Weekend Preview 6/1-6/3

If you are into electronica, this is the weekend for you here in SF. DJ masters like Adam Freeland, Richie Hawton, Bassnectar, Cut Chemist (ok, not really electronica but a master none the less) and Luke Fair to name a few are gonna tear up the city all weekend long... get out there people!

Freeland @ Mezzanine
Breaks champion Adam Freeland will be gripping the decks of SF’s Mezzanine on Friday, June 1. He recently recorded a set in Mexico City for the Global Underground series, which he is touring to support. From Mr. Oizo to Spacemen 3, you can bet that he’s on top of it. You can also bet that this one will be slam-packed, so if you want to take part in this musical orgy you better show up early.

Get Freaky @ 1015
For the final GET FREAKY before Burning Man 2007, they've amassed a lineup of DJ's and performers that cross a wide spectrum of music, and is beyond insane.
Main Room: Cut Chemist - Bassnectar - Rogue Element - Ren the Vinyl Archeologist
Soft Cell: Glitch Mob - An-ten-nae - Mozaic - Laura - Jocelyn
Sutra: Space Cowboy DJs - Evin Rude - Aaron Jae - Mancub - The Geometrist - 8-Ball - Pure Evil Ernie Trevino - Kapt. Kirk
Cirque: The Fringe Mopo Dov tim dietz Bill Barany Mycho CoCo
Make sure you get here early for this extraordinary event!

Richie Hawtin @ Mighty
Richie Hawtin is scheduled to blow your mind this Friday at Mighty. If you go, I’ll see you there because I am not going to miss the father of minimal techno rocking it in my own town. Magda will be spinning as well, which means I am doubly excited for this event. Their stripped-down assault is always one to remember, and if you’ve ever wanted to hear some good techno then this is your night.

Kontrol @ RX Gallery
Kontrol throws the best minimal techno parties in this city. Bar none. The party is officially 2 years old this Saturday, and it just keeps getting better and better. It was originally over at RX Gallery, but Greg Bird and crew decided that a techno party should have great sound and no closing time. Yes, that’s right, The End Up. Their guests include Baby Ford and Zip of Perlon fame. If you miss this, don’t blame me.

Sunday Pool Sessions @ Bambuddha w/Luke Fair
Ready for summer? Along with boat rides, Sunset parties, and all that jazz, summer means pool parties with plenty of rest, relaxation, good beats and booze. Come spend Sunday with Luke Fair, courtesy of Spundae and Flirty Flirty, and check out his funky, bouncy house at Bambuddha Lounge in celebration of his Balance 11 record release party. Come for the music, stay for the summer. Get on the free guest list here.

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Club Six and Broken Politics

I remember when Club Six wasn’t much more than a sweaty basement I would have avoided in my own home. Still, those were some of the best parties I can remember, people break-dancing, banging on the bongos (like chimpanzees), progressive trance till 4AM with dry ice fog and giant fans. Those days might be over it seems now that Club 6 is up on trial for noise violations with the Entertainment Commission. Even if you don’t live in SF, or if you wouldn’t know Club Six from a hole in the wall (that’s a different bar), the story of the club and what got it to this point might make you go “hmmm” and make you struggle with your own political beliefs.

It's not breaking news, so I'll just summarize; Club Six is on one of the seediest blocks in all San Francisco, and that's saying something. The Club has served as a catalyst for other cool bars (like Anu) and nightlife traffic in the area. Despite soundproofing efforts, complaints from the neighbors have caused it to be temporarily, and potentially permanently shut down. These complaints have come from a very small minority of people for what amounts to minor infractions. In a city like San Francisco though, everybody matters, so even a few people can cause a huge hassle.

Normally I'm pretty left leaning. By US standards I would be called a knee-jerk liberal. That said, I'm not so knee-jerk that I can't recognize a system that doesn't work. People from all over the city move into SOMA and then bitch about the noise. In the case of Club Six, over $250K was spent to sound-proof and it still wasn't enough. At what point do we say, "let's look at the good of the whole here". Thousands of people enjoy that venue, they pay property taxes, it contributes to the music scene, the owner has spent almost a million dollars making it nice inside. If this was the whole neighborhood compaining, that's one thing, but this is mostly a few people's personal mission to be a pain in the ass to the detrememnt of thousands of other people.

The case of Club Six is an interesting example of liberal politics gone so far that they counter act progress. I never thought I'd say it, but maybe a successful society includes a few assholes who steam-roll over everybody just to make a buck and a few looneys who would stop traffic for a week to save a pidgeon with a hurt toe. Somewhere in the middle, we find practical thought.

