Tunezy Blog

Ahh! We’re at the end of 2012 now and we are reminiscing, and for some of us - even tearing up at memories of an incredible year flown by.  We are surrounded by lists x lists x lists of “the best of” and “favorite” things of yore.

Well we’re mixing it up a bit by presenting the “best of” mashups by Tunezy artists so without further adieu— here are our 5 fave mashups to close the year out with!

Bruno Mars and Frank Sinatra? Smooth and soulful - makes sense to us!

Aw Clara C, still sounds so good with minor slip-ups. Who said a violin and piano jam couldn’t be beat the original rap by B.O.B.?

WOW. Moulann you give us chills chills chills.

Hm ok. So Halo, Superbass and Your Body are meant to be one song, but were just separated at birth. Thank you Maggie for conjoining them all back together.

Sam Tsui and Megan Nicole, a tale of two mashed-up voices. 

What’s your fave mashup?

Check out these artists on Tunezy’s marketplace and see the uhmazing products and experiences you can scoop up! 2013 — bring it!

• Joseph Vincent
• Clara C
• Moulann
• Maggie Ma
• Megan Nicole

Whether you’re planning a “Last Christmas” karaoke sing-off with your cousins after the big feast  - OR - planning a snuggle with your loved ones on the couch while watching Mariah Carey dance around as Mrs. Claus (seriously though, no judgement) - it’s a big day today!

We wanted to bring you something uber special, but we thought that personal deliveries of figgy pudding, partridges in pear trees and chocolate-covered oranges are tooo overrated, don’t you think??  Rather - here are 5 festive holiday songs by Tunezy artists to impress your family and friends with during the day.

Tori Kelly and AJ Raphael present their soulful, perfectly harmonized version of the Wham! favourite, Rachel and Finn Glee-style.  

Joseph Vincent tells us who’s dropping in to say hello with an upbeat, Jason Mraz-esque version of the classic song.

Aw yeah good ole Clara C gets us in the mooood for the holidays.

Um. So how jealous are you of Jayesslee’s Australian sunny Christmas backdrop??

Let’s close things out here with a jazzy, mellow melody from Gabe Bondoc and Kina Grannis!

What’s your fave holiday tune?

Remember to check these artists on Tunezy’s marketplace and see the uhmazing products and experiences you can scoop up! Happy Holidays!

• Tori Kelly
• AJ Raphael
• Joseph Vincent
• Clara C
• Jayesslee
• Gabe Bondoc
• Kina Grannis

What are Notes?

So you’ve been following Tunezy and hearing a lot about “Notes”. What are they exactly? Notes are a rewards program on Tunezy. The more you use Tunezy, the more Notes you will earn. 

How do I earn Notes?

You can earn Notes by:

1. Listening to Music (2 Notes for every song you listen to)
2. Leaving a comment (1 Note for every comment you leave)
3. Leaving an emotion (1 Note for every emotion you leave, i.e. happy, pumped, etc)
4. Inviting a friend (10 Notes for every friend you invite; 20 Notes for every friend who joins).

What’s the easiest way to invite friends?

You can grab your custom referral URL through the “Invites” link when you click your photo on the top right. You can share this link on your social network including Facebook and Twitter!

How do I keep track of my Notes?

You can always see how many Notes you have by clicking your Note balance at the top right corner of the page:

What can I spend my Notes on?

Very soon, you will be able to spend Notes to receive discounts on products and experiences offered by your favourite musicians. Notes are also used in contests to determine winners! The more Notes you have, the more clout and authority you have on Tunezy as a fan.

Start earning Notes now :)

Much love,

Congratulations to everyone that tuned into the Gabe Bondoc virtual concert, and entered our merch giveaway. Email us at support@tunezy.com to claim your prize.

QUESTION: Which artist has been a marimba player for a West African band, wrote, choreographed and performed in an r&b/pop girl group, and topped the international charts by way of a duet with the Elvis of the Middle East?

ANSWER: Why Kristie Yung of course. These are but a few of the myriad of stops along the musical journey of this beautiful and multi-talented musician.  

An expressive, soulful and authentic artist, Kristie has been perfecting her songwriting and singing throughout the years. Hot off the recent release of her single, “It’s You”, Kristie is preparing (for) the release of her debut EP, “The Setlist Project” on Friday September 28.  

Kristie is the epitome of commitment. From teaching herself guitar at 16 years old, to getting a Communications degree, and continuing to work full-time at a children’s charity while cultivating her music career, Kristie embodies what it means to be passionate.

