StudioVox is building a social network for creative professionals [Invites]

Founded by Amanda Slingerland and Mazen Hijleh, StudioVox is a growing social network that hopes to energize the way creative people connect with each other. It’s a place for professionals, agencies and fans to come together on a single platform.

The site works in two ways, where creatives can participate within their creative field, such as filmmaking, fashion design, photography, music, fine arts, graphic design, and enthusiasts can view, rate, comment, and purchase work they enjoy.

We talked with the team to find out more about the site’s direction, why it was created and how it differs from its competition.

TNW: My first thought was “LinkedIn for creatives.” Is that an accurate comparison?

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SV:StudioVox is more like a complete, artistic version of LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, users fill out their profile and connect with their network. Typically, LinkedIn users connect with people they work with or have worked with in the past. On StudioVox, users can go even further by filling out their profile, connecting with contacts (past, present, future), networking with relevant industry professionals, showcasing their work, and collaborating with other creatives. StudioVox also offers unlimited video, audio and file uploads to allow creatives to showcase a full portfolio without data restrictions.

TNW: Lots of readers might ask “why do we need another social network?” Any thoughts on how this fits in with the rest of the tools we already use?

SV: StudioVox is the first online community that includes all creative fields and provides a complete ecosystem for creatives; creative professionals, creative industry, agencies, and fans all on a single platform. LinkedIn is too limited for creatives who need to showcase their work with video, images and music, and Facebook isn’t a professional online destination. StudioVox fills the gap as a credible site for showcasing creative talent, connecting with other creative people and providing a broad range of features specifically for creative promotion. Future features will allow users to use the social tools they already have for optimal self-promotion. In the coming months, StudioVox will allow users to connect StudioVox to their favorite social network – Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn – and push content for broader promotion.

TNW: How does StudioVox differ from the likes of Behance?

SV: Behance targets creative professionals specifically, while StudioVox is open to the entire creative community, industry professionals, agencies and enthusiasts. Behance provides an online portfolio and distribution platform, while LinkedIn focuses on networking. StudioVox combines these two concepts and adds the aspects of collaboration, discussion and discovery.

StudioSites, profiles on StudioVox, go beyond a platform to simply showcase work. StudioSites are multimedia portfolios with the ability to upload unlimited images, videos, audio and documents. StudioSites include a blog, event scheduling, calendar and online statistics. Future features will include ecommerce, press release distribution, and complete social media integration. The aim is to provide a truly comprehensive, one-stop platform for all the needs of creatives.

StudioVox will go into public beta this May, but 100 TNW readers can get in early using the code “STVX-thenextweb.” The site will continue to evolve between now and its final release, so keep checking back for more!

➤  StudioVox (invite: STVX-thenextweb)

Do you think creatives need their own social network?