Good luck Club Six, I'm on your side!

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Harmony Festival Preview

Harmony Festival will celebrate 29^th years of proving that awareness and partying can go hand in hand. Beginning on June 8, those who make the trek to Santa Rosa will have the opportunity to go nuts for three days while listening to their favorite bands and attending various workshops.

The emphasis for this year’s gathering is on global issues, which is made evident by their theme: “Promote global cooling!” Not only will there be a handful of lecturers and workshops, but the event’s organizers and promoters have voluntarily gone under the magnifying glass. That means the festival is aiming to reduce its waste by 25% this year. But it’s not just about this year, it’s about the future. In that spirit, there will even be a workshop concerning the ominous year 2012, and all of its possible meanings.

Artists will include The Roots, Shpongle, Rabbit in the Moon, Stanton Warriors, STS9, Ganga Giri, Moe., Eryka Badu, Steve Kimock and many other notable performances. The festival has more names on it than ever, given that it is now both three days and three nights long. If you live in Northern California, Harmony Festival is a convenient truth.

For a full line up and more event info, visit harmonyfestival.com

For tickets you can head here.



Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

10 cool new San Francisco Bars

When you’re off work, it’s time to relax. Sure, you could just head home and catch up on your Netflix, but sometimes you need to get out and have a drink. The catch is that you’re trying to let loose, not spend a bunch of time doing research. Luckily for you, you've a friend called MetroWize! We’ve compiled a list of 10 new bars in San Francisco that are worth a whirl. Just sit back, give us five minutes, and you’ll be ready to cab it out to a new spot of your choice.

Ambassador 673 Geary St - Tender Nob
This spot is situated in the Tender Nob just across from the also-recently-opened bar Rye. Ambassador is run by the guys from Vintage 415, so you know things are going to be about quality. The feel is very clean and modern, but it gives a nod to the recently revived speakeasy aesthetic. Each table has it’s own closed-network phone, and the room centers around a custom made chandelier. On your way to the quasi-private mezzanine level you can pick up a perfectly poured drink from the bar.

Amelie 1754 Polk St - Nob Hill
Nob Hill is lucky to feature Amelie, no not the movie, the wine bar. While there are other types of alcohol available, the focus is definitely the vino. There is also food available, but specifically small things that go with the general theme. So, if you’re looking for a Mission style burrito to fill you to your neck, you may want to go elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a good red and a small portion of charcuterie, then this is your place.

Bourbon & Branch, 501 Jones St - Tenderloin
I would have never imagined saying this, but the Tenderloin seems to be doing something right these days. Between Bourbon & Branch, Ambassador, and Rye, things seem to be popping off a bit. The set-up and décor is true to San Francisco’s new obsession with speakeasies, but this place does it right. I mean, maybe it’s the little kid in me, but the fact that they have a library shelf that pushes back and opens into a secret room just kills me. As far as price, it’s not cheap, but sometimes you’ve just got to do it.

District, 216 Townsend Street - SOMA
You’ve just seen a baseball game, you’ve “invested” $50 in hot dogs and beer, and now you’re read to rejoin civilized society. How? You’re getting a drink. Fortunately for you, District is on your way home and they’ve got plenty of wine, and much better food than the ballpark. For instance, you may want the hamachi tartare, or perhaps the arugula hand rolls with goat cheese and balsamic fig jam. This is a place for adventurers and locals alike.

Double Dutch, 3192 16th St - Mission
Speaking of people or groups that just can’t seem to do the wrong thing, the Vintage 415 guys are the brains behind this one as well. The décor is a celebration of everything old school hip-hop, and it works well. There are b-boy pics and boomboxes on the wall, and even a nice little courtyard area in the back. The drinks are nice and strong, the music is good, and it’s really not far enough in the Mission to dissuade you from going.

Harlot, 46 Minna Street - SOMA
Okay, so it is another San Francisco bar that’s going for that Manhattan look, but that’s only a bad thing when it doesn’t work. Good news for Harlot: it works. While most of those places just end up looking like someone put stucco over a bunch of plywood, Harlot seems to have higher standards. The interior and exterior are both very angular, the inside has a lounge in all white, and the tabletops feature images of, well, harlots. It’s modern and clean without being faceless.

Icon, 1192 Folsom St - SOMA
While it’s true that a guest list is supposed to be exclusive, everyone wants to feel like a VIP once in a while. That’s why the newly remodeled and newly named Icon has the option to register online before you arrive, so you don’t have to pay. Gimmick? Sure, but it’s a good way to pack the place out. Young professionals seeking hip-hop and pop, in an intimate and swanky environment, look no further.