Read More →

We had an incredible time observing talent at the Kollaboration Toronto event this past Saturday, September 15th (where is the time going?!)

The Tunezy Team ran amuck around backstage as well as setting up our very lovely booth complete with the opportunity to win a day with Clara C and David Choi.

Our very own Derrick Fung was a judge at the competition, and part of the group that selected Maybe Refuge and Young as the tied two winners.

Thanks for having us Kollaboration! Want to take a piece of it home? Win this signed Tunezy T-Shirt (signed by Silvia & Jerome, Maybe Refuge, Thoroughbred State, Intentional Accidentals, and Team Sexy), by doing the following:

1. LIKE us on Facebook
2. Leave a comment on this blog post letting us know what your fave moment of Kollaboration TO was.

That’s it - looking forward to seeing your responses. Good luck!

Tunezy has been super busy lately on the East coast, with the success of #styleandsound, the upcoming KollaborationTO and #oneTO. Here’s a little West Coast Love we had lately.

On August 30th, Y57 hosted the 4th Annual Battle of the Bands, an event showcasing young and emerging artists.  Y57 is an alternative media radio broadcast, spotlighting and supporting musically inclined youth. This annual event provides tools for young musicians to reach the next level in performing, including studio time, media showcases, singing lessong, and even photo shoots!

One of the young talented acts to be featured was Sam Alviar and his electrifying band, who have been defying the odds and making the rounds in high exposure venues around Vancouver, despite being fairly new to the scene.  

Musically bred from a young age, Sam attributes his musical talents to his family. “Everyone on my dad’s side of the family is super musical and plays at least 3 instruments each.  I grew up around karaoke. After holiday meals we would just pound back the turkey and head to the basement to play music.” 

After playing the drums for 5 different bands, Sam got the itch to start to experimenting with lyrics and melodies. Soon after, he wrote his first song at 19, a gift for his father’s 50th birthday. Through his experience playing around town, began the organic creation of Sam Alviar and his band: Myles Koebel on bass and backup vocals, Adam Baldwin on lead guitar, and Sam’s best friend, Jonathan Mitchell on drums. 

Sam is influenced by Coldplay, City and Colour, Tallest Man on Earth, and describes his sound as a mix of blues rock, folk, indie, acoustic, and possibly alternative, “I don’t even know what alternative is these days”, he jokes.

Meet Sam Alviar.

Read More →

Join editors, stars, models, fashionistas, and designers on September 6, 2012, as they flood stores in cities across the country and around the world for fashion’s most iconic extravaganza.

Hey! We have a new face around the office - please give a grand welcome to Soheil Alavi, our new Creative Director aka Visionary. As we’re building our team, each new member is helping shape and grow the Tunezy vision. Want to know a little more about our new artistic force? Here goes:

Who are you?

I’m a native of Tehran, Iran, where first embarked on web design from creating an unofficial high school website to “021 music”, a Tehran-based Music website that generated a million page views a month. I came to Canada five years ago to study Digital Media Arts, and following that I co-founded my own company and moved to China [can you tell he likes being on the go?]. I’ve worked with companies like TheRedPin.com, and now am Creative Director at Tunezy.com. I’m excited about new projects, start ups, and creating things that are beautiful to look at (and use).

Who are your Favourite artists on Tunezy:

“Mike Tompkins” & ” Coop3rdrumm3r” - Creative Stuff ;)

What’s your take on design (what it means) for a place like Tunezy? Engage imaginations and stimulate minds.

What’s one interesting fact about you?

I just asked a friend of mine what is one interesting fact about me and he replied: “Soheil can always crack you up, meaning that he makes you laugh all the time. He is guilty of that.”

Welcome, Soheil!

Hey Toronto! We’re partnering up with an event on Friday called #oneTO, a live music experience with delicious food and sweet company. A little more about the people that power the event:

Socielite Events is a not-for-profit organization, dedicated to planning and hosting unique events in the Greater Toronto Area for young professionals.

Socielite is made-up of 7 young professionals who all volunteer their time outside of their full-time professions to plan amazing events, while giving back to the community.

Follow Socielite on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with their happenings.

Come out and enjoy the crowd at The Hoxton - we’ll see you there!

Much love,

Exciting news - what do you get when you put together your favorite YouTube artists, a wicked cool festival, Toronto, and Tunezy? Naturally, Kollaboration comes to mind. We’re all smiles over here to say that we’re sponsoring Kollaboration TO 2012, a jam packed event with big guest performers (can we say, Joseph Vincent?) and tons of entertainment in between.

