What is YouBloom?
YouBloom is a new social network designed to connect music lovers with exciting new artists. As a YouBloom Friend you are encouraged to explore the site for new talent, build and share playlists with your friends, keep a blog about your discoveries, and personalize your profile with our long list of free tools and applications.
Everyone on YouBloom can earn points on Artist pages and redeem them for music or other Rewards that Artists create. Check the Rewards section on an Artist's Profile Page to find out what they are offering in exchange for points. If they not yet offering Rewards, feel free to give them a nudge.
What Do I Do First?
When you first log in, you are taken to your Home page. This is your behind-the-scenes control panel, where you receive and send messages and manage your Profile. Detailed information about adding and removing Applications is here.
Notice that when you visit your Home page, the default Application that is featured in the middle section of the page is your 'Messages'. To view or work on another Application or activity, choose it in the 'Manage' section on the left side of your Home Page.
To see your Profile, you can navigate away from Home by clicking the My Profile link on the top navigation bar or stay where you are and use the Preview function to see what your Profile looks like to everyone else.
What are points?
At the heart of YouBloom is a Points and Rewards system. Earn points by hosting Artists' songs in your Playlists, forwarding Profiles to your friends, or interacting with Artists in a number of other ways. You can redeem these points for music, pictures , or any other cool stuff the Artist has to offer.
| Points |
Activities |
| 1 |
Host an Artist's Song - one per day |
| 1 |
Forward a Profile - one point per Profile |
| 5 |
Post a Blog Comment |
| 5 |
Post a Comment - once/day per Profile page |
| 5 |
Rate a Song |
| 1 |
Share a Song - one point per Profile |
| 5 |
Vote in a poll |
What is a Friend Account?
If you are a music lover and want to start creating Playlists and earning Points, a Friend account is for you. In addition to interacting with Artists, you will be able to upload photos, keep a blog, create and share playlists and polls to find out what your friends are interested in.
What is an Artist Account?
A YouBloom Artist account enables you to upload, market, promote, and sell your music, grow your fan base and keep in touch with them; engage and connect with your fans in an interactive and organic way. Artists' accounts must offer Points and Rewards to Friends on YouBloom.
What Are Applications?
Applications add functionality to your Profile page, such as Blogs, Image Gallery, Comments, Featured Friends and Artists lists, Polls, etc. You can add and subtract Applications from your Profile and manage their content at your Home page. Use the 'Manage' link under any Application on the left side bar. When you sign up all your Applications are added automatically. You then have the option to turn them off, except for your Profile Summary and (if you have an Artist account) your Activities and Rewards Applications.
You can manage Application content while on your Profile page, just click the 
icon at the top of any application to find out more about it. The other icons at the top of each Application have the following functions:
- 
Click here to change the name and the Look and Feel of the Application. Changes can also be applied to other Applications.
- 
,
Use this to collapse or open an Application. When collapsed, YouBloom users cannot access this Application on your Profile.
- 
Use this to be taken to your Home page with this Application in the middle pane.
- 
Use this to remove the application from your Profile page. If you want to re-add it, you do so via your Home page. The settings you last used will be saved.
Site Navigation
Profile Page
This is your public face to the YouBloom community. To make changes to your Profile Summary section, click Home and choose 'Manage My Account.' To add Applications to your Profile Page, go to the 'Manage Applications' section on your Home Page. To re-arrange Applications on your Profile Page, click the header and drag to another area on your Profile. Notice that a gray box with arrows indicates where the Application will land when you release the button on your mouse.
Home Page
This is your home base - the page where you manage your site and send and receive messages.
Features include:
- Notifications – let's you know about new messages, requests, and updates sent to your account
- Events Calendar - use to organize your events and post concerts
- Manage Application - Add or Delete Applications to/from your Profile Page and change their content.
- Manage Contacts - search, send messages to, feature, and delete Friends and Artists
- My Account - Edit your basic information, choose or modify your Profile pic and wallpaper, and delete your account.
- Points - track Points that you have given and/or received here.
- Communicate - Keep track of and send messages, find members, and invite friends to join YouBloom.
Navigation Bar
My Profile
Navigates to your Profile Page as seen by visitors. You also will see edit options that are not visible to your visitors.
Preview
Generates a view of your Profile as it looks to visitors.
Browse
Find other YouBloom members.
Upload
Use to upload pictures. Artists can also upload their copyrighted material here.
Home
Takes you to your Home Page
Invite
Invite your friends to join YouBloom. When they accept your invitation and create an account, you will automatically be added to their Friends.
Quick Start
Helpful tips on how to set up your account so that it works best for you. You're reading it right now.