Retox, 628 20th Street -Dogpatch
These days it seems that everyone is talking about something or the other in the Dogpatch. If you don’t know the neighborhood, you should take a peek. Well, Retox is your excuse to explore, and it’s a good one. Take the new T Line Muni or take advantage of the copious amounts of parking (an SF rarity), then grab a drink and hit the dance floor. The music ranges from Britpop to ‘80s, and Retox is suitable for both explorers and locals.

Rye, 688 Geary Street - Tender Nob
Directly across from the Ambassador is Rye, and you should know both (Read above for the former). This place is the embodiment of crisp modern design, but with a warmer than usual color palette. So you can be both hip and comfy. There is a pool table in the back, and a smoker’s lounge out front. While Rye is definitely recommended, you’d be better of going on a weeknight, because this place gets seriously packed on Fridays and Saturdays.

Vessel, 85 Campton Pl. - Downtown
I’m not sure what it means when any spot describes itself as a “luxury boutique lounge,” but that’s neither here nor there. Vessel is a nicely packaged attempt to have a modern, minimal lounge in an area without many good places. There’s the Tender Nob to your left and North Beach above, but when was the last time that Union Square was your late night destination? This place is looking to change that with reserve bottle service that includes saving any portion of your bottle left untouched. Take that, add a little class, and it all works.

Did I miss something? Been to any of these places and have something to say about it? Let me know.

Cheers!

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Get MetroWize TV on your site!

Unless you've been without internet access for a few years, you already know that you can embed videos to any webiste, blog, MySpace, etc, you want. It's not easy to see on our video player, but the videos work just like YouTube and all the other video sites. Just click the Get Code button on the video (see below), and plop the code into your site. How easy is that?

But wait, it gets better - now you can take the whole TV station with you and get all our new videos as we release them. Read on and we'll show you how...

MetroWize TV
To get all of the MetroWize videos on your website, we offer different sized players to choose from. Both of them update automatically when we add new videos, you don't even have to wear out your finger clicking. This is really cool if you have your own site, because it's a constant feed of entertainment and freshness, and it's free. The TV player comes in two sizes, the first one is made to fit into a single column blog or on most community sites, like Hi5, MySpace, Linked In (for business hipness on your resume), etc.

See an example of the small TV player here.

The second sized player is larger and ff you are looking to add a full videos page to your website, this is your answer. The full player is designed to stand alone on a page and displays every video in our catalog.
See an example of the large TV player here.

Importing the Player

Putting either player on your site isn't that difficult if you have the space. In order to do it, you'll be taken to our video partner Brighcove, where you will create a quick account. You don't have to upload a picture or make "friends" and you won't get any Viagra emails by signing up.

Click here for the mini player
or here for the full player.
Once you sign up, you'll get one email from us, confirming your player with all our contact info included. We'll even help you customize it for your site to match colors and theme if you need a hand.

We're psyched to get our videos out there we think you'll like the player too. It gives us a reason to keep checking out the cities, music and events we love.

Send an email to admin(at)metrowize.com if you have any questions. Enjoy.



Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Kompakt Records Tour to hit Mezzanine

Cologne-based Kompakt Records revitalized techno only a few years ago at a point when things were looking dire. Their records are recognizable without being predictable: schaffel beats, rolling basslines, and blessed-out synths riding high in the mix. Continuing to experiment and move forward, they’ve consistently released several of the year’s very best records. The company was officially founded in 1998 by Wolfgang Voigt, Jurgen Paape, and Michael Mayer, and the later is currently en route to San Francisco’s own Mezzanine with Gui Boratto.

While Mayer is essentially frontman for the label, Gui Boratto is an equally powerful force. He began as an architect, eventually got into advertising, and finally got around to making what may be the best techno record of the year, Chromophobia. Minimal techno has begun to give way to the lush sounds coming from artists like Boratto and Kompakt’s other current big-hitter The Field. A meticulous emphasis on melody over pure movement has propelled them ahead of their stripped-down counterparts. In fact, they’re making some of the best music since, well, last time Kompakt pulled everyone out of a rut.

Catch the two of them at Mezzanine on May 24.

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Get money for your videos, sites that pay you, Part 2

After posting the first article on making money online with videos, I listed 17 sites offering embedded advertising, contests, google ads, and syndication offers. From some feedback and further research I’ve come up with another article posting the sites I missed the first time around. Some of these are newer sites that you definitely don’t have on your list.

Current.tv: Current has a range of opportunities to make money. You can make commercials for brands, promos for the site and other interesting contest features. It’s a unique site that has managed their brand well. If you are into Current’s concept, you’ll be happy to contribute even if you don’t win money.

