Audio Broadcast Streams - Musicians, Singers, & DJs: Perform Live Online to an Audience Around the World and in to Second Life & Virtual Worlds (updated Jan2010)

Ravelong Broadcast Stream Rentals
for Virtual Worlds and the internet. (Shoutcast)






To inquire, get more info, or to purchase a stream:
Email DJDoubledown@gmail.com or visit Ravelong Productions in Second Life
(inSL, contact Doubledown Tandino)

===

The concept:
It is possible to perform live music, sing, and DJ from your real life home.  Many people from around the world can tune in and listen.  Anyone can tune in to a live broadcast stream provided they have a broadband connection, meaning, listeners can tune in from the internet, from their mobile device such as a phone and avatars in-world can tune in too.

How DJing over the internet and into a virtual world works:
The DJ or musician plays/performs (in any computer software music player, external live instrument or DJ equipment). A program (Shoutcast, Simplecast, SAM, etc) on your computer then sends out any sound going through your computer's sound card. Your broadcast reaches a server relay and this is what is needed to stream music live at HIGH QUALITY.  The stream comes with a listener link. Any listener may hear the music you play LIVE. (For Second Life or a virtual world, that link goes into the land's music/audio link in order for inworld avatars to hear your broadcast.

Why rent one of your audio streams and not use some free streaming site?
Free streaming sites are low-quality sound.  You could be performing the greatest set of your life, and it sounds great to you in your home studio, however the listeners hear poor, lower than radio quality sound.  Dropouts, cut-offs, unstable, inconsistent low-quality sound is what you ALWAYS get with free streaming (for example: Ustream, Livestream, Tinychat, etc).  Free streaming sites and video conferencing sites were meant for voice discussion, and low-quality audio (at audio qualities of 32kbps or 64kbps which is worse than radio).  To perform an excellent pristine audio quality live show, you will want to make sure your audience hears what you hear, at CD-quality sound or above.

Free streaming sites do not come with customer service, technical support, troubleshooting, and emergency backup.  I do.   Now, with our 2010 improved servers and ISP, we are running at 100% uptime. Some clients that have relied on my streaming service have included IBM, Playboy, and many individual performers.  ALL have been with me (some for several years) because of my customer support AND quality of service.

OK, so, how much is this going to cost?
Less than you think it would.  Other companies try to rip you off.  If you were to do a search on the internet now, lets say on shoutcast.com for example, they are looking to charge at $50-$100 or more USD monthly!  That's insane!!  I charge what it really costs.  Depending on your package, it will cost $12-$15usd monthly (approximately $3800L/month).

Lets discuss your plans and expectations, and I'll be able to determine what is right for you as a live music performer.

-Doubledown Tandino
DJDoubledown@gmail.com

Rocking the Metaverse at Metaplace - Tuesday July 21st, 2009 - 3pm-6pm (pst)

Rocking the Metaverse (embedded version)

Tuesday July 21st, 2009 - 3pm-6pm (pst)
The stars of the Rocking the Metaverse, Doubledown Tandino, Slim Warrior and Grace Mcdunnough, are back at The Lotus Room in Metaplace.

Metaplace comes with a unique embeddable feature. You also can enjoy the show (held in Metaplace world) directly on the Koinup Blog.

If you have not joined the Rocking the Metaverse tour group on Koinup, NOW is the perfect time. During every Rocking the Metaverse show, the crowd is taking inworld photos and video, then uploading it to the RtM Koinup Group. There is a RtM photo contest each week. Coolest photos from the previous week will be announced. Stay tuned with this thread!

Rocking the Metaverse - Round 3 - Metaplace- Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 - 1pm-4pm (pst)

Rocking the Metaverse. Join the live music show in Metaplace

The Koinup “Rocking the Metaverse” live music tour is hitting Metaplace on Tuesday June 2nd, at 1pm Pacific time (SLT), after having been to Orange Island in Second Life, and ReactionGrid (an OpenSim world). After Metaplace comes Twinity.