Upload Images
Images are added to folders. Your default folder is called My Image Gallery. To add new folders, choose the 'Create New Folder' link on Image Gallery Application on your Profile Page. There are three ways to upload images to your YouBloom account.
1. Upload Link on the Top Nav Bar. Choose images.
2. Profile Page - Click the 'Add Image' link in the 'My Image Gallery' Application. You can also choose the 'Create New Folder' link or the name of an existing folder.
3. Home Page - choose 'Manage Image Gallery' in the 'Manage Applications' section
Once here you can do the following:
- First Choose Folder, or Create New Folder
- Click 'Add Image'
- Click Save
How do I listen to songs?
You can listen to songs in many ways.
- By finding your favorite artist and listening to songs on his/her music player. Start by clicking on 'Browse' in the toolbar and then either searching for your artist by name or clicking through the photographs (in alphabetical order).
- By clicking on 'Top Songs' in the YouBloom toolbar. Top songs are ongoing.
- By clicking on 'Bloom or Gloom', YouBloom's weekly song contest. To listen to songs entered into the current week's contest, click on 'Entrants' and 'See the Whole Chart'.
- By clicking on 'Radio' on the YouBloom toolbar and following the instructions.
How do I use the music player?
The music player has many standard functions such as Play, Pause, Reverse, Skip, etc. Other functions are listed verbally on the player itself. In addition, the red 'Down' arrow to the left of the song playing allows you to do the following via the dropdown menu:
- Play the song
- Download the song
- Download the whole album
- Host the song in your playlist
- Host the album in your playlist
- Rate the song
- Share the song
- Read lyrics
How do I rate songs?
Using the red arrow dropdown menu to the left of each song title, click on 'Rate Song'. Five stars is the highest (best) song rating.
How do I download songs?
Using the red arrow dropdown menu to the left of each song title, click on 'Download Song'. Downloaded songs can be purchased using PayPal or YouBloom points.
How do I share songs?
Using the red arrow dropdown menu to the left of each song title, click on 'Share Song'.
How do I see lyrics?
Using the red arrow dropdown menu to the left of each song title, click on 'Read Lyrics'.
How do I create a Digital Album?
1) Go TO My Home> Applications> Music/Manage page (Song List page).
2) Click on "New Album" at the top of the page.
3) Fill out the appropriate fields for the Album Title, etc. on this page.
Case 1
A. If you have uploaded your new songs for this album already, then click on the songs in the list below to associate with this album.
B. Click "Save" and you are finished!
Case 2
A. If you have not uploaded your new songs for this album, create a new Album Title by filling out the album title information on this page.
B. Click "Save"
C. Then upload your new songs for this album.
D. To associate songs with this new Album Title, go to your My Home> Applications> Music/Manage page (Song List page).
E. Click the box to the left for each song that you want to associate with your new album.
F. Then click on "Actions" (the drop down menu)>Associate with> [the name of your new Album]." Because you have filled out your new album Title information previously, the songs will now be associated with that Album Title.
G. Click "Save". You're finished!
How do I create a Playlist?
1) Add the Playlist name on this page.
2) Click "Save". This creates your new Playlist name.
To associate songs with your new Playlist, do the following.
1) Go to the Music Player of the Artist where the song appears and click on the song to play it.
2) To the left of the song title, click on the triangle. A drop down menu will appear.
3) On the drop down menu, choose "Host Song in Playlist"
4) Choose the name of the Playlist you want the song to go into. You can create a new playlist name here also.
5) If you would like the song to appear in all your playlists, check the box before "Check All"
6) Click "Save"
What are ISRC, ISWC, GRid and MWLI?
ISRC Codes
The ISRC is a unique international identifier for sound and/or music video recordings. Comprised of a 12 character alpha-numeric code, the ISRC functions as a digital "fingerprint" for a sound recording and/or music video recording. Unlike a Universal Product Code the ISRC is tied to the recording and not the carrier of the recording (CD, cassette). In addition, the ISRC remains allocated to a recording regardless of changes in ownership. It is an extremely powerful tool for royalty collection, administration, and anti-piracy safeguards in the digital arena.
http://www.riaa.com/whatwedo.php?content_selector=whatwedo_is_r_c_codes
ISWC Code
The ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) is a unique, permanent and internationallyrecognized reference number for the identification of musical works. The ISWC is part of the CIS plan (Common Information System) which CISAC, the confederation of societies of authors, has developed in order to respond to the needs for information in the digital age. The ISWC has been approved by ISO (International Organization for Standardisation). There is an official document that defines how the ISWC should be structured, as well as the rules governing its issuance and application. An ISWC begins with the letter "T", followed by a nine-digit unique number (from 00000001 to 999999999),and an additional check digit at the end. (Written Format: T-345246800-1).
http://www.iswc.org/en/html/FAQA.html
GRid
The Global Release Identifier (GRid) works like a UPC (Universal Product Code), the bar codes that identify CDs and other products in stores. The GRid markers are attached to each song, album and multimedia package downloaded or streamed from record labels, online music retailers and services.
