HD Music Videos via PSN - UPDATE: Launch of Free VidZone Service

Digital-Nitrate

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As many might already know, I've been wanting to get music videos in HD since I first logged into a PSN store, I thought to myself that this could be a great way for Sony to promote their vast music library. Well months went by and not once was a music video ever made available on the PSN.

That was until just last month when I saw what I thought was the first music video made available on any PSN store, and that was Elanne Kong's "You are Leaving", which also came with an additional "Making of" video.

Now as it turns out, our Aussie PSN friends have been holding out on us!!!

Just yesterday I saw this post by Evolution-One in the Gran Turismo PS3 Theme thread:

If anybody is wondering why I have an Australian account it's because Sony are testing their music download service there so you can download some music videos free of charge!

Now normally, the Australian PSN Store has the exact same content as Europe, India, Middle East, New Zealand, and South Pacific, so I stopped checking the Aussie Store a long time ago. However after reading that post I immediately checked it and sure enough, under the Videos menu there was a folder for "Music Videos", and in it were 30 music videos form various artists, all available in 1080p, 720p, and 480p. 👍

After seeing that I did a search, and found the following article on Sony's official Australian PlayStation site:

Music Videos
(click on link to see album covers and more info)
You can download these fantastic music videos from the PLAYSTATION®Store in HD quality. A great introduction to the fantastic music from Sony BMG. What are you waiting for? Sign up and download! For more info on how to access the PLAYSTATION®Store, click here.

Now most of the ones they listed are available for download:
  • Augie March - Cold Acre (07/07/19)
    • The Cold Acre is the second single taken from Augie March’s platinum-selling album Moo, You Bloody

  • Augie March - One Crowded Hour (07/09/20)
    • This is the first single from their album 'Moo, You Bloody Choir'. It's a song that spins from a gentle finger-picked waltz into an epic melodrama piled high with layers of fleeting joy and dashed hope.

  • Dean Geyer - If You Don't Mean It (07/07/19)
    • Dean Geyer takes the next step in his burgeoning career with the release of his highly anticipated debut single 'If You Don't Mean It'. Rocketing to #1 Most Played track in the country.

  • Guy Sebastian - Elevator (07/09/20)
    • With its big guitar riffs and upbeat irresistible melody, the second knockout single from Guy's platinum album 'Closer To The Sun' packs a swift pop-rock punch that will leave you riding sky high.

  • Infusion - Better World (07/09/27)
    • Following their # 1 Aria Club hit, Girls Can Be Cruel, “Better World” is yet another slice of infectious 80’s inspired electro rock. “Better World” features remixes by Adam Freeland, Josh Wink & Infusion.

  • Kate Miller-Heidke - Words (07/07/19)
    • Quirky, funny, talented and with a gorgeous new look, Kate Miller-Heidke is here with 'Words', the first single taken from her debut album 'Little Eve'!

  • Meck featuring Leo Sayer - Thunder In My Heart Again (07/09/27)
    • DJ Meck has reworked Leo Sayer’s 1977 disco classic “Thunder In My Heart” into the dancefloor destroying smash “Thunder In My Heart Again”. Check out the hot video here!

  • Natalie Imbruglia - Shiver (07/09/06)
    • 'Shiver' picks up from where stunning Natalie Imbruglia's smash breakthrough hit 'Torn' left off and adds a sweeping, epic edge for a slice of heart-felt, pure pop sophistication.

  • Pete Murray - Bail Me Out (07/09/20)
    • 'Bail Me Out' is the fourth single from singer/songwriter Pete Murray's 4 x platinum album 'Feeler'. The video for 'Bail Me Out' features live footage from Sydney and London shows.

  • Rogue Traders - Voodoo Child (07/09/13)
    • 'Voodoo Child' is a high voltage electro-clash pop anthem based around the infectious Hammond organ riff from Elvis Costello's 'Pump It Up', that grabs you by the throat then lifts you from the floor!

