Cloudspeakers provides an overwhelming music experience

Written on 30th August 2008                                                                                                              4 COMMENTS
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief

Every once in a while we publish an interview with a start-up. We ask five questions, hoping the answers will give you inspiration and new views.

This time we’re interviewing Chris and Adriaan Bol, twin brothers, from Cloudspeakers. This is an open music community, founded in November last year. They aggregate links to reviews, (legal) music (videos), and news. The whole music mash-up is backed by a social network where users can show their music taste. Or a lack of it.. Although I doubt those people would find their ways within Cloudspeakers, as the service oozes pure love for music. This can cause a somewhat overwhelming experience, as the site is completely stuffed with lists to music outlets. So be prepared for that.

The musicfreaks-only site recently received an undisclosed amount of funding from the Dutch Creative Industry Fund (DCIF) Veronica Holding.

Chris and Adriaan have found a cool way to answer my questions, as they quote from songs. Click on the quotes to see the music videos on YouTube.

How did you come up with the idea of Cloudspeakers?

“”It’s all like a dream. No, better.” (from Collapsing at Your Doorstep by Air France)
Before Cloudspeakers we were in doubt. Some basic questions were asked. Which way should I go, the emotional or rational path? In Cloudspeakers we saw an opportunity in which both sides came together. With the start-up of Cloudspeakers we realized our dream of combining arts with science.

What was your biggest challenge during the development process?

“”Think about the Future” (from Wrote for Luck by Happy Mondays)
At first we focused 100% on a good structure of our databases. The stability and the logic of the database needed to fit to our initial demands and more important to the demands we might have in three to five years time. To all other start-ups: Don’t focus only on here and now. Think about the future.

Can you describe Holland and Denmark’s start-up culture compared to Silicon Valley?

“”Do you realize?” (from Do You Realize? by The Flaming Lips)
We are not really part of a typical start-up culture. We are located in two countries, Holland and Denmark. And do you realize that a 76-year old twin is sitting in front of you? We maybe look young but behind these fresh faces there is hidden lots of years of hard work with sports databases. We think that this experience can more than compensate for not being part of a local start-up culture.”

What will be the influence of your start-up on the next web?

“”And I suggest to you that it takes, just five seconds, just five seconds, of decision, to realize, that the time, is right, to start thinkin’ about a little…Revolution!” (from Revolution by Spacemen 3)
Our goal is to become the main distribution channel for links to music content. Our data is gathered via a search within music sources only (vertical search). And a search which is not based on a string but on database entities.”

You can make up this question yourself!

Favorite album in 2008:
Adriaan: Health – Disco
Chris: Lykke Li – Youth Novels

Favorite song in 2008
Adriaan: Lykke Li – Dance, Dance, Dance
Chris: Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes

Favorite concert in 2008
Adriaan: No Age (Barcelona)
Chris: Broken Social Scene (Amsterdam)