The British-based International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and the Recording Industry Association of America, its U.S. counterpart, began developing GRid in January 2001.
GRid is effectively an electronic version of the Universal Product Code (UPC) that currently identifies all CDs - but the electronic version is designed with a massively increased numbering capacity. One identifier gives any individual company using the system the potential to allocate codes for in excess of 30 million different releases.
GRid will not replace existing identification systems such as the UPC or International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) - it has been designed to work alongside those already in use across the music industry. It supports use of the ISRC as any electronic release containing sound or music video recordings has to have ISRC codes assigned to it before a GRid number can be allocated.
GRid is the result of IFPI and RIAA participation in the Music Industry Integrated Identifiers Project (MI3P), set up in January 2001, which included the music rights societies BIEM and CISAC.
IFPI will administer the system on behalf of the global recording industry. Users of the GRid system who wish to issue GRid codes will pay an annual fee of UK£150.00 to the GRid Registration Agency - a role that will be played by IFPI.
For further information please contact Fiona Harley at IFPI on tel: +44 (0)20 7878 7900, or Jonathan Lamy at RIAA on tel: +1 202 775 0101
EXAMPLE: A1-2425G-ABC1234002-M
http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/GRid_Standard_v2_1.pdf(a PDF document and guide to the GRiD system)
http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/grid-handbook.html
http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2003/02/57634
http://87.84.226.196/grid/grid-press-release-10-2-2002.html
MWLI (Musical Work Licence Identifier)
The major components of the MI3P Standard are:
In 2004, CISAC was appointed as the Registration Agency for the MWLI (Musical Work License Identifier)which provides the identification and description scheme for Licenses for the use of musical works. In parallel IFPI was appointed in 2003 as the Registration Agency for the Grid (Global Release Identifier), the international recording industry's standard for the identification of releases of sound recordings for electronic distribution.
The requirement for the unambiguous identification of licenses (or of usage terms sets where these are not based on licenses) has been explicitly recognized in the music industry through the introduction of the Musical Works License Identifier (MWLI).
A number of key standards have or are being developed. These include the Global Release Identifier Standard (GRid) and the Musical Work License Identifier Standard (MWLI) designed to be applied respectively to electronic Releases that might embody sound recordings, music videos and other digital content, and to Licenses issued in respect of the musical works contained within those Releases. The MI3P Data Dictionary provides the canonical definition of all elements to be used in associated message standards and other framework components.
http://www.cisac.org/
http://www.bumastemra.nl/NR/rdonlyres/FDCEDC12-6E69-455C-B1EF-3BDEEB87711A/0/CisacJV2004.pdf
http://www.mwli.org/
How is my privacy protected?
YouBloom does not sell the information we collect from our users to third-party companies. Our members create and control their networks, as well as their personal information. When you join YouBloom, you decide exactly what others can learn about you by creating and editing your profile.
For more information on how YouBloom values your right to control your personal data, please read our privacy policy.
What is an SKU?
An SKU is a stock keeping unit - a unique identifier, given by the manufacturer, for each product. For example, one song may appear as a Single, as part of a Digital Album or as part of a CD (compact disk). However, each product - Single, Digital Album, CD will have a different SKU.
I have more questions about YouBloom
Use the Contact Us below and we'll get back to you as quickly as possible.
I bought a song using my PayPal account but didn't see how to download it. What did I do wrong?
You can still download your song.
After you purchase a song for cash and pay using PayPal, you should click on the "Return to YouBloom" button on the PayPal screen. You will then be taken to a YouBloom screen with the name of your song and a "Download" link. Click on the link to download your song.
If you bought the song previously and have signed out of PayPal and YouBloom you can still download your purchased song.
1) Sign into YouBloom and click on "My Home".
2) Then click on "Applications" (to the left of the screen).
3) Then under "My Purchases", click on the "Manage" link. A list of your purchases will appear.
4) Locate your order number and click on it. A screen will appear with each item on your order and a "Download" link to the right of the item.
5) Click on the link to download your song from YouBloom.
Can I move the modules around in my profile?
To move modules around on your profile, simply click and drag the header bars to reposition each module. Your Profile Summary module should stay at the top.
