Webdoc is an interesting new service that takes the Storify concept of mixing and matching web content to another level. It was the winner of the recent MUSIC techpitch 4.5 event in London. Though not limited to music, it's clearly useful for musicians, marketers and fans who want to quickly create content that has a more social element than Storify.

Webdoc in Action

Webdoc's win at MUSIC techpitch 4.5 gave an additional boost to a new service that's already attracting a lot of attention in both the music world and beyond. For example, SF Intercom's CEO Stefan Aronsen, who's helping promote Webdoc in the States, said that already 3 out of the 4 major labels are using it.

The big music example has been a Webdoc page for Nirvana that illustrates its potential. As you can also see in the above video, Webdocs are composed of content uploaded to the site, widgets available on the site and text that's entered in like a blog post. Widgets include such options as a countdown feature for events as seen at the top of the Nirvana Webdoc.

Scrolling down one finds the option to post a reply which can be done as a simple statement or by creating your own Webdoc with relevant content. The Nirvana page shows how fans can express themselves in digital scrapbook mode and help create a much more complex document.

Webdoc offers more options and flexibility than does Storify and, though Storify does have social elements, Webdoc is designed to help you connect with friends from other networks while also including a social element in the document itself. It's a very strong combination of features, especially given that you can then embed your document on your blog or Facebook page and update it from Webdoc.

Webdoc also seems to be focusing outreach on Education and Music though primarily with information about how Webdoc can be used. As mentioned in the Music section, Webdoc can also function as a solution for creating digital flyers and posters.

A #music hashtag search offers more examples of how musicians are using the service. Given that Webdoc offers an easy to use content creation tool with social elements that can be embedded elsewhere while also building a social platform, it has a potentially big upside both as a business and as a music marketing tool.

Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith maintains his freelance writing hub at Flux Research and blogs at All World Dance and This Business of Blogging. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.

Though you might think that gig posters and flyers are a relic of a forgotten age, in many locales they are still quite useful for publicity and are still considered basic merch items. However, digital flyers are a growing phenomenon that take the old school poster and update it for web and mobile distribution. Here are some resources for getting into the digital flyer game with some closing thoughts about revitalizing offline gig posters with QR codes for a mix of the tangible and digital.

Creating Your Digital Poster

A wide range of resources for creating digital posters are now available and many artists are creating art in digital form. But you don't have to be a great artist to scan some homemade art or upload a digital photograph. Once you have an image with which to work, there are some interesting tools available with which to create your gig poster:

Phoster is an iOS app that provides templates for an uploaded or fresh photo. You can add text and a background then distribute it online or print it out. (via DIY Musician)

Thinglink is a great choice for taking digital art and embedding interactive content as did Simple Plan using their album cover art. They're continually adding embed options, from audio to ecommerce, so they offer a way to take a poster and turn it into a much richer format.

Smore, a web service that's still in private beta, allows you to create an online flyer with a simple page builder. The offering looks impressive and includes instant mobile pages and rich content embedding making it a potentially powerful tool.

Death Cab For Cutie Poster via GigPosters.com

Distributing Your Gig Poster

Given the proliferation of social networks and photo sharing sites, there's a huge range of options for distributing your digital gig poster and benefitting from the possiblity of viral popularity. Tumblr is a natural for this sort of thing because users focus on sharing visual images.

Flickr offers another form of distribution.  For example, Phoster users have a Flickr pool that can put your graphic masterpiece in front of people that appreciate imagery for its own sake with reach beyond your current social network friends and followers.

GigPosters.com is a quite relevant way to get life out of your posters beyond event expiration dates, whether it's a photo of a physical poster or a digitally generated piece of flyer art. Though there are ecommerce options on the site, the big draw is the option to upload poster art and offer it for free distribution on the web.

Old School Meets New School

QR codes, bar codes and near field communication are also revitalizing the physical poster scene with mobile upgrades. The possiblities are quite extensive and open up the offline world to digital interaction. Since physical posters are also posted at shows, one can also take the example of Jamiroquai's use of NFC posters to share mobile content at their performances.

Clearly offline art and marketing will continue to provide inspiration for digital creations and practices. But keep in mind that as digital communication continues to dominate the scene, the appearance of an old school flyer will take on fresh, tangible meaning just as live performances will continue to provide visceral experiences.

Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith maintains his freelance writing hub at Flux Research and blogs at All World Dance and This Business of Blogging. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.

Last week FanBridge announced the Partner Ecosystem for their Facebook Fan Page app, an integration of service modules from 12 different companies offering everything from ticket and merch sales via CrowdSurge to crowdfunding via PledgeMusic to live streaming via Stickam.They're basically building a platform on top of Facebook's platform so, after acquiring Damn The Radio for the foundation, they're now enriching that foundation by connecting with other popular service providers.