SMS.ac: This popular social network offers video uploading with a $.99 fee. Users can place pay video on their home page for a fee and the publisher gets a cut. It won’t make you rich, but many publishers have 300 downloads or more.

Lulu.tv: Offers 80% of revenues to you, 20% to them. They run Yahoo Ads while you watch your videos. Not many users on the site right now though.

GoChongo: A unique approach, producers put up project parameters and cash rewards. Publishers enter submissions, the public rates it, the winner gets paid. For example, “make me a video for our new bands song”. This isn’t really getting paid for your video though, is it? It’s just getting paid peanuts to do work for somebody.

Votigo: This site is entirely devoted to contests. Make a contest, post it, people vote, winner is declared. It’s not seeing too much traction just yet, but that might be a good thing. Some of the corporate contests have very few entries and pretty nice prizes. You might already have the winning material.

Ziddio: This is Comcast’s video site where they post a number of contests in an effort to create interaction with television shows. An example would be the WWE’s biggest fan contest or, lines you won’t hear on the Sopranos. It may be a stretch to call it a money making site, but their plans are to create a channel that you can watch with your Comcast subscription, so I’ll chalk it up to interesting if nothing else.

Clip Syndicate: A network of publishers and content partners. Mostly geared towards news. I could imagine a recurring show, a la Rocketboom or TMZ really taking off. It’s similar to BrightCove and ROO media, but instead of syndicating a show permanently, you can choose individual pieces and quickly embed them into your sites feed. If you’re on the content producing side, you make money.

Cruxy: This site has a focus on bands and artists creating content and selling their projects. One interesting and unique application of Cruxy is the portable player that they have created for Second Life users. Download the widget that you have filled with paid content and carry it around with you in the virtual world. It’s like having a virtual IPOD for your virtual home or virtual person. I think these guys should really cash in and make the virtual player have virtual batteries that run out. Then you have to buy new ones with real money.

Helpful Video: In the How-To UCG video category, this site may find some users. It’s a simple site where you post what you know how to do, charge a small fee and people pay you. If you actually knew how to do something of value, this could be a great way to make money once more of these sites catch on.

I’m sure in a few months I’ll post a part 3 to this article. There doesn’t seem to be any slowing down with new video start ups with more and more sites looking to get you in on the money making game.

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Adam Freeland Ticket Giveaway

On June 1st, Adam Freeland is coming to Mezzanine in support of his recent Global Underground mix, GU32: Mexico City, and Metrowize is going to give you the VIP hook-up. We’ve got two tickets to the event, and you definitely don’t want to miss this one. All you’ve have to do is register for our weekly Wize Guide to be eligible. If you already get the Wize Guide, you are already registered for this event and any others that we run.

If you know breaks, you undoubtedly know Adam Freeland and the influence that he has had on that genre. Freeland’s knack for mixing seemingly disparate styles into one cohesive piece is what keeps his shows fresh and interesting. GU32 features tracks from Paris underground label Ed Banger alongside surprising artists like Spacemen 3. So, if you care at all about dancing, get signed up today and go find your dancing shoes.

**Sign up by midnight Monday, May 28th to be eligible. The winner will be announced in the email on Wednesday May 30th.**



Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Luomo Comes to San Francisco

Finnish producer and musician Sasu Ripatti will make a rare appearance in San Francisco performing under his two biggest monikers: Luomo and Vladislav Delay. The former is where he experiments with the dance floor, making microhouse that’s much too sinister to be considered “deep.” The Luomo project broke out with the breathy and beautiful “Tessio,” and he has since released two albums. Ripatti is constantly reclaiming his crown, just as he did with last year’s Paper Tigers, which proved to be a success as it lept up the charts and into everyone’s stereo. Check him out at the RX Gallery.

Ripatti uses the Delay alias as a foray into murky but brilliant sound production. His performance will no doubt be well-attended, given the long history of experimental and fringe music in San Francisco. The world-famous Recombinant Media Labs, a perfect fit, will host this psyched-out, ambient dubfest.

You can catch Luomo on May 26 at RX Gallery downtown, and Vladislav Delay the earlier in the day over at Recombinant Media Labs.

RX Gallery
132 Eddy St

Recombinant Media Labs
763 Brannan St.

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Lightning Strike - LIB reviewed

Last weekend in Santa Barbara was the 8^th annual Lightning in a Bottle festival and I just could not resist the opportunity to bust out of town for a good old fashioned boogie fest in the woods. LIB focuses heavily on the electronica side of music and performance art. Think Burning Man meets Love Fest then make it intimate and put it in the woods instead of the desert and you have Lightning in a Bottle.