There is a great line up:

* Doubledown Tandino
* Slim Warrior
* Grace McDunnough
* Dizzy Banjo

The guys at Metaplace just created a fantastic venue to host the show. Its called Rocking the Metaverse World. In order to take part in the show, you have to signup in Metaplace and teleport in the Rocking the Metaverse world at 1PM (Pacific Time or SLT)

You can find all details to attend the Rocking the Metaverse show in Metaplace, here

In order to stay tuned with the event (this and the next ones), I suggest you to join the official: Rocking the Metaverse group

Doubledown's Web 2.0 Social Network Service Roundup - May 2009

Some interesting developments have occurred on the social network scene. If you're on any of the sites heavily, you'll notice each are making some screw-ball changes that uproar the community. It seems that each social network site that gets too big makes a major sloppy decision that marks the beginning of the end of the power-tool website. Prokofy calls it "jumping the shark" in regards to Twitter. I call it selling out. Same difference in these situations. It seems to always be the same scenario:

1) Site is used, site is highly awesome, giving away new net tools for free, site is spread
2) Many more people use, Site becomes popular
3) Site becomes mainstream as more powerful features are added
4) Site owners change specific features, limit abilities that were the initial cause of making the site popular, or change the layout, or offer an IPO, or change advertising features, etc
5) Active user base goes into an uproar threatening to quit forever. Through using the company's own social network against them, the user community boycotts and protests.
6) User numbers drop as corporations move in.
7) Site ends up still popular, however the tech geeks and power users have moved on to what is the next most powerful thing.... the thing that we'll all be on soon (Friendfeed for example).

A Social Network site reaches skyrocketing popularity when it's a 'for the people, by the people' site. Once the company goes all Republican, and starts catering to the corporations, or the elite users, or the payola users, the social network site that was once blossoming, get turned into an advertising spam farm mixed with teenagers wasting time (a la myspace). UPDATE: Aliza Sherman of the Web Worker Daily has this to say on the Growing Feedback Fiasco of Twitter and the general social networks 'company versus user base'.


I could be wrong, but I am predicting Twitter's peak was April 2009, and will head down fast just as Myspace did. However, right now, it's powerful, and the #1 most important currently.

Facebook has been battling with itself trying to become the new new new Facebook.

Meanwhile, FriendFeed is morphing into a twitter + facebook, however, it's only good in theory right now and not practical to use. It is very fast with it's real time spout of information though.

Youtube completely sold out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V025E_b5I4g

And of course Second Life (www.SecondLife.com) is dealing with a major shift because of new adult content terms & bot terms. That, plus the recent SL viewers and SL experience has been subpar lately.

But we still love em all, and use em all....

For right now, May 2009, here's what I recommend for the time-constrained web 2.0 user:

Use Twitter to its full potential. Right now Twitter is HOT, and using it to your needs WORKS right now, while the userbase is heavy and active. You may even want to consider twitter as another option to Google. With twitter, you can search for current news and info faster than google can bookmark it.

Sign up for Facebook. (make sure to sign up using your real name) Use it when you want. Facebook is your new myspace. It's good to have a facebook profile, even if you don't want to actively use it. Set it up to give yourself the full potential. Use the tools, and don't get sucked into the stupid invite games.

Sign up for FriendFeed and set it up. It's okay if you don't use it. Set it up to aggregate your status updates. This is your backup in case Twitter fails.

Sign up for Koinup (the virtual world photography and video social network). The users are bubbling with activity. Plus I believe Yahoo's Flickr will never be anything more than it is now. New photo and video sharing sites are much more powerful than Flickr.

Sign up for LinkedIn.com. Put a professional business profile up.

Plurk is a dud.... but sign up to it anyway. The Second Life user base on Plurk is HEAVY.

Use Tr.im as your link shortener.

Use Twitter and Digg for breaking news, and interesting articles/finds of the web.

Music: Reverbnation.com | (http://www.reverbnation.com/bradreason)
Sends and Receives through Facebook and Twitter

Don't forget about the upcoming virtual world: Metaplace

UPDATE: I'm keeping an eye on BLERP.... looks like the future of the internet.

