Ally Distribution Launches Free Digital Download Player
mike lewis
- October 29 2008
- 14 comments
Ally Distribution, a Seattle based company that specializes in the distribution of action sports films, has released a new digital download service for company’s’ Web sites. The player is an embeddable widget (hosted by a third party), which allows retailer and industry Web sites alike to offer high-quality, digital downloads similar to iTunes. The full-length downloadable films are compatible with all platforms and all portable media devices. According to Rep Mike “Gags” Gagliardi; “There are no out-of-pocket costs, no set-up costs, no inventory, and it’s free to sign up. Any person visiting your website has the opportunity to download a full movie for a decent price. My shops just collect a check every month.”
The service was developed in response to a changing landscape in the distribution of action sports videos, which has film makers and retailers alike searching for a more profitable model. Transworld Business caught up with Ally Distribution Marketing and Sales Manager Tommy Monette to learn more.
TWB: Has this gone live on any sites?
TM: Yes it has, we officially launched last Friday (the 17th) and 30 key retailers nationwide have already posted it on their sites with more adding daily. check out:
www.emage.tv (Denver)
www.eternalsnow.com (Tahoe)
www.evogear.com (Seattle)
TWB: Why do you think this will work for the snowboarding film market?
TM: That’s a great question. iTunes has traditionally been a vehicle to sell Apple’s hardware, music is inexpensive, and feature length films have been priced significantly under market value. While iTunes has recently raised their pricing, film producers and bands still have to ’sit at the kids table’ so to speak, because the actual content sales from iTunes doesn’t pay out. As a snowboard film maker, of course you want your film on iTunes as it’s such a visible place, but you risk cannibalizing relationships with retailers whose DVD sales are down, or who want to offer downloads themselves. Snowboarding is a culture, one that is bred on the pages of magazines, in snowboard films, and on the retail shop floor. This is a way for us to help keep everything in the family–snowboard films to snowboard shops to people who snowboard. We also are adding titles to the player each week, these not only include all the new banger films, but a lot of the ones that never made it to DVD, the classics.
TWB: What do you think the future of the industry/distribution model is?
TM: I don’t think the distribution model will change that much, digital downloads are just another vehicle to present content. Distributors are still going to be fighting tooth and nail for the films they want to be associated with, producers are still going to shoot for the deal, and we’re still going to try and work as hard as we can for both the retailers and the producers we deal with. There’s just more to fight for now, as we’re not just talking about DVD’s anymore.
TWB: What has feedback from retailers/manufacturers been so far?
TM: It’s been amazing! All last show season, retailers continually asked us what we were doing on our end to allow them to compete with iTunes and other similar entities. We found the perfect partner to develop this software with, and it’s been working incredibly well. Retailers who understand online business and do it well have all been really excited with this. Since we’re only offering digital downloads through the player, there obviously isn’t any inventory or shipping, it’s green, and it’s free for them to host on their respective sites. Basically, they put it on their site, offer downloads to savvy online consumers, and collect a check each month. It’s a great revenue generating model for producers as well, as it cuts down on replication/production costs, and allows them to get their films out much sooner.
TWB: Do you get a cut of the fee?
TM: Yes, Ally gets a very small share of each download, the retailer or host website takes a percentage, and the lion’s share goes to the producer of the film.
TWB: How do customers pay for it?
TM: All payment is handled on the player itself, it doesn’t link off the host site–Visa, MC, Amex, and Discover are all accepted.
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October 29th, 2008 at 9:24 am
What do you guys offer in way of Marketing, do you help expense, production, tours, PR, Marketing etc… Ultimately are customers driven to your site to order film based on the producers marketing and PR or do you do any of your own based on the producers marketing & PR? Going to your site It’s seems titles get lost due to your large selection? So ultimately aren?t customers being driven to your site with what they want already in mind?
October 29th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Ally isn’t driving people to the Ally site to buy downloads, but instead giving shops, online shops, resorts even private Myspace pages a free download player to put on THEIR site — the player is not on the Ally site at all. But you can hit eternal, milo, emage and tons of other stylish sites to see it in action; sample willie first then download the whole Bluebird movie! or See What I See, or ? The Player will be everywhere soon…which is good for the films n brands. As far as support, we prefer to follow the lead of the producer, use their art and PR. We do help some with expenses of DVD authoring, printing as requested — but not the production itself. We help with some premieres but not tours. We like doing stuff that gets used in stores, that involves riders and filmed promo…and bar tabs. n’ yes, our website is hurtin’ fer certain but it’ll be relaunched soon.