  • Rogue Traders - Way To Go! (07/09/06)
    • Fuelled by an irrepressible thrash and precocious rap, 'Way To Go!' is set for the same lofty heights achieved by the Rogue's first single, the explosive chart-buster 'Voodoo Child'.

  • Shannon Noll - Lift (07/09/27)
    • An uplifting rock anthem with a soaring chorus that will have you hooked! “Lift” is the second single from the album also titled “Lift”, with Shannon’s ruggedly charming vocals polished to perfection.

  • Something For Kate - California (07/08/31)
    • "California" is the 2nd single from Something For Kate's 5th album "Desert Lights". The album was recorded and produced in LA - the result is a collection of songs that display rawness and urgency.

Some however, are missing, or have not yet been made available:

  • Amy Pearson - Don't Miss You
    • Singer/songwriter Amy Pearson is a talented debut artist whose sparkling persona and insightful lyrics are propelling her career ever upwards. Amy has made a shimmering debut on the scene.

  • The Androids - Whole Lotta Love
    • 'Whole Lotta Love' is The Androids' soaring, swirling, anthemic lead single from their forthcoming album 'Outta Ya Mind'…check out the video here!

  • Brooke Fraser - Deciphering Me
    • Inspired by her world tours playing as far afeild as Japan, the US, the UK, Brooke was especially moved by her travels in Africa where she befriended a Rwandan orphan named 'Albertine'.

  • The Butterfly Effect - Gone
    • The second single to be unleashed from the intoxicating new album, IMAGO. Gone is a commercial rock gem with all the melodic facets needed for a great radio track. A beautifully emotional song.

  • The Checks - Take Me There
    • "Full of dirty slinky rhythm and blues rock" - Rolling Stone. A five piece band from New Zealand, The Checks have recently relocated to the UK. They won 'Breakthrough Artist of the Year' in 2006.

  • Damien Leith - Night Of My Life
    • Following on from his win of the hotly-contested 2006 season of Australian Idol comes the debut single, 'Night Of My Life', from Damien Leith.

  • Pete Murray - So Beautiful
    • One of the most memorable singles from ‘Feeler’ is the track ‘So Beautiful’ which has enjoyed platinum sales and features a charming video clip set on the picturesque beaches of the NSW Central Coast.

  • Rogue Traders - In Love Again
    • Compiled from on the road, tour and other performance footage of the band over the past 12 months, the video for ‘In Love Again’ is another great clip in the Rogue Traders’s collection.

  • Shannon Noll - Shine
    • Shine is a positively infectious rock anthem that delivers all the charisma and charm we've come to expect from Condo's favourite son, Shannon Noll. Check out the video!

  • Sick Puppies - My World
    • Sick Puppies are an indie rock band from Sydney, now based in LA. Their second single "My World" is a commanding melodic and intense rock song, filled with grinding guitar chords and dynamic base lines.

  • TV Rock Vs Dukes Of Windsor - The Others
    • Take a two-time ARIA award-winning outfit TV Rock and combine them with the uber-cool Indy rock outfit from Melbourne, Dukes Of Windsor, and what results is the most engaging and catchy tune for '07.
Also, there are some music videos that are available, but were not mentiond in the article:
  • 1200 Techniques - See Me Rock (07/10/25)

  • Bic Runga - Sway (07/10/25)

  • Bic Runga - Winning Arrow (07/10/25)

  • Butterfly Effect - Reach (07/10/25)

  • David Campbell - End of the Day (07/10/25)

  • The Inches - Somewhere at the Party (07/10/11)

  • Old Man River - La (07/07/19)

  • Paulini - Rough Day (07/10/25)

  • Paulini - So Over You (07/10/18)

  • Pete Murray - Better Days (07/10/25)

  • Rogue Traders - Watching You (07/08/22)

  • Shannon Noll - Now I Run (07/10/18)

  • Shannon Noll - What About Me (07/10/25)

  • Small Mercies - Innocent (07/07/19)

  • Something For Kate - Captain (07/10/25)

  • Tammin - It's a Beautiful Thing (07/10/18)

  • TV Rock - Flaunt It (07/10/25)


I also went ahead and posted the entire list of music videos in the Official Playstation Store Thread among the 07/11/15 Update post.


