[ Web 2.0 ]

OdysseyLive: Death before Launch

Abe Olandres September 1, 2007 · 2 min read

Listen to article

ASUS Chromebook CM14 announced ASUS ROG unveils Strix OLED XG34WCDMS, Strix XG129C monitors BPI partners with Robinsons Retail for barcode cash deposits in stores DJI Osmo Mobile 8P globally launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5, Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 announced

I wrote at PTB two months ago that local social music network OdysseyLive seems to be dying a slow death, after talking with 2 independent sources close (but don’t want to be named) to the development of the project.

Last night, I received an email that will finally confirm it all. Here’s a copy of that email:

To all our faithful members,

We are in the process of making a brand new site that will blow you all away. It should be ready to go by the middle of September.

We regret to inform you that as of September 1st, you will no longer be able to access odysseylive.

Most of your profile information will be lost if you don’t grab it now.

It will feature a brand new, user-friendly SNS component, connected to a state-of-the-art music catalogue system that will allow you to browse old favorites as well as get into the latest sounds. Be the first to hear it at the new Odysseylive!

I’ll be in touch with you all to let you know when it’s ready to go!

If you are interesting in being a part of the new site as it grows and morphs into something spectacular, please email me at my personal email [email protected].

I can fill you in on what’s in store

Thanks for all the fun guys, gonna miss you. Hope to see you all on the new site!

VIVA LA MUSICA!

Thanks!
Olyvia and the Odysseylive crew

It’s already September the 1st but the site but odysseylive.net is still up. My hunch is that another similar service could be replacing it.

Enter PinoyTunes, another local music distribution site claiming to be the biggest online collection of Original Pinoy Music (OPM). I first heard about it last week from this Inquirer article. The article mentioned who runs the online music service — PinoyTunes.net is founded by Bambi Fonacier, who also owns music retail store Odyssey and the Touch Music Video digital entertainment station. — the same people who co-owns OdysseyLive with Mobius. Oddly enough, the site was running fine (although much lacking in content) last week but today it’s says it’s under technical testing (maybe moving over to the new site/domain?).

We’ll have to wait and see what will come out of it. It’s sad to see a Pinoy Web 2.0 start-up die an inexplicable death before it officially launches.

React to this article:

Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

7,991 Articles

View all posts by Abe Olandres →

28 Comments

Jose Cherney · 15 years ago

Greetings from Idaho! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to check out your website on my iphone during lunch break. I love the knowledge you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m surprised at how quick your blog loaded on my phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, awesome blog!

jerseys · 15 years ago

Simply want to say your article is as astounding. The clearness in your post is simply excellent and i could assume you are an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue the gratifying work.

Jaypee Aquino Hifarva · 16 years ago

yEs! I already met Mr. Bambi for the First time. He’s a great friend of my business friend. I really got amazed with that person, he’s so much humble.I asked my friend, before my meeting with Bambi, is that a humble man?yes, he said very much. I really appreciate him sooo much..His innovative and very smartttyy keen ideas of that business…Im very interested to make a very good program for that.

Im Jaypee From Italent Pilipinas Music, Events and Talent Center-0907*******

ishtela · 17 years ago

i visited both odysseylive and pinoytunes… im sorry but the two sites are completely different.. as a musician, i think odysseylive has more value for me since i can do my promotions there.. i need a facility to sell my music and are welcome to independent musicians.. i hate site that monopolizes and just entertains major labels…truth is, independent musicians MIGHT be more talented than the ones you hear or see on TV.

regarding pinoytunes, well, it just works for purchasing..and nothing much more interesting..

in odysseylive, well i got to talk to other bands and a got invited to a gig when we posted our original music.

so i think odysseylive gave us more.. supported us more… so i dont know why this is even a discussion, im a musician, ill go for odysseylive..

Azzzy Soriano · 17 years ago

looks like neither of you guys are cool about this!

do you guys represent both sites? looks like you both know something everyone else doesn’t know. what’s the big deal? rivalry? hey, healthy competition.

let the people be the judge of both sites.

to me (“states” or manila don’t matter), all i care about is the site’s music content and the quality of music…not the hype, nor the clutter just to grab attention.

keep it simple and straight. give the music and let the consumer be the ultimate judge.

azzzy · 17 years ago

looks like both you guys aren’t really cool about the issue…hahaha!

are you both representing the respective sites? you seem to know things not everybody else knows. and i’m speaking of the comments i read on this blog or forum.

let the people judge! let me check out both sites and i’ll give you my feedback. whether you’re both in manila or in the states, what matters is content. not “publicity”.

so as you say, let me check out pinoytunes and odysseylive, in manila or states, uhh, this don’t matter. dont give yourselves away. let’s uncomplicate it. content is most essential to us in the net looking for a place to download pinoy music. downloading matters. quality matters. or else, i’ll just stick with itunes which now carries pinoy music. that;s even cool–er!

setting the record straight · 17 years ago

to mr stradler –

its all cool, sir. mr bambi set up odyssey with his brother and sister-in-law in the 70s – he was the music man and they were the business and operations guys. it was a good mix. mr bambi ‘settled down’ as you said and left odyssey in the late 90s i think.

odyssey stores are far from white elephants though! they sell all kinds of products nowadays – videos, magic mics, electronics, even cell phones in some. including download stations and ringtone kiosks. plus, they’re on the frontier with odysseylive.net!

so its all cool, sir. enjoy both pinoytunes and odysseylive.net in the states!