October 30th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Sounds Cool, I didn’t realize the widget could be used by anyone, not only retail sites, IE industry blogs, etc? How do you deciede who gets and who doesn’t, Cause let say I have a blog, or take shrlap for example get lots of hits or used anyway, let say he put this on his site. Does he get some cash if people download from his site and how does the host monitor it? Or are you just talking about myspace pages that are for a specific movie?
You should also make it possiable for a film specific widget that brands and crew sites can put on their site so the only option they have is to download thier specific movies. This would be awsome because you will take care of all the backed development and payment because most production companies don’t have the cash to develope such backend or time to manage it.
October 30th, 2008 at 8:25 am
I’m not sure if it will be as appealing to shops if anyone can have it / use it. If was designed for shops and only allowed for shops to use, i can see great value.
October 30th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Working in a shop we’ll always sell video’s they’re great stocking stuffers, impulse buys, or people just want that hard copy. I have this widget on my site and while I’m still playing around with the sizing dimensions I think its a great option vs getting it from I tunes. Downloadable content is going to become the way of the future and I’m glad Ally saw it and ran with it.
October 30th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
We just got the downloader up and running a week or two ago and it seems to be running flawlessly. Not sure if we’ve sold any videos other than our own test downloads, but it works.
High quality videos, very good resolution and image quality, and cheap. We’re hoping the techies will eat ‘em up. But we also know that us old school guys will never get away from hard copies, so while dvd sales might swagger a little bit, we’re not concerned.
But, thumbs up to Ally for putting the downloader together, and another to Transworld for posting the article.
eternalsnow.com
October 30th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
“Who can get it?” — anyone, anywhere in the world can become an ALLY Affiliate and sell downloads and that’s what we want, and what the filmmakers want; MORE ways to watch and buy movies. Complete an affiliate form on allyvideo.com, you’re emailed unique Code within 24 hrs (or 1 hour). Paste that code into your website and you’ll have a working Player on your site. You get paid sales commission for any downloads connected to that Code. Check and report sent monthly.
Shops, Blogs, Producers, Brands, Mags, Clubs, individuals, Myspace pages — yeah, everyone and anyone can put it on their site. That being said, ALLY’s #1 priority is to take care of our thousands of shops and the Brands that we’ve always sold to and continue to sell DVDs to.
Also, if an entrepreneurial chap were to get his Code up on 20 or 200 or 2000 websites — he would make a $ales commission from all those websites. Or if he got that Code up on Wired.com or a site that gets 10 million hits, awesome! The filmers, riders, brands will all thank you for the extra exposure and sales!
Unique Brand players and other content-specific Players; “yes” — in the works and available soon.
October 30th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
i bougt 2 off eternsnow today. ‘what’ MAD rails and ‘Winter Renasaince’ MAD mt baker. i never would have bought or seen even these in a shop
October 31st, 2008 at 1:32 am
We’re just adding the code to our UK freestyle site.
For us Brits it’s a great thing to have, itune movies and the likes can’t be downloaded without a US account..which you can’t set up without a US bank account..so we struggle to get hold of legal downloads, sending many people to torrent sites.
This hopefully give people a legal alternative, and hopefully us a few dollars to spend on hosting and shredding
good forward thinking ally!!
October 31st, 2008 at 7:15 am
Sounds wicked, but you just better do research in who using the app, because you will want to maintain you brand equity and not end up on sites that has nothing to do with ASI. Also I hope the accounting on the backend is super tight, you could drive your accounting department nuts?
October 31st, 2008 at 9:53 am
Hey all… it’s good to see the conversation this has generated. To Bhawk, I completely understand and agree with the brand equity statement, but any joe schmoe out there most likely wouldn’t be interested in hosting something like this if they’re not a snowboarder. It’s not as if it’s full of MMA vids you know? Industry blogs are a great place for the download player, ESPECIALLY if they’re blogging about films that aren’t as well known, but are hosted in the player itself (see Mohican’s post). As far as the producers are concerned, this is a great way for them to gain international exposure if they don’t have international distribution for their DVD’s. Branny’s comment illustrates that perfectly. Aces.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:19 am
Props to the MNA statement LOL!