As you can see, the first music videos were made available way back on July 19, 2007 and the latest set was made available on October 25th. What concerns me is that it's been nearly a month and no new videos have been added, so maybe the "trial period" has ended?


As FoolKiller said...

Now I must get an Australian account, if just to DL them all and make this seem like a popular idea.
I quite agree... I have been wanting to get HD music videos for a long time now, and I hope this is a sign that we may see more of it and among all regions! 👍
 
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Yeah, I don't even know half these bands but I intend to download them all and then delete the ones I don't like. If they see the downloads have a decently high number then they may attempt to put some more out there or even start a resale service.


And then maybe actual music and movies will follow as well.
 
Damn .. time to make me another account when I get off work tonight! Should be easier than doing guesswork with my Japanese account though!
 
I'm glad I signed up for an Aussie one last year... was able to snag up a good one...

PSN_ACCT_Crocodile_Hunter.jpg


:D
 
Have to point out that although the videos are all listed as HD, some are just SD videos upscaled.
Can't complain though as they are free!
 
As you can see, the first music videos were made available way back on July 19, 2007 and the latest set was made available on October 25th. What concerns me is that it's been nearly a month and no new videos have been added, so maybe the "trial period" has ended?
Apparently the promotion is still going on, as they added the music video for Shannon Noll's "Loud" last week.
 
Apparently the promotion is still going on, as they added the music video for Shannon Noll's "Loud" last week.
I wonder if the lack of stuff in the American store is related to the recent WGA strike, in that they want to make sure these legal and contractual issues are worked out before they try anything. Or maybe Sony has some online service agreement with another company and can't venture into their own service until that contract runs out.

Or SCEA always shafts us on products and hopes that we accept pre-European release dates on what we do get as a consolation.
 
Last week Sony released the trailer for VidZone on the EU PSN store, and it looked amazing...


[YOUTUBEHQ]T3oOpSIm_ew[/YOUTUBEHQ]


Now they have already launched the free service... but only for those in the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Australia.

So like the PS3's ReplayTV service, this is so far a no go outside of the EU/PAL regions. :indiff:

Here is a brief hands-on preview:


[YOUTUBEHQ]eb510vqn1YY[/YOUTUBEHQ]


Here is the official announcement from the official EU PS Blog:

VidZone Lands On PlayStation 3 Today

Due to very high demand of the VidZone service, some people may be experiencing some problems when accessing the service.

Sorry for the inconvenience; we are working really hard to get it back online as quickly as possible and appreciate your patience. I will update you as soon as I have any further information.

Thanks!

Ben


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Hey! My name is Ben and I’m the Head of Production at VidZone. We are all incredibly excited to launch our new on-demand music video streaming service free on PS3 and PSP (via Remote Play) today at 4pm in Europe; that’s 3pm for blog readers in the UK.

VidZone will be available for free download from PlayStation Store in UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Australia. As well as having access to 1000s of music videos which you can watch whenever you want and fast forward/rewind/pause, and create playlists, I am happy to let you know of some great exclusives for launch in my first post here on SCEE’s PlayStation.Blog.

Ahead of E3 we interviewed ultra cool band, Kasabian and got exclusive access behind the scenes of their new video “Where Did All The Love Go”.


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Kasabian on VidZone


Not only do we have exclusive behind the scenes footage, but for launch we are showcasing a WORLD exclusive live version of their Processed Beats video. You will only see the full videos on VidZone.