Do you have an opinion about a social network site or tool that has been powerfully effective for you? Is there a popular web 2.0 site that should be mentioned? Please, post your thoughts in the comments.

“Rocking the Metaverse” Crossworld Music Tour - First Stop: Second Life: May 19th - 1pm (slt)

May 2009
Koinup is proud to announce

“Rocking the Metaverse”
the 1st Crossworld Music Tour powered by Koinup and sponsored by Koinup, Reaction Grid, Twinity, Orange Island, Metaplace.

Rocking the Metaverse is the first multi-world music show, aimed at bringing live music in the most important virtual worlds, particularly:
1) Second Life at the Orange Island - May 19th - 1pm (slt)
2) Open Sim at the Reaction Grid - May 26th
3) Metaplace (thanks Tami for the support!)
4) Twinity (thanks Norbert for your support!)

4 Musicians and a few Artists will cross the most important metaverse platforms, performing live and making live shows for the enjoyment of the virtual worlds members.

The first date is scheduled for the 19th of may at the Orange Island, one of the most important cultural venue in Second Life. Then the tour will move to Open Sims, the opensource metaverse platform, where the musicians will have the opportunity to perform at the Reaction Grid.

Once left both Opensims and Second Life, musicians will move again for a series of dates in Twinity and Metaplace. Both Twinity and Metaplace are raising the bar of the metaverse environment, providing users with innovative amazing features to enjoy and express themselves.

Rocking the Metaverse mission is to support and power the music culture in virtual worlds, offering musicians a new way to engage the audience and new stage to show off.

All the people that would love to be part of the the project (and leave their feedback) are invited to join the Rocking the Metaverse group on Koinup (link: http://www.koinup.com/group/virtual-world-music/ )

Images and group forums of the Metaverse Music tour will be available here.
Join the group and share your voice with us!

JOIN IN ON THE DISCUSSION:
http://www.koinup.com/group/virtual-world-music/discuss/

Koinup is the social network that connect all the virtual worlds people and make easier your access and discovery of virtual worlds. Koinup connects the creativity of virtual worlds users and give them a new stage to share contents and meet friends

For more informations : http://Koinup.com
contact us at editor@koinup.com

A Bridge between Worlds: Metaplace and Second Life

I have been following along with the news about Metaplace, a new virtual world currently in between beta and alpha phases. For me, my time is too invested in Second Life to delve into another virtual world, but if I were to try another, I would check out Metaplace. It's not quite my style, and not what I am personally looking for in a virtual world, however, I can tell that many people are going to love it's style and "gameplay" (for lack of a better word). It has a combination of Populus, Plurk's karma, and even a little bit of IMVU and Yoville. It really does feel like a fun world. What is intriguing is that Metaplace also has the potential to have an inworld economy and other elements that only Second Life (and open grids) currently offers.

------

Post and Picture below by Joshua S. Fouts on DIP's Dispatches from the Imagination Age blog.

A Bridge between Worlds: Metaplace and Second Life

In a fascinating discovery tonight, I learned that Second Life builder Miki Gymnast who is known in Metaplace simply as "Miki," has built a dialog tool for her world in Metaplace that allows a person to send instant messages from Miki's Metaplace world to a user in Second Life. In the image above, Eureka Dejavu (DIP's Rita J. King) sends me an IM.

Connectivity between virtual worlds is an ongoing issue. And a critically important one as people find their lives, both virtual and physical, to be increasingly distributed.

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UPDATE: Wagner James Au at New World Notes goes into a much more in-depth look including technical detail about the new innovations.

Doubledown's Web 2.0 Social Network Service Roundup - April 2009

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Twitter Frenzy
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

With Twitter skyrocketing in popularity these days, so much so that Google wants to buy it (UPDATE: It's BS, Google isn't buying Twitter) , Facebook taking in Myspace's users in droves, plus, mass confusion on whether Second Life is brimming with possibility & enterprise or falling into obscurity, AND EVEN the general state of the real world economy causing masses to play on the internet, I thought I would give my roundup as to what web 2.0 and social networking services I am currently using (and which ones I decided to stop using).

