The other day I am in the grocery store, I had another brilliant idea. It is the latest instalment of a brilliant idea that I unfortunately can not figure out how to make any money from. Usually the reason I can not make money is that I don't have the skills; sometimes it is because I can't figure out the revenue stream. This time, it is both, but it is still a great idea.
Like I said, the idea hit me at the grocery store. I was shopping for cheese and listing to the music. They were playing some song from the 90's. It was by one of those grunge era bands, with a Irish lead singer, full of whining and angst. It was one of my favorites. Only one problem - I didn't know the name of the song or the band. When the song came out, I remember I wanted to buy the album; however, lack of band and song name prevented me from completing the transaction (or even starting it).
I spent an hour searching iTunes and Google for the song name. Nothing came even close. I eventually gave up. Then a few days later the idea hit me. I was talking to someone about "Rock Band"; I had played it recently and it was a blast (I was fricking Slash Jr on the guitar that night - or so I seem to recall). For those of you unfamiliar with the game, it has expanded on the guitar playing in "Guitar Hero" and has added other instruments like drums and vocals. I am not sure how the vocals work - I was too focused on my guitar playing (plus I was a bit boozy). All I know is that somehow the "singing" was picked up by the microphone, and if it was close enough, you got a passing mark. (Actually, as bad as the singing was, it was still very memorable. Now, whenever I hear "Mississippi Queen" I can only think of my friend Beatty's rendition).
Anyway, so I was thinking, couldn't there be a way to combine iTunes with a Rock Band type voice recognition system? It seems like there should be a way to combine the two. You belt out the song (as best you can), and have it search against iTunes, which comes back with the closest matches. Problem solved! I can't imagine that I am the first person who has searched in vain for a song they don't know the name, but they could sing out an ear shattering rendition in the privacy of their home.
(While on the subject of songs, why doesn't get Bruce Springstein get covered more in Karaoke bars? His singing isn't that tough to imitate (it is a mix of speaking, growling, and yelling). His songs are extremely popular; they are bound to be crowd pleaser. It seems like his music was meant for bad renditions. It is very strange.)
But as I said, I don't know how to make money from this idea. I don't have the technical abilities to create something like this, and I don't know how to guarantee that people will by the songs if they find them on my site. Basically, it is a solution to a problem, but one I can't figure out a good way to make money. Therefore, I offer this idea up as a freebie to anyone who can figure out to make $ out of it.
Until the time when that site is functioning, I will continue to search and listen for the song which alludes me; meanwhile I'll be practicing my rendition of "Rosalita".
No comments:
Post a Comment