Music Ally

Who says major labels don’t get the internet? Eminem’s sixth studio album will come with three digital applications including a “browser skin, blog spider and augmented digital art competition.”

The ‘E-Lapse skin’ comes as a Firefox plug-in or a web-based browser skin, which flips every letter ‘E’ viewed through the browser backwards; while Eminem images and videos replace banner and video ads. It’s worth having a look at here: www.e-lapse.net. Or check this e-lapsed image for a general idea.

Web page filters and translators have existed for several years. Have a look at http://rinkworks.com/dialect/ the Dialectizer to see an old school favourite which translates web pages into Redneck, Jive, Cockney, Elmer Fudd, Swedish Chef, Moron, and Pig Latin. The Eminem Firefox skin also replaces video ads on any web page with Eminem images and videos: effectively a rap artist ad blocker.

The augmented reality (AR) digital art competition offers fans the chance to create 3D visuals on their screens using a printout, a webcam and some online tools. It’s a pretty sophisticated competition (not necessarily always a good thing) but one which should identify the hardcore fans – which in the age of high end boxsets replacing CD income is what every self respecting established artist should be aiming for nowadays.

Finally the spider blog will sit alongside these two apps, acting as an activity hub for fans and tracking Twitter posts Flickr images and other online chatter around the release. Polydor UK is behind all this, together with UK firm Outside Line.

In terms of innovative digital marketing it’s almost up there with AC/DC’s release for Back in Black which won a MediaGuardian Award for Sony back in March.

Polydor subsidiary Fascination Records released the official Britannia High soundtrack album today in the UK. For those of you who aren’t Brits (and for those of you who are but are mercifully unaware), the show is Blighty’s attempt to ‘do a High School Musical’, complete with songs written by the likes of Gary Barlow, Guy Chambers and Mark Owen.

Anyway, it’s the digital promotion stuff we’re interested in. On each of the four Saturdays leading up to today’s album release, a different digital single from the album was made available as a free download on the official Britannia High website, as well as through iTunes and Bebo.

Polydor parent Universal Music Group is also involved with the show’s website, with an online radio station presented by the two school DJs, and featuring music from various UMG artists. The news follows UMG’s involvement with Bebo on a separate project, online TV show The Secret World of Sam King.