Back in June we brought you the story of how Megaupload’s founder, the infamous Kim Dotcom, was said to be quietly putting together what he assured the world would be the next big thing in online music retail: Megabox. At that time, we just had a single screen shot to work from, but now there’s a hip video available over on FACT that gives us a better glance at what the site may entail. Per Dotcom’s previous statements about the site (via Twitter), Megabox’s aim is to compete against the major label models, allowing artists to get paid directly, and to also pay artists when their content is downloaded through the site without compensation.
While the new video, shot in that ‘trying too hard’ slick style that gives you the distinct impression that the camera won’t stop moving simply because if it did, you’d see that there’s not much substance to what’s being shot, doesn’t shed any new light on how this ‘revolutionary’ business model is supposed to pan out in the end. Apparently Dotcom and company will use the ‘Megakey’ to pay artists whose music is downloaded for free by employing a pyramid scheme-sounding advertising clearinghouse, trading third-party space for advertising opportunities within Megabox.
While it’s still possible that this whole deal is just a ruse to get unsuspecting folks to inadvertently listen to Dotcom’s mid-90s techno jamz (hit the mute button before the video starts), Dotcom’s insinuation that the crackdown on his site and his subsequent arrest in New Zealand earlier this year was enacted based on news of his new venture and its potential adds some weight to the project. The internet isn’t really demanding a new way to acquire music, nor do average listeners worry about how artists are compensated, so only time will tell if Megabox will indeed be the next big thing, but good for Dotcom to keep moving forward in the face of adversity. Please just cut it with the original music, though.
• Megabox: http://www.megabox.com.hk