One way to do this easily is to minimize the modules first (click on the box with the line at the bottom at the top right of each module) and then move them. When positioned properly, restore (re-expand) each module.
Does YouBloom supply metrics information to Artists about their page views, songs played, sales, etc.?
Yes. YouBloom supplies these as "Artist Metrics"
Artist metrics will be supplied to you in two ways:
1) directly from YouBloom, and
2) through Google Analytics.
Reporting for YouBloom metrics is driven by the Music Player and your Store.
Reporting for Page views is supplied by Google Analytics. YouBloom suggests every Artist set up a Google Analytics account. This will provide insights into your profile page traffic with Advanced Segmentation, Custom Reporting, Motion Charts, and more.
YouBloom Metrics
Find YouBloom Metrics by going to My Home>Applications>Dashboard. The Music, Revenue and Sales tabs are metrics supplied by YouBloom.
Google Analytics Metrics Setup
1) First, establish a Google email account by going to www.google.com/accounts and creating a new account. .(You can skip this step if you have a Google email account.) Follow the Google prompts to do set up your new account.
2) Then, log in to your Google email account and then go to www.google.com/analytics to sign up for a Google Analytics account.
3) Click the "Sign up" link or button , in the "Analytics: New Account Signup" page , making sure to fill out the "Website's URL:" as
"http://www.youbloom.com/web/xxxx" ,
where "xxxx" is your YouBloom unique URL (this can be several letters or numbers). Find this URL in your YouBloom Profile application.
For example, if your YouBloom unique URL name was "phil", then the URL that you would submit would be http://www.youbloom.com/web/phil.
4) After you click "Create New Account" button, you will see JavaScript code like this:
<script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost=(("https:" ==document.location.protocol)?" https://ssl.":"http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src= '"+gaJsHost+" google-analytics.com/ga.js' type= 'text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));</script><script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6211672-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); </script>
This is only an example - do not add this code!
5) Pick the unique id "UA-XXXXXXX-X" ("UA-6211672-1" in blue in the example above) from the JavaScript to submit to YouBloom. We will then add Google Analytics code into your profile page and other pages (e.g., your Store pages).
Make sure to enter YOUR unique ID, not the ID in the example above!
6) Now, to go back and find your Google Analytics metrics, go to http://www.google.com/analytics/ , then click on "Access Analytics" and sign in to your Google Analytics account using your email address and password. Your data will be there!
How do I upload a song, but not have it appear on the Music Player until I specify a release date?
There are two ways to do this.
First, upload your song using the "Upload" link on the main navigation bar followed by clicking on "Upload Music." You will now be on the "New Song" page. Then, fill out the song information. Do not save yet.
1) If you want the song to become active at a future date in the Music Player, simply fill out the "Release Date" on the New Song page as the future date you desire. Upload your music file and Save the song. The song will appear in the Music Player on the date that you specified. If you want to edit the date, simply edit that specific song for the new date.
2) If you are not sure of when you want the song released, first, upload your music file and Save the song. Then you can put the song into the "Disabled Songs" category.
To do this, first go to your song list by following My Home>Applications>Music Manage.
Then, check the box to the left of the song you want to enter into "Disabled Songs."
Above the song list, there is a drop-down menu with the word "Actions" in it. Click on the drop down arrow and choose "Disable." Click "Save." Your song will now be in the "Disabled Songs" category.
To re-enable your song, go to "Disabled Songs", check the box to the left of the song that you now want to enable, click on "Enable" in the dropdown menu, and click "Save."
Upload Music
Artists can upload their copyrighted music to their YouBloom account and music player. There are three ways to upload music to your YouBloom account.
1. Upload Link on the Top Nav Bar. Choose music.
2. Profile Page - choose the Manage Songs link at the bottom of your Music Player.
3. Home Page - choose Manage Music in the 'Manage Applications' section.
Once here you can do the following:
- Click 'New Song'
- Enter the song(s)' information
- In Options, choose whether to allow others to rate and/or host your song
- In Format, choose:
1. 'Streaming Only' to allow users to only play the song from the site or
2. Streaming and Downloads' to allow users to play and download your song
- In Downloads, choose whether your song is:
1. Free - users can download your song for free or
2. Points - users earn points from you and can exchange those points for your songs
What are the Performing Rights Organizations in different countries?
Below is a list of the 'PROs' and web links by geography.
International
Australasia
Europe
Asia
North America
United States
Canada
South America
- The "GRid" identifying releases
- The MWLI, identifying the Musical Works license
- A set of messages relating to licenses and to standardized usage reports from licensees.