Festivals like this are always great because you get lured in by names you know and recognize and then ultimately you leave with new artists and music that you love and can’t wait to hear again. At LIB, the headliners definitely delivered but it was the lesser known (at least to me) artists that stole the show. Here is a brief run down of the people I heard while there that I think you need to check out.

Ganga Giri- Not sure how to explain these guys other than “They Rock!”. I think their site says it better… “Ganga Giri mixes red natural elements with fat tribal beats and dirty funky bass lines to create a unique tribal-technological deep earth dance experience.”

The Glitch Mob - I walked into this show at the Treehouse Stage and these guys were tearing the roof down. Some of the sickest, deepest, funkiest, hip-hop infused beats you will ever hear. Luckily these guys are Cali based and play SF a ton. Look for them at the next Get Freaky throw down.

Goddess Alchemy Project - These 4 female MC’s are lethal. They destroyed the main stage on Sunday morning. Again, their description says it best: “In collaboration with many artists and producers, Goddess Alchemy’s sound alchemizes a fresh, feminine flavor by integrating elements of underground hip hop, world accents, spoken word flows, and soulful melodics.”

BLVD feat Souleye - BLVD is a three-piece band that fuses live instruments with electronic samples to create a truly unique sound. Combining elements of house, breakbeat, and rock, their high-energy sound is perfect for the dance floor.

Others that you need to check out if you haven’t already…

Kid Beyond - Human Beat box master

Heavy Weight Dub Champion

March Forth Marching band

DJ's that rocked!

Bassnectar

Random Rab

The Ianator

Blue Tech

Jesse Wright

Sammy Bliss

I could go on… Bottom line is that this festival rocked and there are some fast rising stars in the genre that are going blow your socks off so watch for ‘em.

For a view into the wonderful madness, check out the Lightning in a Bottle video.

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

17 sites for making money with online video

If you checked out my last article, (Best embedded video player), you’ll see some other video sites are trying to differentiate themselves from You Tube. Some of them are actually departing from the UGC model all together and moving more towards the Semi-Pro or Pro video submission model. Even in the last year since I really started investigating sites for our website MetroWize, I’ve seen the business models change on a few of the companies I’ve listed below. I think this list once again illustrates the fact that there is no one solution that's right for everybody. Enjoy the list and feel free to add to it.

Contests sites: Contest driven sites are really good if you catch a guy fly off his dirt bike mid-air, or a dog humping a passed out drunk guy. Hey, it gets me laughing, but it’s not the best place for the aspiring artist or touching documentary. Here are 4 that offer you the chance to win money.

Addicting Clips: They’re partnered with Atom Films and award $500 to videos they choose. The choosing of the best video is based on “our own mysterious whims”, so good luck to ya on that.

Break: You get paid $2000 if your video is shown on their home page, $25 if your photo is shown.

VidMax: Pretty much the same as Addicting Clips, $500 if your video gets chosen.

WeWin: These guys reward people for watching movies and uploading movies. You get more points for uploading movies, but it’s a twist on the typical contest format. Prizes are smaller, like Amazon Coupons and $10 items mostly.

Google Ad Words: A few sites out there slap Google Ad words near the videos you submit and then offer you a rev share for the trouble. Here are 3 to watch:

Flixya: The cool thing here is that you can pull your existing videos onto their site and then get a 50/50 rev share on the Ad Word clicks. On the other hand, if you have your own website, why not just run the Google ad words yourself and get 100% of the money? Well, the V2 (now in a limited Beta) will be giving 100% of the Ad revenue to the users. Maybe that will change the traffic levels too?

Blip.tv: At least this company give users a lot of cool features to work with on top of the Ad Words piece. They run a similar model to the other Ad Word players.

Vume: The website formerly known as Eefoof. Their offer seems similar to the others, they run ads on the sides, you get some cash. I didn't understand this site when it was eefoof, and it's only slightly better now.

Selling Your Content: For some companies this is still on the horizon. Others are actually doing it to varying degrees. I know there are many sites selling movies and professional production videos, but I’m not going there this post. This is about places you and me could actually sell our videos. Check out these 4 companies:

Turn Here: Originally this was a more open network, submit your video, it might get chosen, etc. Now, it’s more of a network of videographers matched up with a network of small businesses. If you think you shoot decent video and you’re in Miami, they will know of a pizza store in Miami and they’ll hook you guys up for a cut. It’s like Craigslist, but they take some of the money and Craigslist is free.

Veoh: These guys seem to have the resources to take on everything. They have all the features set up for video on demand but I’m not sure that they are running it a full capacity just yet.

