Latin music videos go mobile on ES Musica

By Ayala Ben-Yedua

NEW YORK (Billboard) - With 10 original weekly shows, made-for-mobile Latin music channel ES Musica aims to break ground by re-creating the music TV experience -- and one-upping it with portability and interactivity.

As studies show that U.S. Latinos use mobile entertainment more than their mainstream counterparts, several other companies have entered the market with their own tailored offerings. Viva! Vision presents videos by unsigned and independent Latin artists, as well as nightlife coverage and comedy; Tu Musica is programmed with artist news and wallpapers; indie digital retailer MisRolas.com has begun producing artist interview segments in Spanish for mobile video on demand; and bilingual channels MTV Tr3s and mun2 offer mobile content.

What sets GoTV's ES Musica apart is its combination of all-original video content produced specifically for mobile on its own music-dedicated channel -- beyond the static images, ringtone sales, repurposed TV or Web footage, or content that it parcels out across the spectrum.

"We want to put out our own shows and have creative control from beginning to end," said ES Musica executive producer Gabriela Cocco.

In its shows, which range from two-and-a-half to four minutes, the channel offers everything from video countdowns to tour documentaries and artist profiles, with a balance of commercial and alternative music. A reality series following an artist is also in development.

Shooting for mobile requires special sound considerations, framing of shots for a small screen and concepts tailored for shorter viewing habits.

During the channel's testing phase earlier this summer, Cocco remembers looking at footage and thinking, "That looked really cool when we were shooting it, but when I saw it on the phone I was like, 'No one can see what the hell that is, it doesn't look right.' So we changed the angle ... There are easy fixes, but it takes time to get to that quality."

The channel is available to subscribers on AT&T and, by late August, on Sprint; talks with other carriers are under way, but the channel is getting added exposure from Sprint, which is featuring ES Musica semiweekly on its free best-of stream.

ES Musica is also partnering with AEG Live to promote its Latin shows and produce "interactive concert experiences," starting with Enrique Iglesias' December 7 performance at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre. Ideas in the works include text messages projected on big screens during shows and mobile video updates from backstage.

Reuters/Billboard