September 15th isn’t too far away, so be sure to pick up your tickets soontimes, before you miss out!

Much Love,

With summer winding down, many people are probably getting ready to head back to school and work and trying to squeeze as much fun in as possible. There have been countless music festivals this summer including popular ones like the Electric Daisy Carnival, Pitchfork Music Festival, Lollapalooza, Vans Warped Tour, Bonnaroo, and many more.

Here are a few of the trends I’ve picked up from recent music festivals:

VIP tickets and upgraded services (VVIP?)

Many music festivals are offering upgraded experiences by creating VIP passes. Recently, the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco, CA offered 3-day VIP tickets which gave fans access to the Exclusive Polo Club that had shade and special restroom facilities. For regular ticket holders, festivals also offered more than just music with a variety of activities. (Bonnaroo had a comedy theater, several lounges to cool off, hair washes from Garnier Fructis, yoga, and even a post office…)  

Read More →

So we’ve been wildly busy over here, but not busy enough to avoid spending time with our favorite people of Toronto. On August 28th, we’re hosting an event at the Thompson Hotel Rooftop patio (an amazing venue) and inviting you to come and say hello. The event is in collaboration with a fashion and culture website, friends at urbanebloc.com

The event is free, and chock full of great prizes to be won from our sponsors. Here are the details:

blossom lounge | www.blossomlounge.com  - Rebecca Minkoff Mac Mini Bag

LUSH Cosmetics | www.lush.ca - Don’t Knock It Gift Set

Mindzai.com | www.mindzai.com - Gift Pack of Designer Toys

Hello Berry Inc | helloberryinc.com - Golddust Bracelets

Palladium Boots | www.palladiumboots.com - One Pair of men’s or women’s boots from F/W 2012

Origaudio | www.origaudio.com - Dozen Fold and Play Speakers

Pure + Simple | www.pureandsimple.ca - Gift Certificate for Any Facial

Tunezy | www.tunezy.com - Two Logo Shirts to rock out for the Fall.

urbanebloc | www.urbanebloc.com - Surprise gifting of all of our favourite things

Thanks to all of our sponsors, supporters, family and friends for the eventful summer season. Come out for a cheers and say hello to the Tunezy Team. We’ll be expecting you!

To RSVP, confirm on the Facebook Event and email sheilakhui@gmail.com. See you there!

Much Love,

Hey there Tunezy friends! Have a craving for some new music to add to your playlist? Then don’t hesitate to try a few of these tips for discovering new songs and artists through your friends and social media networks. 

One way to Discover that new diamond-in-the-rough artist is by using the handy search and browse features on Tunezy. We give you the option to browse through recommended artists that look interesting, filter by aspects like Genre and Mood, or try a Taste Test to listen to a song from your top 20. 

Read More →

Last week the Tunezy Team headed to New York to launch our product to the NYC music industry (#TunezyNYC). We had a stellar time demo-ing the website (which you can now all sign up for at tunezy.com), meeting musicians, writers, and record label executives to share the concept of The Music Experience Marketplace. Over 50 members of the New York scene came to support the launch, and we’re grateful to have received some incredibly positive feedback for the website experience.

Special thanks to the Pourhouse for having us, as well as everyone that came out. Want more photos? Have a look at our Facebook Album to recap.

Want to learn more about how to best use Tunezy? We’ll have a post queued up later this week with some tips and tricks on how to interact with the website best.

Have you heard? We’re giving away something special with Clara C Music and David Choi - an autographed Tunezy T-Shirt is up for grabs! You have until tomorrow to enter, learn how here: http://tnzy.co/Tcz4c5.

Good luck!

> image credit to StreetPianos.com

If you are from Toronto (like us) you may or may not have noticed 41 beautifully decorated pianos that were scattered across the city. They are part of an Art project by British Artist Luke Jerram. Each piano represents a different country participating in the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games. The pianos demonstrate the diversity and artistic expression of each of the participants. The pianos have been touring internationally since 2008 from places such as Los Angeles, to Sydney and London. They were found in Toronto from July 11th to July 31st on various street corners, in train stations, markets and parks.

Recently we had the pleasure of having the lovely Alysha Brillinger into our office. She’s got an amazing voice and a whole lot of swag. Check out her cover of “Natural Woman” at the Yorkville Parkette piano location.

