MUSIC NATION IS HERE TO HELP
Still figuring out our Launch Pad? Can't yet match wits with Match Box? Not to worry. Below is an overview of our bells and whistles and how to work them.
LAUNCH PAD
What is the launch pad?
The Launch Pad is a fun and exciting way of discovering new music and videos and reliving all those goodies you haven't seen in ages. "Top Rated" mode shows you the top content (including artists recommended from YouTube, as well as the unsigned up-n-comers who've signed up on Music Nation to be seen and heard) as ranked by other users on the site. Clicking "Recommend Me" also does something quite special: every time you "thumb-up" or "thumb-down" a piece of content, the system learns what you like based on other users who've made similar ratings, then chooses the next video or song to share based on what it's learned. Clicking on the filters (hip-hop, rock, etc.) further refines the process, increasing the odds that you only get what you want.
How can I submit my music videos to the Launch Pad?
Push "Submit Video" and either upload the file, or, if you've already put it on YouTube, just tell us the URL where it lives and we'll take it from there.
Do I have to have a profile on Music Nation to submit videos to the Launch Pad?
You do, but sign-up is simple. And free. Give it a go — it only takes a second.
How does the Launch Pad learn what I like (and dislike)?
It's psychic. Well, that and it's constantly comparing the choices you make as you thumb-up and thumb-down content with the tens of thousands of users who've come before. People are different, but if you talk to enough of them you start to realize that very few people who like Motley Crue and Gwar also like Yanni and John Tesh.
How do I select the filters?
Filters will optimize your Launch Pad experience in three significant ways.
First, under "Type," you may choose the media you'd like to enjoy – be it videos, audio clips, or both. Then, under "Mode," you can instruct the Launch Pad to order selections based on either other user ratings (TOP RATED), or by the most recent clips added to Launch Pad (NEWEST).
You can also opt for a randomized shuffle (RANDOM) or you can rely on our recommendations (RECOMMEND ME).
You can also choose the "SO BAD it's good" mode if you want to prioritize the most entertainingly bad clips in Launch Pad (our favorite feature). With any of these modes, you can also choose to highlight AUTO PLAY, which will automatically cue the next clip when one clip completes.
The last filter, "Genres," is also key. Pick as few or as many styles of music as you'd like and Launch Pad will comply. It's good like that.
Why did I just see a Country video in the Rock feed?
These things happen. Sometimes videos are tagged incorrectly – either by us or by other faithful users. Often this is because of certain gray areas (between Latin or World, Rock or Pop, Songwriter or Country), but other times? It's because life is not fair. Push the flag button and we'll have a look.
How do I rate videos?
Click on thumbs up or thumbs down at the lower right hand corner. You can also choose to rate a video as SO BAD IT'S GOOD, if the clip is silly, over-the-top or poorly made — but you can't quite take your eyes and ears off of it.
What do the buttons on the left side of the screen do?
So many wonderful things:
displays additional info about the video you are watching, including more songs availble by that artist in the Launch Pad
allows you to add the video to your personal playlist for future enjoyment.
pulls up the code to embed the clip you're watching elsewhere, like a blog or Myspace page.
is for downloading the media you are watching. NOTE: This button only activates if and when the artist has enabled it.
is for emailing a clip (especially good for our SO BAD IT'S GOOD videos – which typically have "viral" potential).
is for flagging any media that you find inappropriate, miscategorized or simply not working properly.
How come some songs are available for download while others are not?
Some artists on our site choose not to make their media available for download. Others we auto-link to their Amazon store. But we can only do it if they let us.
How can a video be "top rated" if there are only a few people listed under "they like it"?
We collect ratings from everyone who visits the site, but only registered users are listed as having "liked it." Also, there's a cap on how many of those we display at any one time.
Do I have to rate videos?
Only if you want, otherwise just push next. Keep in mind though, your ratings are crucial to making the Launch Pad work for everyone –- and for helping the Launch Pad to learn what you like. Creepy? A little. Effective? Yup.
What does giving a video "thumbs up," "thumbs down" or "so bad its good" do anyway?