HungryFlix: There will be hundreds of these sites popping up in the next year. Sign-Up, upload your video, charge money, the end. How-to videos are already becoming popular. Also, let’s just take it as a given that I’m leaving porn out of the whole VOD discussion here.

Brightcove: Tremor Media and Brightcove just got together to combined the Ad network with the publishing space. Within their sign up demo, they clearly show people uploading video for sale. Their back end admin features don’t seem to allow the sale of video yet, (or at least I couldn’t find people doing it), but I know it’s on the way. The big question will be whether people will pay for what they seem to be able to get for free.

Embedded Advertising: Pre-roll, Post-roll ads. Here are 3 sites putting ads in video for rev-share opportunities.

Revver: Revver offers 50/50 rev share split when you post your videos with them. Like the other sites that offer embedded ads, they are not focused on getting you crazy traffic. Instead, they kind of make that your job. Try uploading your favorite video you made to 10 sites on the web like Daily Motion, You Tube, Metacafe, etc., they will usually all beat out Revver. That said, it’s one of the most popular money making sites out there.

BrightRoll & AdBite: There are more than two websites offering you the opportunity to embed their ads into your video, but these two are pretty significant players. If you have the next million view video and a decent Blog, sign up for one of these sites, use their video player in your blog entry(Ad Brite has one, not sure about BrightRoll), and go build your financial fortune.

Others worth checking out:

Metacafe: There’s no Ads running on these videos. If you reach a 20,000 views and a decent audience rating, you start getting paid $5 on every 1,000 views (it’s retroactive too). There are a few people that have made good money on this site. Quite a few videos get declined for one reason or another, but you can tangibly see people cashing in. Best of all, Metacafe gets a lot of views, which means, unlike some of the smaller sites, 20,000 views is no problem for something good.

Google Video: I’ve heard lots of stories about their intentions. I remember hearing that users we’re going to be able to set their own viewing price at one point, but I don’t see that. Maybe somebody wants to comment on what Google Video has up it’s sleeve. Right now, nothing in the way of paying people.

ROO Media: Last Friday these guys pulled down another $25 million in funding to further extend their network of publishers and advertisers. If you have some decent content that you are cranking out on a regular basis, syndication is the way to go. Brightcove and ROO offer some pretty good packages if your recurring show finds a few homes on other high traffic websites.

Conclusions: 1) If you have a one-off one of a kind video and you’re looking to score big, I would go with MetaCafe or Revver. If it’s amazingly painful, sexy or immature, post it to the contest sites as well. 2) If you have a long term vision of consistently putting out short clips on a semi-regular basis, use BrightCove, ROO, or another syndicating/affiliate site. 3) If your site gets good traffic already, think about AdBrite. 4) If you want to sell your video, I’d hold out till Google gets around to it, or look into Turn Here.

Hope this uncovered a few sites you didn't already know about. If you can add to this list, please do.



Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Doc Martin to Take Ruby Skye by Storm

This weekend, SF welcomes a house music legend Doc Martin. Long before becoming a "house" hold name (pun intended), Martin spun funk and disco all the way back in the mid-80s. Currently based in LA, Martin was instrumental in developing the West Coast house sound and bringing raves to California. He was also one of the first DJs to have multiple residencies on both coasts. So, prepare yourself to catch his new project May 18 at Ruby Skye.

Martin now performs with vocalist Lillia, as he spins records to showcase her vocals. You can expect to hear tribal basslines alongside deep soulful vocals, the playful bounce of acid, and rare old school grooves at their shows. Martin is known to rock crowds for hours on end so grab your tickets and do yourself a favor, rest up now.

May 18
Doc Martin w/ Lillia
@ Ruby Skye
420 Mason St. 94102
10 p.m., $15

Visit Ruby Skye for more details

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

The best sites for making video players for your blog or website

Here at MetroWize, we geek out on Video start-ups a lot. At the end of the day, some are better at distribution, some claim you can make money, some of them are online mixing stations and some of them just plain suck. The leader in the video market is of course You Tube and if you want measure by pure traffic levels, they can hardly be touched. Youtube is far from the only player in the market though and if you are looking for other features like an embeddable player list for example, there are better places to upload your videos. Here are a few of my favorites and a few that suck and should maybe re-think their service.

V Social: .See the player in action here.

This website has a ton of cool features including a number of ways for the videos to display.I’m a big fan of the scroll bar below where you can advance the videos or play them all. Great looking UI and ease of implementing makes these guys one of my favorites.