STRADLER joey · 18 years ago

Me again. Just checked out all pinoy downloading sites now.

After reading the fine print above, I’d like to say that i dont think pinoytunes lacks content. I think pretty much of the music that “baby-boomer” Pinoys in the U.S. or elsewhere would want can be found in the current listings they have. They’ve got thousands to choose from and are way ahead of the pack…knowing Bambi’s “connects” w/ the record industry. I can’t speak for the youth though, but I can speak for their parents who control the $$ & the credit cards.

I’m sure a lot will follow the lead of Bambi again, the labels themselves, in trying to develop their own downloading sites. Mark my word. At least, bambi was ahead of the game again (though I dont think he’s after that).

When I left Manila, Bambi had 20 to 25 ODC stores to his credit. I left in ’95. Knowing how conservative and low-key Bambi tried to be (or how he portrayed himself to his rough & tumble colleagues like me), I remember once he told me that it was his obvious love for music that made him put up ODC and not his desire to have mushrooming stores all over town that may turn out to be white elephants later.

Now PinoyTunes! I’ll spread the word around pal!

STRADLER joey · 18 years ago

hELLO tTHERE.

sETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT.

Happened to spot this forum as I googled an ole’ pal’s name. I was an ole’, well not so old, DJ in the 70’s/early 80’s, & still doing gigs on the side but happily settled in the urban jungle, cris-crossing w/ old pals from the music biz now & then.

I know Bambi. Worked w/ and went to school w/ him at U.P. May I comment? I happened to be there when he conceptualized odyssey in the 70’s (w/c might make me ole for this kinda stuff, though I do enjoy facebook & tend to live in my computer on weekends).

Bambi’d come to school from his radio shows in his sports cars (the perks we were supposed to have had as DJs but Bambi enjoyed as a single guy way after college when all of us happily or “forcibly” settled down). Havent heard of Jay Fonacier then, probably he wasn’t even born yet. Maybe he learned a lesson or 2 from his uncle (yes they should be related as Bambi wouldnt just let go of ODC to a younger stranger).

But I know how Bambi started ODC and how he used to hustle his way to get our colleagues in the record industry to support his baby. Until next thing I knew (I left for US) it became a big success, w/ no less than our record biz buddies attesting to that.

Last time I read bout Bambi, he became an inventor of a great touch music gadget and now pinoytunes, a downloading store. Way to go Bambi!
You wont go wrong w/ music downloading as CDs are on the way out. “Physical” music stores are a sunset industry in the U.S. while music downloading is a sunrise industry. Just let Odyssey go man. I see that they’re denying here you ever started it. Well, we in the music biz and ole friends know the truth… so help us God!

Checked out Pinoytunes. Though its still far from the iTunes’ library of millions, thousands (as it claims it has) of pinoy songs will keep the US- based Pinoys like me happy. Glad Bambi pioneered that. Time to touch base w/ him again.

By the way, is this website run by odyssey guys??

setting the record straight · 18 years ago

alrite, just to set the record straight – odyssey music and video stores and odysseylive.net have no current connection with bambi fonacier, touch music video or pinoytunes. since the late 90s, odyssey has been run by bambi’s nephew, jay fonacier, and this period has coincided with their growth to 100 locations nationwide and becoming the top seller of music, video and accessories in the country.

odysseylive.net is the digital media project of odyssey, and it is FAR from dead. check it out. its one of the hottest sites on the philippine net right now, and is making big waves in the local music scene. its totally on the frontier – they have downloads of ringtones, wallpapers, the latest videos and songs, etc.

Benmar · 18 years ago

Hi,

Yes, I am also from the record industry. I know of Mr. Bambi Fonacier as the founder and President of Odyyssey records for many years…

He’s such a good man.

Thanks.

Finita Nuezca · 18 years ago

Yes he is a relative of the present owners of Odyssey. He is the younger brother. What people must know though is that he conceptualized and started Odyssey and handled it for 20 years from a small music store in Greenhills to the top record store chain until he sold it… to a relative. That is part of his history that can never be erased.

Bambi Fonacier was the founder of Odyssey Records. He founded it in 1976 while he was still a popular radio announcer and disc jockey at DZBM (among others) and a TV show host. In fact he named Odyssey after his morning and evening radio shows called “Morning Odyssey” and “Evening Odyssey” and his own TV show called “Odyssey 2” aired on the then channel 2. That goes to show that he founded Odyssey and ran it as its President from 1976 up to 1996.

I should know as I used to work in the record industry!

Ben Alegre · 18 years ago

Hi Abe,

Just to clarify… Bambi Fonacier is a relative of Fonacier’s who run Odyssey Music & Video. However, he’s no longer associated whatsoever with the company.

By the way, check out the “rebirth” of http://www.odysseylive.net.