StarMaker Launches YouTube Network To Turn Karaoke Singers Into Paid Artists

If you're familiar with karaoke/music video creation apps StarMaker and The Voice then you're familiar with the work of StarMaker Interactive. People use the apps to pick well-known songs and create music videos featuring their own voices. Now StarMaker is launching a YouTube Multi-Channel Network (MCN) so that videos can be uploaded from the app to YouTube and monetized.

This is an interesting move for StarMaker Studios whose StarMaker app and official app for The Voice (iOS/Android links on homepage) are big winners in the land of mobile karaoke.

The announcement from StarMaker clarifies some details of the new YouTube MCN they're launching:

"Now all StarMaker users have the opportunity to publish videos to their own YouTube channels as part of the StarMaker Network, and to earn revenue from those videos. StarMaker’s one-touch creation platform solves major challenges for rising social music talent. Professional studio effects, vocal guides and fully cleared studio-quality backing tracks from all the major music publishers allow StarMaker talent to perform, upload, and monetize covers of hit songs at any time, from anywhere."

Co-founder and CEO Jeff Daniel states:

"Launching the StarMaker Network is a game changer for the music industry…We’re injecting new talent to the platform en masse, with a state of the art tool in their pockets, a clear path through the maze of rights that have been so challenging for independent artists to navigate, and the ability to build their own careers."

StarMaker's approach is interesting because they already draw on the energy that connects karaoke and shows like The Voice which typically feature cover songs and sometimes help launch musical careers. That's led to "more than 20 million creators" using the apps.

Up till now most of the activity has stayed on the apps. Users couldn't upload their videos to YouTube from the apps though contest videos are posted to their relatively low suscription YouTube channels including StarMaker App and TheVoiceOnStageUS.

Now users who join The Starmaker Network will be able to upload videos to their YouTube channels and share in monetization with StarMaker.

While this seems primarily to be a user-generated content play topped off with a "you too can be a star" bow, it might give some unique individuals a chance to shine.

Finding an incredible voice could happen. But it's also easy to imagine someone taking advantage of the fact that they have free access to licensed pop music and could create all sorts of interesting videos featuring their own vocals.

However this plays out it looks like a smart move to expand what StarMaker is doing beyond their own platform.

Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch) recently launched DanceLand and is relaunching Crowdfunding For Musicians. Contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.