Isn’t she awesome? She told us that she was finishing up when the artist, Luke Jerram asked her to play one more song so he could record this video. She’s got some serious talent. We would love to hear some other Toronto musicians play too- so don’t be shy, feel free to post the videos and pictures you’ve taken with the pianos below! 

For more information visit Street Piano’s website!

Phew, that was a hard secret to keep!

We are thrilled to announce that the grand prize for the top performing Student Ambassador will be a $1000 cash prize and an internship with your favourite team: Tunezy.  So in case you missed out on the first round we are extending the deadline for the second round of applications til September 7th, 2012. That way, if you are lucky enough to be on some awesome vacation right now, you won’t miss out on this even cooler opportunity!

Our team was so excited about the new deadline and amazing prizes that we had to make a video to tell you all about the program. Check out Stuart’s crazy swag and our odd antics in the Student Ambassador video below!

We can’t wait to meet all of you!  Stuart and I have had the pleasure to speak with numerous student clubs, organizations and teams from each University and College campus and have been amazed with the number of music-loving, entrepreneurial leaders we have out there in Canada.   That’s why Stuart and I will be headed to a handful of University and College campuses to interview students and give away cool prizes as we recruit for the best of the best Ambassadors to represent Tunezy in the upcoming school year. So make sure you keep your eyes and ears open for people (us!) with guitars in Tunezy Tees! 

Be sure to visit http://www.tunezy.com/ambassador for more information!

Apply before September 7th by clicking here. 

Best of Luck,

We hear you fancy shirts - we’ve got them! The team decided to celebrate our public beta by giving another one away. This time, we want your tweets.

Tweet and follow @TunezyMusic with the following message:

Hey @TunezyMusic, I’m loving [ARTIST] on #Tunezy [LINK TO THEIR SONG ON TUNEZY]. Keep it coming!

CLICK TO TWEET: http://clicktotweet.com/d6FX4

Customize your message and let us know who you love listening to on Tunezy - you might just have some new threads because of it.

Some not-so-fine print:

• Must live in North America
• No cash value
• Contest closes August 10, 2012
• Be sure to share the image of you wearing the shirt, if you win!

Happy Tweeting! We’re sure you’ll love this soft make shirt, it has magical music powers.

Today we’re opening our platform to the public in beta format.

Seven months ago, Tunezy was just an idea. We had a vision of creating an online platform to help a struggling music industry, amidst an era of digitization. We started with humble beginnings working out of a living room for the first two months, then moved into an office space in uptown Toronto. In a room full of laptops, prototype diagrams, an abundance of snacks and cans of Red Bull, we created what would be the first iteration of our product. It’s been one heck of a roller coaster ride, but it’s been well worth it. We’re sharing our site for the first time with the public, in early stage beta.

Of course, what we created back then was not even close to what we are launching today. After months of working tirelessly, we’re happy to show you what we’ve been building.

If you were on our alpha and private beta invitation lists, thank you for providing your constant feedback to make us better. If you’re new to Tunezy - Welcome! We’re eager to have you on board, just sign up using your Facebook account on Tunezy.com, and get listening and watching. You’ll receive a quickstart on how to get the most out of your music experience, it’s easy to follow along.

Look out for goodies that show up in our Marketplace - we’ll be adding merchandise, concert tickets, and experiences constantly.

We’re still working to better the website - don’t mind if you see a few things change and get tweaked here and there (it’s all based on your feedback!)

Keep in touch, we’d love to hear from you. Follow us on Twitter, Fan us on Facebook, and Watch us on YouTube.

Much Love,

Congratulations to Mark Velarga for winning a Tunezy T-shirt! Please contact hello@tunezy.com to claim your prize.

* * *

Hey! So we heard that you like these shirts - and you too, could be like Jenn. Interested in getting your musical hands on one of these? We’re happy to announce that you can win one, but you need a little leg work.

We’re giving away (1) of these lovely shirts, that now come in a soft material with lots of Tunezy edge. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Tell us where you’ll wear this, and what song you’ll be listening to (and why!) - leave your comment on this post
2. Like us on Facebook.com/TunezyMusic and share this post on Facebook with your friends (we can see, so no cheating!)
3. Follow us on Twitter at @TunezyMusic

Some terms apply:

• Must live in North America
• No cash value
• Contest closes July 21, 2012
• Be sure to share the image of you wearing the shirt, if you win!

Looking forward to sharing Tunezy with the world, one shirt at a time.

Much Love,