Oh, and for all who suspect we will be catering for just you pop loving people only… think again! VidZone is launching with over 10,000 music videos, 4,000 artists, 2 Major and thousands of Independent labels, across 12 main genres. You will find all your favourite acts including Metallica, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, System Of A Down, Oasis, The Killers, Kings of Leon, 50 cent, Eminem, Kanye, Jay-Z, Aphex Twin, Rage Against The Machine and Pearl Jam as well as Lady GaGa, Britney, Beyonce, Leona Lewis, Sneaky Sound System, Jamiroquai, Justin Timberlake…and tonnes of dance acts from Ministry of Sound and other huge global stars like Tiesto, Fatboy Slim, Maura Picotto, Eric Prydz, Armand van Helden, Basshunter, Freemasons and more! We will be adding loads of videos all the time so if you can’t find your favourite video to start with it shouldn’t be long for us to get it so keep checking back and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Watch this space for info on video updates and all other aspects of the service. We have some very exciting things planned over the coming weeks and months which you will definitely want to hear about.

Ben


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The Music Store is still scheduled for release in SCEE territories this summer but I've not heard anything new about it for a while so I hope it's delayed.

EDIT:
It may be worth mentioning that I used to be Evolution-One who posted the original details of the Australian music videos.
 
This streaming service is the first feature in a while which has got me excited, I think I will be using it quite a lot. Its actually a great idea for house parties because its like a music channel which you control, for free! Someone like Sky or Virgin would charge you buckets for an on-demand system like that.

They just have to ensure they get a decient catalogue of stuff together (which can't be hard with Sony BMG). They seem to be doing well on the Dance and RNB stuff which is great. Its also great that you don't have to download them.

Robin.
 
They just have to ensure they get a decient catalogue of stuff together (which can't be hard with Sony BMG). They seem to be doing well on the Dance and RNB stuff which is great.

From the quote posted earlier:

Oh, and for all who suspect we will be catering for just you pop loving people only… think again! VidZone is launching with over 10,000 music videos, 4,000 artists, 2 Major and thousands of Independent labels, across 12 main genres. You will find all your favourite acts including Metallica, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, System Of A Down, Oasis, The Killers, Kings of Leon, 50 cent, Eminem, Kanye, Jay-Z, Aphex Twin, Rage Against The Machine and Pearl Jam as well as Lady GaGa, Britney, Beyonce, Leona Lewis, Sneaky Sound System, Jamiroquai, Justin Timberlake…and tonnes of dance acts from Ministry of Sound and other huge global stars like Tiesto, Fatboy Slim, Maura Picotto, Eric Prydz, Armand van Helden, Basshunter, Freemasons and more! We will be adding loads of videos all the time so if you can’t find your favourite video to start with it shouldn’t be long for us to get it so keep checking back and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Watch this space for info on video updates and all other aspects of the service. We have some very exciting things planned over the coming weeks and months which you will definitely want to hear about.
 
Have to say I am impressed by this service so far, good range of songs and nice gap free strreaming, decent quality video too, big thumbs up!
 
I used this last night. Big range of videos, and they started quickly enough. However, it did pause a few times while searching through the playlists leaving me unable to select another video before Hit me baby one more time came on...

It would seem to need a bit of tweeking in the default playlists. I could select and play any song, but then it just reverted back to the next song in the playlist I had originally selected. I was able to select tracks to play next, but it never seemed to play them. :confused: It would seem that creating your own playlist is the way to go, but that looks to be fairly time consuming.
 
This is very impressive - just having a play with it just now :)👍

I used this last night. Big range of videos, and they started quickly enough. However, it did pause a few times while searching through the playlists leaving me unable to select another video before Hit me baby one more time came on...

It would seem to need a bit of tweeking in the default playlists. I could select and play any song, but then it just reverted back to the next song in the playlist I had originally selected. I was able to select tracks to play next, but it never seemed to play them. :confused: It would seem that creating your own playlist is the way to go, but that looks to be fairly time consuming.
I see what you mean :lol: Nick Drake's sublime "River Man" should never, repeat never be followed by "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" by Wham... :ill:

Some songs on my playlist already:

Pearl Jam - Jeremy
Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box
Arcade Fire - Black Mirror
Nick Drake - River Man

Oh and Eric Prydz - Call On Me is always worth a watch :D
 
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I used this last night. Big range of videos, and they started quickly enough. However, it did pause a few times while searching through the playlists leaving me unable to select another video before Hit me baby one more time came on...

