Songsmith: Microsoft’s Cringe-Worthy, Singing Video Ad
Microsoft recently announced a new product called Songsmith – an application that helps users create music/songs by providing the background music. Users select a musical style, sing into their computer’s microphone, and the program detects things like pitch and whatnot… and basically does all the accompaniment.
But the real delight isn’t in the application. It’s in the horrible, horrible promo ad that was released, along with the announcement.
On watching this, I had some difficulties making it past the first 30 seconds. And after that, it became this exquisite train wreck of a thing that I just couldn’t pull myself away from.
I got wind of the ad before I even head of the program. And on watching the promo video, the entire time, I kept thinking “No… no way. This cannot be a real ad.” I went so far as to follow the link at the end of the commercial, just to verify that it wasn’t some kind of terrible hoax.
But no, there’s an honest to goodness actual Microsoft page.
Just in doing this write-up, I’ve stopped at least twice to verify that it’s not April Fools’ Day.
I can’t believe this terrible concept made its way all the way through the corporate chain, and arrived into the real world. If anything, this should be a cautionary tale for all businesses, on how shitty ideas in meetings become PR nightmares in the marketplace.
Thanks to this ad, everyone will be talking about Songsmith… but singing a very different tune than what Microsoft intended.
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wow.
margaret (January 9, 2009 at 11:08 am)This cannot be real. I still can’t take this seriously. It just looks like a complete farce.Is this their Garage Band competition? Also does anyone know why the guy’s daughter is working on an Apple laptop? Those are flower stickers covering the logo or am I mistaken.Either way while I am singing a tune in my local coffee shop at least Songsmith gives me an excuse for it, so everyone stops staring at me and calling the cops.
Justin (January 9, 2009 at 12:36 pm)If this is real, I hate you for making me watch that. Granted, I only watched about 1 minute cause that little girl was annoying as ****.
TJ Mapes (January 9, 2009 at 1:21 pm)Ghetto! I wonder what the total budget was for that video.AND, it’s SO OBVIOUS that the main guy’s computer is a thinly disguised MAC!
Cousin Ellen (January 9, 2009 at 1:54 pm)It turns your whole life into a musical! You can’t put a price on that!I, too, said over and over, “They can’t be serious. They cannot be serious.” But yes they are. Apparently Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer showed it at a conference keynote address.AppleInsider calls it a “bizarre demonstration video.” Take a look at what the folks here have to say about it: http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/01/08/will-someone-else-please-blog-the-microsoft-songsmith-video-for-me/Egad.
juliet (January 11, 2009 at 12:08 pm)Oddly, I think that Microsoft’s “Beamz” actually looks pretty neat. Like Songsmith, the commercial is also pretty terrible, and the music examples all seem pretty awful as well. But the concept of the interface seems interesting enough.Aside from the synth drum techno pop, the new agey meditation music, and the Carribean jam session… I actually like the concept of the machine.Now, whether or not I’d pay $600 for it is another story. It strikes me more as an expensive group toy, rather than an actual musical instrument.While the Beamz ad is bad, it’s nowhere near as awful as the Songsmith ad. The moment that girl opened her mouth, I had the same reaction as TJ… my brain immediately said: “we’re done here.” But part of me just had to keep watching, finding it impossible to turn away from that kind of a slow-motion train wreck.
avoision (January 12, 2009 at 12:06 am)i was singing “you sing into the microphone” all weekend. damnit.
margaret (January 12, 2009 at 9:04 am)