FanBridge, a Hypebot sponsor, announced that they could have created all these modules themselves but chose to focus on specialized companies. They've also updated their Facebook Fan Page app with a new design and dashboard.

The lineup for the new Partner Ecosystem is pretty impressive and includes:

• IndieGoGo - crowdfunding platform
• Songkick - concert schedules & alerts
• Topspin - direct-to-fan marketing & sales
• Stickam - youth-centric live video chat
• SoundCloud - you've heard it
• Dympol - Charitable Checkout
• Bandsintown - concert listings & promotions
• PledgeMusic - crowdfunding music releases
• Nimbit Spotlight - music sales & social media
• Moontoast - ecommerce on FB & elsewhere
• CrowdSurge - ticketing & merch sales
• Owjo - FB & web stores

Obviously there's some overlap in services, particularly in the ecommerce area, indicating that FanBridge is going for an open platform that's focused on quality providers yet isn't locking in exclusive relationships. That approach should make the Ecosystem a real winner for FanBridge and for musicians that choose to use their Facebook Fan Page app.

If you think your company should be part of the Partner Ecosystem, FanBridge invites you to contact them for more information.

Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith maintains his freelance writing hub at Flux Research and blogs at All World Dance and This Business of Blogging. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.

The makers of J&B Scotch Whisky, a product I've yet to sample though I love me some bourbon, has an interesting campaign in progress called the J&B City Remix. World citizens are invited to record sounds of their cities using an iPhone app that will be used in DJ mixes for J&B promo parties. They've released a series of videos on YouTube to get the party started and it's a nice beginning.

J&B Sample South America

The J&B City Remix site still seems focused on previous campaigns but their YouTube channel has gotten things off to a nice start with such videos as the one above that is reminding me that South America may be my next destination!

The South America video samples sounds of Rio De Janeiro and Buenos Aires, two rather different but spectacular cities. You are invited to sample your city's sounds via an iTunes app that is a bit difficult to identify.

Cool Hunting doesn't link to it in their "advertorial content". The link found on YouTube simply resolves to iTunes and searching iTunes doesn't result in relevant apps. However, using a search engine, I found what could be the app or maybe it's an imposter designed to brick your iPhone. Download it and let us know, brave iPhone owners!

It looks like the party's inching along on Facebook with no mention of the States, so maybe that's ahead or maybe this campaign isn't really meant for us.

Despite the ambiguity, I really like this idea though reading that "mixes from around the world will be launched at exclusive J&B parties in early 2012" makes me think that, even if the U.S. is included, Asheville, NC will be left behind. Guess I'll be sticking to Maker's Mark in 2012!

News via Erik Peterson of Hifidelics.

Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith maintains his freelance writing hub at Flux Research and blogs at All World Dance and This Business of Blogging. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.

QR codes continue their scattered advance with a number of creative music related campaigns. Creative uses include greetings cards connected to Spotify playlists, codes for The Gaga Machine, links to a map of Portland music venues and inclusion in an interactive music installation for the Iceland Airwaves festival. Plus, QR Hacker provides a web app for creating personalized QR codes.

Greeting Cards Lead to Themed Spotify Playlists

A couple of months back UK-based creative agency Stupid, who are doing some nice work with artistic QR code campaigns, created a series of greeting cards that directed the recipient to themed playlists accessible via a Spotify Premium smart phone app. I have no idea what happens if you don't have that Spotify app.

QR Codes Feed The Gaga Machine

On November 21st, Barneys New York will open Gaga's Workshop featuring Lady Gaga's version of Santa's Workshop using all 5500 sq. ft. of the fifth floor. The complex project will include The Gaga Machine that outputs special messages and offers when one inputs "mysterious alpha-numeric codes and QR codes [that] will be strategically placed and released through a variety of digital and outdoor, experiential channels for people to find throughout New York City and online."

Accessing Maps for Portland Music Venues

The Portland [Maine] Music Foundation recently put out a printed map featuring local music venues that include a QR code leading one to a "Google map with 30 more live-music venues" since they couldn't all fit on the printed version. The display case for the maps also featured the same QR code so that it would be accessible when the maps ran out.

Iceland Airwaves Interactive Music Installation

Two Icelandic telecom companies created an interactive music installation for the 2011 Iceland Airwaves music festival. People's movement to music created various patterns that periodically resolved into a QR code that, when scanned, offered more information about what was happening at the festival.

QR Hacker Creates Personalized QR Codes

If you're wanting to experiment with QR codes and are looking for a creative code generator, you might want to take a look at QR Hacker. It's free and allows you to use your own content. QR Hacker has gotten good reviews from Simply Zesty's Lauren Fisher, though she said it had a few bugs, and from Geek Dad's Daniel Danahoo.

Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith maintains his freelance writing hub at Flux Research and blogs at All World Dance and This Business of Blogging. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.