Helping artists ‘reach the masses’

That last phrase make it sound buccaneering, but this is not the case. It’s a business opportunity for those making use of the platform as much as for those providing it.

“It’s up to users if they want to monetise their content,” says Von Plato.

“Some brands give us their stuff and they just want people to view it. It’s a marketing tool. But for other brands, we can tell them how to offer their material on a pay-per-view basis, or we can create a subscription channel around you as an artist. It’s really up to the individual.

“We simply want to be able to allow artists to reach the masses. Everyone has a phone, and we focus on the feature phones as well as smartphones.”

Smartphones are a key part of the future of streaming as the high-quality cameras on many models allow users to upload video content themselves.

“That’s a huge part of what we’re doing,” agrees Von Plato.

“We’re launching a reporting platform called Vidla, which is an app for your smartphone that allows you to stream directly off your phone onto our servers. So artists can also do live video blogs while they’re touring, for instance.”

A new creation on Sstreamm’s “PockitTv” platform is inRooms, which has South African artists performing four original songs and a cover using stripped-down arrangements against an impressive backdrop (the “room” of the title).

“There are very few outlets for South African music, even though there’s better music in this country right now than there is anywhere else. And what outlets there are always the same old stuff, which tires me out,” says Von Plato.

Importantly, the inRooms material can be recorded on a budget of next to nothing.

“It can,” says Von Plato.

“We recently did a shoot with [Pretoria-based blues band] Black Cat Bones with three GoPro cameras and two Canon SLR cameras. Some mates of mine helped me shoot it in the Gibson Room at Marshall Music in Woodmead. I thought that was a killer venue for the concept and was thinking of keeping it there, but we’re getting feedback that suggests people want to see their favourite bands playing in great rooms all over the place.”