There are many bloggers and posters out there that have already concocted their best of lists and why they choose each service. There are going to be many more to come, including web 2.0 flowcharts, posts about blogging, blogs about posting, digging to tweeting to facebook.. oh my! All of which can get confusing. This is simply my personal favorites list currently.

Sidenote: I have completely left out any consideration regarding mobile technology. Simply put, I don't have and use a mobile device so I have yet to test.
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Updated April 7th, 2009

Virtual World:

- Second Life (avatar name: Doubledown Tandino)

- Metaplace (up-and-coming potential VW prospect. I have not had time to investigate, but this would be my next choice as a VW to check out.)

- OpenGrids currently being developed.

- There are many many virtual worlds and MMORPGs. The user will have to decide which ones are best for them.


All Encompassing:

- Facebook.com | (My Profile: Brad Reason: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=580038856)
Receives from Ping, Digg, Friendfeed, Plurk, Twitter, and more.
Sends to account applications installed


News & Web Finds:

- Digg.com | (http://digg.com/users/BradReason)
Receives from all websites
Sends to Facebook, Friendfeed, Twitter, Blogger, and more.

- Technorati.com | (http://www.technorati.com/people/technorati/DoubledownTandino)
Receives Blogs, Websites, and RSS
Sends through ShareThis

- Buzz.yahoo.com
Receives from all websites
Sends to Facebook, Search Engines, and more.
(the only yahoo! service I like and use.)


Status Updating / Aggregation of Posted Info / Social Network Organizer*:

- Ping.fm
Pings out blog posts and status updates to multiple web 2.0 sites at once

- Twitter.com | (http://twitter.com/Doubledown_InSL)
Receives from most all blogs, status update services, Digg, and other news/webfinds sites
Sends to many services based on personal setup

- Plurk.com | (http://www.plurk.com/DoubledownTandino)
Receives from Ping.fm
Sends to Facebook, FriendFeed, Multiply, Friendster, and Twitter

- ShareThis.com and AddThis.com
Sends to ALL

- *FriendFeed.com | (http://friendfeed.com/doubledowntandino)
Receives from 57 services
Sends to Twitter and Facebook

- *Netvibes.com | (http://www.netvibes.com/doubledowntandino)
I have not had time to check out Netvibes yet, it is on the top of my list

- *Mybloglog.com | (http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/Doubledown/)
(I do not like mybloglog, however it is good to set up a site for yourself in case others to wander on to it.)


Professional, Business, Entrepreneur:

- LinkedIn.com | (http://www.linkedin.com/in/bradreason)
Receives from any RSS feed (blog or status)
Sends to ???


Blogging:

Blogger.com | ( http://www.blogger.com/profile/14826783551439281499)
Receives from Ping.fm + any blog post method that is set up.
Sends to ALL except Plurk


Your own Social Network Site:

Ning.com


Music Related:

Ilike.com | (http://ilike.com/user/BradReason)
Sends and Receives through Facebook

Reverbnation.com | (http://www.reverbnation.com/bradreason)
Sends and Receives through Facebook and Twitter

Thesixtyone.com | (http://thesixtyone.com/Doubledown)

Blip.fm | (http://blip.fm/Doubledown)
Sends to Twitter


Photo or Video Related:

Koinup.com | (http://www.koinup.com/DoubledownTandino)
Sends to Flickr

Youtube.com | (http://youtube.com/user/doubledowntandino)
Sends to Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Plurk, and more



Here are the ones that I have not been using recently although I previously did:

- flickr.com
- Google Reader: (http://www.google.com/reader/shared/10869641010676548376)
- plaxo.com
- Delicious.com
- Reddit.com
- last.fm
- bebo.com
- myspace.com
- garageband.com
- yahoo360.com
- stumbleupon.com

Here are some of the ones that I have never tried and have value:

- Wordpress.com (I believe wordpress to be the best blogging site, better than blogger... however, I am using blogger.)
- Okrut.com
- Typepad.com
- Multiply.com
- friendster.com

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What are your thoughts about my April 2009 list?
Are there any web 2.0 social networking sites I left out that I should have a look at?
Please let me know if there is anything that should be corrected or added.