Channel 4 music video provider goes titsup

Bum note

By Chris Williams • Get more from this author

Posted in Financial News, 20th February 2008 15:03 GMT

Understand how application security is evolving

Musicbrigade, a Swedish company that provided websites including Channel4.com with music video content, has gone titsup.com.

A message at the company's former website says:

Musicbrigade has ceased to exist, at least in its current form!
If you'd like to buy the Musicbrigade domain names, software and/or the server hardware, please feel free to contact [us].

The firm, which was founded in 1999, had been trying to sell third parties access to its licensed library of music videos, who would then offer them for free to users.

It seems Musicbrigade's attempt to create a business from selling promotional material failed. Record companies post virtually all their videos on YouTube and other free embeddable video sites.

Musicbrigade's service only appeared on Channel 4's site last summer, when the broadcaster wrote: "As well as allowing you to view and rate over 20,000 high quality videos from your favourite artists, Musicbrigade lets you create your very own profile, download the tracks you're listening to and put together your own playlist."

Not anymore it doesn't. Channel 4 sent us this statement:

Music Brigade, the provider of C4's online music video streams (accessible via 4music.com and T4.com), has gone into administration. The service will continue for the short term and C4 is evaluating its options for continuing an online music service.

By "for the short term" we assume they mean until Musicbrigade's administrators have flogged the servers. ®

Tune into our application security webcast, click here