A rating of thumbs up will increase the overall rating for that particular clip – while the opposite holds true for a thumbs down rating. The result? In an ideal world the best stuff gets seen and heard by more Music Nation users. The more So Bad It's Good ratings a video receives, the more it rises to the top of our So Bad It's Good playlist.
What do you mean by So Bad It's Good?
These are the guilty pleasures of Launch Pad, clips that remind you of the kinds of things your friends email you while you are at work. Some are low-budget trainwrecks that you can't look away from, some are big-budget, major-label messes that entertain as they offend. Still not sure what we mean? Click on it and see.
MATCH BOX
What does the Match Box do?
Loads. The most important thing though is that it shows you other people who like whatever you were seeing or hearing on the Launch Pad – and then shows you other things they liked. Why do that? Well, you know how if you and a friend are fans of the same band, then they tell you to check out this other band they like, you figure it's worth checking out? That's what happens here. But that's really just the start. On this visually dynamic page, everything is touchable, dragable, clickable and playable. Experiment and see.
How did the Match Box choose which main video to show me?
It was the video you were just watching in the Launch Pad. But feel free to drag something else to the middle from your history (the tab at the bottom that's filled with everything you just saw and heard), to see how they would do in the Match Box.
How can I view the other videos that I see in my Match Box?
You could click them to watch them right away, or drag them to the queue tab and they'll play in the Launch Pad as soon as whatever is playing in there now ends.
How do I rate the videos in Match Box?
Simply drag the video to the left, onto the thumb, for a thumbs-up rating. Drag the video to the thumb on the right for a thumbs-down rating.
What are the "modes," and what does "switch modes" mean?
Right now we're just showing you what other people who liked what you like have also enjoyed. In the not-so-distant future there will be some other ways of relating things as well (e.g., based on tags, or friends, etc).
What happens if you drag a user to the left or right?
Dragging a user to the left allows you to befriend that user. Conversely, dragging a user to the right lets you, well, diss them. Once you "diss," it means you'll never get a recommendation from them again. However, if you befriend a user, it gives priority to their ratings, which helps the system decide what to show you next. Have a good long think on whether or not you like the media they're recommending before making such an important decision.
How do I submit videos to the Match Box?
Push "Submit Video" and either upload the file, or, if you've already put it on YouTube, just tell us the URL where it lives and we'll take it from there.
PLAYLIST
How can I add a song or video that I'm watching on Launch Pad to my playlist?
Simple. It doesn't matter whether you are enjoying a video on Launch Pad, Match Box or on someone else's profile page, the process for adding a video to your personal playlist is always the same. First, locate this little guy here – – and click. This will then prompt an "Add to Playlist" mini-screen, which asks you if you would like to either add the clip to your main playlist, or if you would like to create a new playlist and add the clip there. Choose wisely, and then click the button "Add to Playlist." You're done.
If I'm an artist, how can I add my own songs to my playlist?
If you are an artist in the Nation, then the songs that you have already uploaded will automatically default into your main playlist. All users can also separate the material in their playlists into different "Mixtapes" – as many as you like! As an artist, however, you can separate your own songs into "Albums," which are specifically designed to organize collections of your own material, and can allow fans to hear your latest LP-length masterpiece.
What is the difference between a mixtape and an album?
Albums are exclusively designed to feature your own material, not for the all the great stuff you've found on the site by other artists.
How can I rearrange the order of my mixtapes and albums?
First, click on the title of any of your mixtapes or albums. This will prompt a separate video player, which will include an option to open that particular playlist in a new window, as well as a link to "Manage and edit Playlist." Under Manage Playlists, you can simply click on a track, and drag that track up, or down, and change its order in the list. It gets even more fun when you have multiple mixtapes and albums, since you can drag these entire lists up or down, which means you, and not the government, control the order of your albums and mixtapes. Anarchy!
Can I have multiple playlists (and/or albums)?
Again, yes, yes! Create as many new mixtapes and albums as you deem appropriate and necessary.
Can I share my playlist with others not already signed up to Music Nation?
Of course. Your profile page is public, and anyone can visit, and listen, and watch. But if you make any new fans this way, why not invite them to become a full-time citizen of the Nation.