MXP4 and FanShake Reinvent Karaoke

And you thought American Idol's winners were dorky: French Idol winner Christophe Willem

One of the most striking trends in music these days is the increase in possibilities for interactive fan engagement with music. Today, MXP4 and FanShake have further complicated the relationship between artist and fan with the introduction of their Karaoke technology.

As everything from the popularity of pop idol shows to video games like Rockband and Guitar Hero shows, it could be argued that fans are becoming an increasingly visible component of popular music culture. The primary narrative sold by the idol shows is that many of our music stars are simply fans thrust in front of the spotlight.

MXP4 updates the Karaoke we all know and love (or love to hate, or just plain hate), by giving users an online app that allows them to sing along to official, artist- and label-sanctioned backing tracks for songs.  Fans can then sing their own versions and also record them via their computer’s webcam to share on social media platforms.

But wait, there’s more! By partnering with fan engagement platform FanShake, users can turn their performances into access to their favorite entertainers. One current promotion gives users the chance to record their own versions of “Lost in Berlin,” a hit from French Pop Idol winner Christophe Willem. The FanShake community can then vote for their favorite version, and the top six entrants will be invited to the rehearsals for Willem’s show at the Zenith de Paris and receive tickets for the show.

This will result in a potentially tense situation, in which Mr. Willem rehearses in front of six fans who may think, as a result of winning the contest, they can sing his song better than he can.  The whole situation is layered in such a way that it makes one stop and think about the state of the music industry.  Fans are making amateur videos of themselves in a singing contest performing a hit song that was originally performed by a man who won a singing contest.

Where do the professional musicians factor into all this?

Of course professional musicians are still involved every step of the way.  This type of music relegates them to a background role though. Musician-as-anonymous-craftsperson is nothing new in the world of pop (remember Standing in the Shadows of Motown).  The difference between instances in the past and what’s going on with things like this Karaoke app is that where once musicians were hidden behind the pop star, now there also being obscured by the fans.

Tagged as: Christophe Wiiem, contests, FanShake, Karaoke, MXP4, social networking, video