When Kuwait Music, originally launched in December of 2010, became Engage Music a couple of short years later, it was because the view of its originator had outgrown the scope of what the site could be. Built by husband and wife team Caesar Fernandes and Narine Okjian Fernandes, Engagethemusic.com and its predecessor Kuwaitmusic.com, have become the pulse by which the heart of our local music community can be measured. It now seeks to affect the same change worldwide. These new aims for what their site could be also required a global collaboration of the development of the site itself. A music hosting site which easily competes with the likes of SoundCloud and Beatport, they have created a site that is successful in its global ambitions.
So what is it? Engage is a music promotion tool for musicians, based on user-generated content, meant to open doors between the three most crucial instruments in the music promotion world: the musicians, the listeners, and the promoters. They credit themselves as the only site based in Kuwait that currently has a global audience and the numbers so far seem to prove this out. So far they have acquired over 6,400 registered users in under a month with more than 7,000 tracks uploaded by users worldwide. Not a bad month for a new business by any objective measurement.
ENGAGE is a platform that is based on a simple philosophy: connect musical talent with people that will listen to it, and share their music. It is a visitor generated music site that is now driven by a global music ecosystem. The site offers a comprehensive range of tools to publish, manage and promote music, sounds and tracks of all kinds; and that means anyone with music to share can use Engage. One point of difference is that they are the first site to market that provides unlimited music hosting space…for free!
As such, there are different versions of accounts that you can set up, based on your needs as a user of the site. Further, since one of their main aims is to be the most useful tool for regional talent to date (as well as a few targeted other areas), the website will be available in English, French, and Arabic, a potential breakthrough of sorts for regional musicians. Think of it as the SoundCloud and Reverb Nation of both live bands and electronic music, but geared specifically for the Arab world.
When you first sign up, you enter all of your basic information to create a profile. This includes self-identifying as a musician or industry insider. This allows the site to connect you with those you would likely most want to connect with. You additionally can add all of your social media links. There is also a link so you can embed their player on to your own website. Lastly, you can choose if you want to upload your music with rights reserved or creative commons, a platform the controlled sharing of knowledge and creativity (For more information regarding creative commons, see our March 2015 issue).
The team at Engage will be rolling out many new services to the website in 2015. The inside scoop we received suggests added features such as an integrated sound editor, some social networking components, and a track stems market place. Any one of these features would be ambitious in itself, but to add all will continue to cement its place as a powerhouse of commerce and publicity for the independent musician.
Inside Out is your guide to all things music. Check out ENGAGE at www.engagethemusic.com.
