmakers from around the world to compete and see who can make the best short film in just 48 hours. Regional contests with teams of filmmakers are assigned a genre, a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue. Filmmakers have 48 hours to create a short film containing each assigned element. Films from each city are screened at theaters in that city. Founded by Mark Ruppert in 2001, produced by Liz Langston & Mark Ruppert, the project has yielded 2000 films in 34 states and eight countries. The current 2008 tour includes more cities and more teams than previous years, including Anchorage, Athens, Edinburgh, Geneva, Key West, Mumbai, and Singapore. For the first time, filmmakers have the option of adding music to their productions from a variety of genres by utilizing their exclusive access to the Rumblefish Music Licensing Store®. Rumblefish licensing experts hand-picked appropriate music from bands and labels around the world and made it available to 48 Hour Film Project with an exclusive password protected entry into the Music Licensing Store, giving participants access to a boutique of pre-cleared quality music from well known record labels and up & coming bands. The Rumblefish partnership enables 48 Hour Film Project filmmakers to utilize music through a 3 minute licensing process as opposed to the average 30 hours needed to license one song per film.
Rumblefish CEO & Founder Paul Anthony says “Participating filmmakers deserve the broadest music palette that the music industry can provide and the Rumblefish Music Licensing Store (sm) makes that possible.”
“The Rumblefish Music Licensing Store is the perfect resource for our filmmakers because they can get great music, legally licensed at a fair price when time is short and pressure is high," says 48 Hour Film Project founder Mark Ruppert.
The 48 Hour Film Project is the oldest and largest timed film competition in the world. In 2008, more than 60 cities will participate, with over 30,000 filmmakers expected. The 48 Hour Film Project’s mission is to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. The tight deadline of 48 hours puts the focus squarely on the filmmakers—emphasizing creativity and teamwork. While the time limit places an unusual restriction on the filmmakers, it is also liberating by putting an emphasis on “doing” instead of “talking.” The emphasis is also on building communities of local creative people, facilitating making new connections, showcasing skills, and celebrating what creativity and teamwork can accomplish in just one weekend. The 2008 tour begins in April in Boston and ends in October. For more information go to 48hourfilm.com
Cities include: Albuquerque; Amsterdam; Anchorage; Asheville; Athens; Atlanta; Austin; Baltimore; Barcelona; Berlin; Boston; Brisbane; Buffalo; Chicago; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Dallas; Denver; Des Moines; Detroit; Edinburgh; Fargo; Ghent; Greensboro; Honolulu; Houston; Indianapolis; Jacksonville; Kansas City; Key West; Las Vegas; Little Rock; Los Angeles; Louisville; Madison; Miami; Milwaukee; Minneapolis; Mumbai; Nashville; New Orleans; New York; Paris; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Portland, Maine; Portland, Oregon; Providence; Richmond; Rome; Salt Lake City; San Antonio; San Diego; San Francisco; San Jose; Seattle; Second Life; Singapore; St. Louis; Tampa; Tel Aviv; Utrecht; Virginia Beach; Washington, DC; and more...
Rumblefish Licenses First Song On iPhone
7.10.07
Rumblefish, a sonic branding and music licensing agency, believes it has licensed the first song on an iPhone. Using the Rumblefish Music Licensing Store, Rob Felt of adidas Originals licensed the song in less than three minutes. Click here to watch Felt license "Miss January" by the Procussions featuring Talib Kweli.
"Rumblefish has revolutionized music licensing, taking a confusing process and making it so easy that you can license a song from your phone," said Paul Anthony, CEO of Rumblefish. "Our phenomenal catalog, simple interface and fair prices are what make the Rumblefish Music Licensing Store the first stop for creatives in entertainment and business."
Rumblefish's online Music Licensing Store features a streamlined licensing process and a growing, one-of-a-kind, pre-cleared music catalog of commercial music of known artists (i.e. Kool & the Gang, Ming + FS, The Feelies, The Supersuckers) and up-and-coming artists (i.e.-Ohmega Watts, Copperpot, Parker Theory). The website makes it easy for creatives in business and entertainment to legally license the music assets they need to build brands and tell stories. Rumblefish music can be used in any production including commercials, film, TV, video games, podcasts, branding programs and much more.
AdAge Features RF
6.01.07
AdAge magazine takes a look at the sonic branding landscape and gets some wordy quotes from Rumblefish creative director Brian Rupp. Download the full story here
Rumblefish in Fast Company
10.01.06
Read Danielle Sacks' "Rumble In The Music Jungle" in the most recent issue of Fast Company for a fresh look at the Rumblefish business model. Sacks examines how Rumblefish works within the traditional music licensing environment to help artists profit equitably from their creativity and help brands and content creators keep licensing costs low. Read the article here or download our PDF. For a quick rundown of how Rumblefish works click here or download the PDF version.
Discover Local Music Generates Banking Buzz
10.01.06
Bank Marketing Magazine takes a look at Umpqua Bank's release of Discover Local Music Vol. 1: Sacramento to Seattle and the Discover Local Music Project. Read more about how Rumblefish augments Umpqua's unique marketing mix by downloading our PDF.
NYT Digs DLM
10.01.06
Rob Walker takes an in-depth look at how the Discover Local Music Project plays into the Umpqua Bank lifestyle brand in the September 24th New York Times. Walker examines how Umpqua's innovative approach to banking has created a lifestyle brand that connects with customers by focusing on local communities with non-traditional approaches. Read the feature online or download our PDF.
Paul Anthony Pitches Licensing to Pitchfork
9.01.06
Read the latest Pitchfork for an interview with Paul Anthony about the importance of licensing for independent artists. Licensing is an incredible option for independent musicians and the Rumblefish Music Licensing Store is simplifying the business of music licensing. Check it out online or download our PDF.