Daily Motion: See the player in action here

This is an awesome player and so easy to make. The tabs you see below are just check boxes which create whole line ups either from your account or from the site’s favorites. These guys are based in France (or somewhere in Europe?) so you can load up full movies. I watched the movie "300" on here the other day. I could write another article on why that movie sucked so bad, but it's pretty cool that I got to find out for free. There is a big downside to Daily Motion though (literally). This Jukebox is frickin' huge! Who wants to embed this gigantic thing in their Blog. Does it even fit?

Grouper: See the player in action here

If this article is just about embedded players and nothing else, this doesn’t cut it for me. It’s just OK, but not bitchin’. There was a time when having something like this that simply "worked" was fine but that time has come and gone. These guys need to catch up to the people who are getting it right.

Veoh: See the player in action here.

These guys are in the top 5 on the web today in my opinion. I don’t like everything they have, but from the video quality and the embedded player side of things, they are rock solid. Keep an eye on this company, they “get it” and they will be a big player in the “Internet videos on your TV” game.

Panjea: See them in action here.
These guys can eat a BFD, seriously. They changed their UI and strategy recently and when they did they just erased all the videos and pictures I uploaded on there previously. That's pretty high up there on the "might lose some current users for that one" scale. Now, they've become a completely different company. They scour the major video sites and make you a player from all of them, (but they only have agreements with 4 or 5 sites). There’s another company VodPod that’s doing the same thing (shown later). Wasn’t there some Country song called “That don’t impress me much”? Well, the woman was for sure talking about UGC Video sites that aggregate content from other UGC Video Sites, right?

Brightcove: See them in action here.

Brightcove is great for a lot of reasons, but for most people they are overkill. You pretty much have to take a class on how to use them, but if you’re a semi-serious publisher, they are the best choice, hands down. Now that they’ve hooked up with Tremor Advertising, they are positioned to take it to the next level with monetizing UGC video. Like I said though, this is not the place for you to upload 4 videos of your kid saying hi to grandma or that video you shot of the dog chasing a squirrel and hitting the tree, this is serious stuff here people! I could write another separate article on them (and maybe I will), it’s who we use at MetroWize so we’re obviously into them.

GoFish See this player in action here

Recently this site went through a pretty massive design change. I think their design has a lot going for it. Plus, you can modify the colors, add logos, etc. and it comes in two sizes. I also like the fact that you can custom your url. That doesn't seem like a crazy feature but only a few sites do it.

Vod Pod See the player in action here



I have issue with those smiley faces on the bottom right. Why do I need all those cartoon icons? Also, why do we need another company that scours the web for good videos to put into a player? If they were pulling from every site, OK, I get that. But when you say that the best of MetaCafe, You Tube, Google and Daily Motion can be yours, the differences are only in the search technology, the results are pretty much the same. To their credit, they make it easy to jam your line up into your IPod and that's a decent feature.

Revver

For a major player in this space, these guys could do better. This filmstrip is all you get and its not totally intuitive as to how you make it either. Revver never said they were the end all, be all for features though, their goal is to help people monetize their videos. For those of us that aren't Ask A Ninja though, I see no reason to use this site. The revenue scheme is kinda bullshit, but that's a topic for another post.

You Tube: See the player in action here


See what I mean? If we’re talking pure aesthetics here, this player sucks ass compared to the other ones out there. It’s not surprising though, that's not their game. You Tube is the place where you are gonna see Hasselhoff drunk and eating a burger on the floor while his daughter chews him out (which is pretty frickin funny by the way). These other sites need to pick their battles and if there is a segment that really want to have a cool looking player with 4 or 5 videos on their blog, then they might go with one of the little guys.

… in closing.

There seems to be a never ending amount of video sites entering the game. If you’re looking for a nice player for your site and have some tech experience, go with BrightCove, otherwise Veoh, or V Social. I know there are many more sites putting out cool UI, I just don’t have time to go through them all. Let me know what you think...

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Dirtybird Records Monthly @ Shine

The funky tech-house of San Francisco-based Dirtybird Records has been quickly catching the attention of producers, DJs, and clubs all over the world. Fortunately for us here in San Francisco, on every third Friday, they’ve got a killer monthly party at Shine.

Barclay Crenshaw (a.k.a. Claude VonStroke) is both the founder and the label’s biggest artist. Originally from Detroit, VonStroke has made a name for himself by producing tracks that blur the line between the seriousness of techno and the slapstick humor often found in house. His tracks are played and have been remixed by artists as big and diverse as Kevin Saunderson, Pete Tong, and Audion. The party that he brings is both funky and dark, smart and still a blast.