It would seem to need a bit of tweeking in the default playlists. I could select and play any song, but then it just reverted back to the next song in the playlist I had originally selected. I was able to select tracks to play next, but it never seemed to play them. :confused: It would seem that creating your own playlist is the way to go, but that looks to be fairly time consuming.

When you add to playing a song will always go to the back of the current play list, so often waiting until the end of the current song and then hitting play now can be a better option.

In terms of playlists, once you get started they are actually very quick to set-up, I've tended to do them on the go, so pick a few songs and while they are playing search for others and add them.

I have to say that I am overall very, very impressed with Vidzone, some great tracks on it and a much bigger range that I had hoped for.


Regards

Scaff
 
+1

Playlists are very very easy to set up, and simply making single band ones for say U2 or The clash can be done in a matter of 2 mins. I tend to fire up one of my playlists then go on a searching spree, some of the preset playlists are ok too

I'm not really into modern chart stuff so I was pleased to see a wide variety of tracks available stretching back to the 80's and even late 70's and even the obscurity of fantastic Bjork is in there, unfortunatly her countrymen Sigur Ras haavn't yet made the playlist. I hope to see more "national" stuff for the european reigons in future.
 
This is very very good. The videos load nicely on my slowish internet and the overall layout isnt bad.

I have pictures at home if you want to see them.
 
It has Rick Astley on it so that's all I could ask for.

Actually, my girlfriend was on this for 4 hours last night. It has an amazing song selection. Though no Smashing Pumpkins 👎. I had the same problem as a few people above, where sometimes it would pause for about 30 seconds, but apart from that it works fine. Clips could be higher quality though, and on a couple of songs there was some Voice/Video syncing issues.

Now, once they can extend this service to TV shows I won't have to leave the house.
 
It has Rick Astley on it so that's all I could ask for.

Actually, my girlfriend was on this for 4 hours last night. It has an amazing song selection. Though no Smashing Pumpkins 👎. I had the same problem as a few people above, where sometimes it would pause for about 30 seconds, but apart from that it works fine. Clips could be higher quality though, and on a couple of songs there was some Voice/Video syncing issues.

Now, once they can extend this service to TV shows I won't have to leave the house.

That's what he said.
 
So, is this available in the UK? I'll give it a go tonight.

It sure is, it is available in the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Australia, definitely check it out. I have and I think it's quite good,👍 of course there is always room for improvement.
 
I've got it on now listening to the chart, what an awesome service to have! I'm genuinely impressed by this, it flows so smoothly and runs so well it's amazing that it's free IMO. Not too sure what Sony's definition of 'HD music videos' is though, because all of mine appear to be hideously upscaled SD videos. But I'm fine with that.
 
After using for a while last night, it does seem to be a good system apart from the issues mentioned already.

The other thing that bugs me is that some videos are much louder than others. You end up having to constantly fiddle with the volume of your speakers.

It's also annoying to find an artist you like, and then find out there's only 2 of their tracks. It needs more tracks for every artist.

In saying all that, I can still see me using quite a lot. 👍
 
The other thing that bugs me is that some videos are much louder than others. You end up having to constantly fiddle with the volume of your speakers.

I noticed this too, even between the same artist's tracks it changes dramatically. No biggie though, I can just adjust the volume on my amp.
 
I noticed this too, even between the same artist's tracks it changes dramatically. No biggie though, I can just adjust the volume on my amp.

I only noticed this when I went and set-up Vidzone on the PS3 at my dad's house, they do seem to change quite a bit for some tracks.

Makes me even more impressed with the Audessy Dynamic Volume system my Denon 1909 has, as Vidzone plays at a consistent volume for all tracks through it.

:)

Scaff
 
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