YouTube gets Caribbean partner
Like I tell people, the Caribbean is with it. Facebook? We’re on it? Secondlife? Not so much. YouTube? Damn skippy. And finally, we’ve gotten our first official Caribbean media channel on YouTube via a brand new agreement between the online video machine and Realvibez.tv. The Realvibez channel was launched on July 26th at youtube.com/realvibeztv.
“Last year Realvibez was referred to as the closest thing to a Caribbean MTV on the web by two media outlets after we were invited to present at Boston College’s Entrepreneurship Society,” says David Mullings, Chief Executive Officer of Realvibez Media. “This relationship with YouTube finally allows us to truly live up to that title and expose Caribbean music and culture on the largest stage in history… This is undoubtedly our biggest achievement to date and we do not intend to disappoint them or our fellow Caribbean people. Bob Marley has had a global impact and we intend to show the immense amount of talent in the Caribbean today.”
Realvibez has a revenue sharing deal and both produces original content and licenses content for the channel, which YouTube can then choose to feature on a variety of relevant pages. This partnership allows Realvibez to claim the largest potential audience and strongest partnerships of any Caribbean media company. The Realvibez channel will feature a range of content, including studio sessions, live performance clips, original web shows by musicians and a video blog by the Realvibez team. A number of artists have already agreed to participate in producing content for the channel, including T.O.K.¸Cezar and To-Isis. Video from Reggae Sumfest 2008, of which Realvibez is the official web partner, is now live on the channel, and includes interviews with performers.
Owned by Realvibez Media, an integrated media and entertainment company, Realvibez.tv is a leading online provider of media for consumers of Caribbean music culture. Realvibez chronicles the best in Caribbean music, events and pop culture. It uses a fully integrated scheme that includes a dynamic website, partner channels, events and merchandise that reaches forward to represent a generation savvy to global brands and an increasingly wired lifestyle.
Working with artists since 2002, the company is certainly excited at being able to distribute content worldwide, not just through their own online channels, but also via the leading video destination in the world - YouTube. Realvibez is also an official partner for Imeem.com.
What’s in it for the Caribbean?
The Realvibez channel creates huge opportunities for Caribbean people to discover, watch and share originally created videos featuring their culture. Surely, people have been uploading videos for years, but the fact that we have our own channel means that we can easily find Caribbean-related videos on the channel, and certainly presents a more targeted approach to showcasing Caribbean artistes.
I’ve known Realvibez’s CEO David for a little while now through – surprise, surprise – Facebook. David is one of those bright, young guys with great ideas, and a seemingly never-ending source of determination and motivation to make things happen. What’s even more impressive is that as a Jamaican who lives in Miami, he’s found a way to marry his love for his country, entrepreneurship, music and social media into a burgeoning business, which will certainly increase Caribbean music’s global reach. He and his brother, Robert Mullings, founded Realvibez at the ages of 21 and 20, respectively.
“Most people would have told two young Jamaicans that this day would never come,” says his brother Robert Mullings, Realvibez’s Chief Operating Officer. “We’re glad to prove them wrong and be an inspiration to others.”
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Comments
The revenue sharing deal is important - it’s why I don’t upload anything to Youtube. 
Since they now inject ads into content, why would I let them borrow my content?
Incidentally, it’s all reggae. For a Caribbean partner (as opposed to a partner *from* the Caribbean), one genre really doesn’t cut it… and one language doesn’t do that either. The Caribbean encapsulates so much, from reggaeton to calypso to chutney to even, believe it or not, trance. There was even a techno-jouvert band in Port of Spain for this year which was well received…
So, to me, this is a Jamaican partnership… not a Caribbean partnership… and I honestly worry that such representation will continue to make people outside of the Caribbean think that we in the Caribbean all speak with the same Jamaican accent.
In the end, it’s good - but it is also bad to have only one genre representing the Caribbean.
Taran, you are judging the channel by the content on there at launch rather than the coming content. We already in talks with Dominican artists to feature Booya music, have Soca and Calypso content and will be adding content related to every island as time progress and we connect with the various tourist boards, artists, producers and labels.
As for a “partner from the Caribbean”, we are from the Caribbean, born and raised in Jamaica, and maintain a small operation there. As the company grows, we intend to open offices in other islands but until Caribbean investors are willing to support the company or Caribbean companies are willing to spend real dollars, we have to grow slowly.
I hope that you will follow the channel as the content grows because it is far from just a Jamaican channel or Jamaican deal.
You are correct, Karol, I am judging it based on what I see. And what I don’t see. I’m neither an optimist or a pessimist - I’m pragmatic. You could be right, I could see more than reggae on it - but let’s be frank: It should already have content from around the Caribbean on it if it is to be billed as ‘Caribbean’. Why? Think about it - how many ‘Caribbean’ channels will there be on YouTube? And what sort of agreements would other channels have to make? Or is it exclusive?
I’m happy that a company from the Caribbean has done this, but being billed as a ‘Caribbean Channel’ is, at the least, premature.
Taran, you seem to believe that the goal of something should not determine the label. If I launch a “Caribbean music” record label and only start with a Reggae artist but plan to sign a Soca artist, it is a “Caribbean” label because that is what I said it is and I also plan to actually fulfill that.
We focused on launching the channel with our coverage from Reggae Sumfest 2008 in Jamaica which we had covered the weekend before the channel launched.
Fresh content is always best as I am sure you agree.
One genre will not represent the Caribbean via our channel, period. It will be the equivalent of Tempo on YouTube.
In due time, no one will question whether it is ‘Caribbean’ so this is all moot and unproductive.
As for other Caribbean channels”
I am sure there will be lots more official Caribbean partners and channels in the future, we are merely the first one. There are no exclusive relationships with YouTube and other channels will simply make the same agreement we had to - commit to providing content, to promoting the channel, that you only put up what you have rights to, indemnify YouTube and agree to the revenue share amount.
Of course you have to apply and be approved to become a partner and that is the hard part.
I look forward to your feedback on the channel once content from other genres show up.
Great news indeed. Congrats to the brothers. i am always interested to see the Caribbean’s young entrepreneurs. well done!
Good point that Taran makes. I have to however agree with the approach that David is using. It has to start somewhere. In any event Reggae is part of the whole Caribbean perspective and represents a START. So its ok with me .. that they call it “caribbean” and there is just reggae for now.
Great job though David. kudos!
We do have a Caribbean Partner called Caribluv.com that strives to promote Caribbean entertainment and travel to boost the Caribbean economy.
The site incorporates all the features of myspace, facebook, and youtube but focuses on promoting the Caribbean with the intent of giving advertising revenues to Caribbean educational institutions, the health system, and job training programs.
You can start to support the Caribbean by signing up as a free member on Caribluv.com
Just a correction - you mention a type of music from Dominica above (that’s Dominica in the Eastern C/bean - NOT the DR)… it is called BOUYON (correct spelling)and the top bands in the genre are WCK (originators) and Triple Kay Int’l. I have subscribed, and look forward to seeing the rest of the Caribbean representing strong…Kudos on the link.
Well done.congrats to the brothers