Bindass launches 'Facebook Jukebox'

The app allows users to choose their favourite music on Facebook and watch it being played on the youth channel.

The digital arm of DisneyUTV has launched 'bindass Facebook Jukebox' which allows users to link their action online with what they can see on television. The application allows users to dedicate songs to their friends and these appear on the bindass Jukebox show, Monday to Friday from 5-7 PM. Users can rank music by voting for songs listed on the application. Bindass is the youth channel of DisneyUTV.

This app takes the age old jukebox concept and re-boots it by integrating social media. The entire playlist of music that shows on the Jukebox show is created using the users' votes on the Facebook app. Users can leave comments or dedicate songs of their choice to their friends. Lastly, by casting their vote or commenting or dedicating on the app, the users' profile images are shown along with their comments on the channel.

The votes determine which song will be played. Moreover, all their actions on the app get re-posted on their timeline, thereby attracting more users to the app and fueling more engagement.

The company claims that bindass today is the highest engaged page for any youth channel on Facebook in the country with over two million fans and more than 5 lakh people 'talking about this'. Currently the jukebox can only be accessed using a PC based web browser and the company will soon extend the functionality to mobile web browsers, starting with smartphones.

Speaking to afaqs! Sameer Pitalwalla, Director - Video and Celebrity, DisneyUTV said, "We wanted to find a way to engage our users and give them a say on what they see on air. By combining music, social media and television, we have given them an awesome experience of not only having their vote counted but also putting them and their friends on television on bindass channel, all with the click of a button."

Asked why the company chose Facebook as the launch platform for this app, Pitalwalla said that it was prudent to go where the audience is as against driving them to a particular destination.

Pitalwalla says that the company has already devised a monetisation plan for this app: "The product has been rated very strongly. We are using the combined strength of its social media connect, television reach and high time spent, high online engagement and its music programming for sponsorship opportunities,"

he said.

In May 2011, English general entertainment channel STAR World had launched the 'STAR World Jukebox' on Facebook in partnership with the music entertainment company, Sony Music. DisneyUTV is, however, planning to extend this property beyond TV, to radio and other media as a sample reflecting what people's listening choices are with reference to popular Bollywood music.