Dirtybird is also home to Justin Martin, Christian Martin, Worthy, and Sammy D. Each of these artists has a unique approach to melding the elements of several subgenres within dance music. Handpicked by Ben Watt for his Buzzin’ Fly label, Justin Martin selects the best parts of tech and deep house, and ads just enough flippancy to keep things interesting. Sammy D’s work stands in a bit of contrast to that of his labelmates, in a good way. His sound is a darker, more techno heavy affair, which complements and diversifies the burgeoning label’s roster.

Dirtybird happens every 3rd Friday and you will usually find a packed house jamming out to killer tunes and enjoying the laid back atmosphere that only Shine can offer.

May 18, 2007
Dirtybird
@ Shine
1337 Mission St. 94103
10 p.m., $5

You can find Dirtybird records on the web @ www.dirtybirdrecords.com and on myspace @ myspace.com/sfdirtybird.



Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

The return of the Wize Guide

The MetroWize Wize Guide is back after a short break with a new look and exciting content. We’re working hard to bring you more information about what’s going on not just in San Francisco but the around world. Our mission is to make sure that when something good is happening you know about it.

Each week the Wize Guide will cover a particular event, city or vibe in depth with articles, videos, podcasts, you name it.

Our archives section is another new feature. Starting from now, as our back issues pile up, we’re going to have a section for you to go back and check them out. So if you ever want to remember why you should’ve gone to Coachella, or why you still need to visit Berlin, you can head over there. You need to be subscribed to the Wize Guide to get access to the archives so make sure to sign up if you haven't already.

Work takes up most of the week, our job is making sure that you’ve got something to do when you clock out.

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

MetroWize just got a whole lot wizer!

The times definitly are a changin’ here at Metrowize. Not just with our totally revamped newsletter, Wize Guide, but the site itself is improving too with cool new features up the yin yang. Some of the improvements have already launched and there are many more to come. Here's a taste...

Our event listings have been expanded to include more complete information. Rather than simply stating where and when, we’ve included a link to maps and a summary of each event. Check out an example. Coming soon, events are going global! We will be covering the biggest events from around the country as well as local listings in LA, Chicago and New York.

The video section is starting to get pretty hefty (thanks Erik!) so now it includes a search function for tags. Check it out! If you want nightclubs, interviews, or both, then all you have to do is select that tag and see all the videos in that tag category.

Even though this is San Francisco, home to some of the coldest summers ever, we’ve got our sunglasses on. Why? Well, the future is looking bright. We’ve got plans for our archived issues of Wize Guide to be hosted on our site, which means you can leaf through them at whenever you get the urge. You need to be a subscriber to the Wize Guide to get the archives though so make sure to sign up if you haven't already. Coming soon, is the MetroWize music player that will give you a slice of all of the newest and best music that you need to hear.

Contests, contests, contests! This summer we will be giving away tickets to tons of great parties from around the country. There's only one thing you need to do to be eligible to win... get the Wize Guide delivered to your inbox each week and check to see if you are a winner.

We're just getting started so stick around!

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

How Weird Faire

Who wants to get weird? You know you do, and in a city like San Francisco that ain't a problem most of the time. This week in particular, San Francisco gets really weird though. How Weird Street Faire is back in what appears to be it's final waltz (at least in it's current locale of Howard and 11th). The How Weird Street Faire is a hoj poj of burning man meets Love Fest meets SOMA and it's all rapped together with 4 sound stages that rock all day long. Even though this is on a Sunday, the after parties (of which there are many) rock until the wee hours of the work week. Gear up SF'ers this is gonna be a weird trip!




Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...

Lightning in a Bottle Festival - May 11

On May 11, Santa Barbara will host the green-friendly Lightning in a Bottle Festival. Over 40 acts will perform on three stages set up at the Live Oak Campground, which offers plenty of outdoors delights with its 40 acres of forest. The event is centered on the philosophy that people can get together and have some fun while being conscious of their environment and their impact on it. In an effort to put those thoughts into action, solar energy and bio-diesel will fuel the event and all of the debauchery that inevitably comes with it.

Bassnectar will undoubtedly unleash a barrage of heavy as lead bass lines, pulling together the melodies floating around them. Politically, he is a perfect choice for the festival, which emphasizes not just talking about things like environmental issues but living a solution. The hip-hop influenced break-beats of Freq Nasty will also be present, taking no prisoners with his funky, demolished disco. You may want to have a fire extinguisher during the Mutaytor set, which will feature fire breathing, over a hundred drums, and who knows what else.

So, if you’ve got a few extra bucks, and a few extra days, get moving.

Get your learn on! Local events, photos, ticket comps, videos and articles, delivered to you for free, every week! Get the Weekly Wize Guide!

Read More...

Summary only...