Industry news & advice blog

Hive Local is a brand spanking new guide to the best of up & coming local artists in Hampshire. They aim to promote the often over-looked talent of the South by producing professional, short introductory videos of musicians and artists. The service is advertiser funded, providing local brands with the ability to connect with local artists and their fans.

Videos so far include The Rebs, Road to V 2008 winners, showcasing ideas for their new album, as well as footage of their live performances.

Mark Bradford is the founder and director of Hive Local. Mark has extensive experience in digital media, most recently being involved in the launch of Microsoft’s web TV service.

In your view how important is it for a band to have video content online?
It's absolutely vital. 80% of web users in the UK watch video online so why would you not have video on your website? It's also the best way to make an emotional connection with audiences which is what it's all about if you are an artist.

So a band pays nothing for you to promote them. Is this too good to be true?
That's right! The deal is we shoot a video and host and serve it. You actively promote the video to your fanbase via Facebook and Twitter and we retain the right to serve advertising around the video.

How can bands get in contact with you if they want to be involved and what criteria are you looking for?
We have a "get in touch" section on the website. Our criteria is that you have good-sized social media fanbase across Facebook and Twitter (a proxy for quality and how well your music is received), you come from Hampshire and you are passionate and committed to promoting the videos we make for you to your fanbase.

What are the plans for the future?
A video-on-demand channel on Virgin Media and an iPad and iPhone version of the website.

www.hivelocal.com