Imaginative Curve

Imaginative Curve

There’s massive headway being made in the world of online music and video mixing.  At the forefront of this imaginative curve is Fluid/NY who is taking their groundbreaking technology and applying it far beyond the normal scope.  The application, aptly named Audiobox, is quickly resonating within the industry and garnering the attention it deserves.

“We had it designed and built because we wanted to have something to work with our clients,” says executive producer David Shapiro.  “We really wanted something for the agencies to use as a group to solidify their vision.”  Basically, the music/video interface allows users to marry their videos to Fluid's unique archive of music.  Its completely online functionality requires no downloadable software and end users can email their choice of mixes to others working on the same project.  The interface is elegant and intuitively designed by Fluid’s own partner company, Boom Design Group.  Initially a way of promoting their tracks, Fluid at first thought of it as a content area to upload music.  But when Boom stepped in, they immediately saw the potential of taking the original idea and expanding upon it.

Fluid itself started out as an original music and editorial house.  The company was always savvy to the ever-changing landscape and knew that the advancement of technology would take them horizontally into realms yet explored.  “We simply fell into it with Boom,” says Shapiro of the three musicians and principals of the company.  “When we met up, it was three guys doing amazing work out of an apartment in Brooklyn.”  Now the young team is armed with desks and a new space right alongside Fluid.  A mere six months was all it took for the remarkable trio - designers Nathan Heleine & Maddy Sturm, and programmer Matt Blanchard - to take a commanding foothold in what is sure to become an industry standard.  

The concept of Audiobox is simple: the mixing interface allows the user to put their video on the screen and audition the hundreds of Fluid tracks.  The finished product is then emailed to anyone on their team with the recipients only having to click on the link to see – and hear it.  And it doesn’t hurt that Fluid is adding new tracks all the time.  “There are probably six or seven hundred tracks on the site right now,” says Shapiro.  “The music that is there is not library music – but actual tracks that have a lot of life to them.  Our composers - Andrew Sherman, Judson Crane, and Ryan Lott – are constantly composing new things.” 

It is therefore obvious why communicating between creative teams via Audiobox moves beyond the complicated into the sublime.  “Interfacing with the creative team is a snap,” smiles Shapiro.  “If someone thinks the mix should head in another direction, they can simply go back in and select another track.  One thing I know, it sure beats FTPs and Quicktimes.”  And it’s not just ‘dropping’ a track in – but the ability to do a bit of mixing: turn it up, turn it down, soften certain parts, or delay the start is available to anyone who wants to try their hand.

Essentially, Fluid’s ultimate goal is to provide their clients with a lot more fire power. “The internet has opened that up for us,” says Shapiro, “and we’re developing products that will take us beyond agencies and clients to help them expand into community-oriented software.”  But don’t think it stops there.  Several inquires have already come in from other music companies regarding the possibility of licensing the site for their own use.  “How we can work with these developments is growing exponentially,” states Shapiro.  “The strokes are extremely broad on where the application comes from - and where it is headed.”

If Fluid is setting musical precedence, then it would be an understatement to say that Boom is well, booming.  The ongoing collaborative partnership between the two is so melded together that the expertise of each company seems best supported with input from the other.  Visual and graphics unite with sound and design.  Not a new concept, that is, unless the approach to the assets are as unique as this undertaking.  In fact, agencies are so impressed with the interface implemented by Boom that they have held conversations with the company to work with them on designing their own content management systems.

So what’s the next incarnation for the intuitive Audiobox?   “Well, we ultimately need to see how the application will proliferate,” muses Shapiro.  “But then, we’re ready to take on the YouTube world.  Allow bands to work with it – even set it up as an e-commerce site to download music.  Bottom line: I’m hoping that we’ll make it public and allow everyone to have access to it, free of charge.”

No doubt a good idea.  There’s nothing like leaving it up to the public to make you famous!