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BBC News Online

18th August, 2011

By Will Smale

PureSolo founders John Thirkell (left) and David Kaplan PureSolo now hopes its website will strike a chord with singers and musicians in the US.As many of us can attest, having a go at karaoke in a pub can seem like a great idea at the time - but less so when we remember the morning after. Perhaps as a result of so many tuneless memories, more and more amateur singers are choosing to get their karaoke fix in the privacy of their own home.

And they are increasingly doing so via their computer, using one of the growing number of online karaoke providers, which according to industry figures have seen their trade increase four-fold over the past year. One start-up UK website, PureSolo, has gone a number of stages further.

In what it says is the first business of its kind, vocalists can download a song - from thousands of popular titles - and make as many recordings as they like for a single one-off fee per track. They can then share their performances with other PureSolo users, burn or email a copy, or attach it to their Facebook page. PureSolo is also open to musicians, who can choose to play any instrument featured on a particular song. You simply pick which instrument you wish to be muted, and play your guitar, bass, saxophone etc into your computer's inbuilt microphone. And if you want a little help hitting the right notes, the sheet music or tablature is displayed on your computer screen.

'Absolute jungle'

With licence agreements in place with all the main record companies, PureSolo, which launched in the UK in 2007, has now just expanded into the US - a move it believes will transform the business. The company, which currently employs just 14 people from its London office, was co-founded by UK professional musician John Thirkell. Still much in demand as a session musician, Mr Thirkell has played trumpet for everyone from George Michael to Tina Turner, Jamiroquai, and Roger Waters from Pink Floyd. "It can be a lonely business learning an instrument, so the idea for PureSolo was to make the process as enjoyable and interactive as possible," he says.

However, before PureSolo could get up and running, Mr Thirkell and his co-founder, former Goldman Sachs financier David Kaplan, first had to persuade the record label bosses. This was far from easy to begin with, they said. "Getting the publishing rights was an absolute jungle," says Mr Thirkell. "We had to persuade and cajole. PureSolo's users only have to pay once for a track before making as many recordings as they want. "We had lots of meetings with the record labels, and told them they should consider us as an alternative revenue stream, and another way for them to engage with their fans." Mr Kaplin adds: "At the first meeting they looked at me as if I was mad. "But we kept arguing our case and persuading, and we got there eventually. Getting the first record company on board was tough, but once we were over that hurdle, the others followed. "And now we have entered the US, which offers massive potential to grow the business. There is a giant market in the US for PureSolo, a huge amount of singers and musicians."

'Learning tool'

With downloads costing from 49p to £1.99 per track (of which the publishing firms take a cut), PureSolo has doubled its number of UK users to 42,000 over the past year.

To help achieve this, its promotional work has included running competitions with a number of high-profile musicians, such as Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler and DJ David Guetta. Mark Knopfler PureSolo ran a guitar playing competition where the winner received a lesson from Mark Knopfler In the case of Mark Knopfler, the PureSolo user who best replicated one of his famous guitar lines won a one-to-one mentoring session. For David Guetta, the winner of a singing competition was flown, all expenses paid, to see one of his concerts in Europe and meet the man himself.

Yet it is not just the rock 'n' roll lifestyle for PureSolo, as its website is also now being used by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music to help classical musicians practice for their exams. PureSolo's software is also installed on computers at schools across the UK as part of the government-backed Sing Up campaign to promote singing among children. "We are particularly proud of these two developments, as we always believed that PureSolo has real educational value," says Mr Kaplan. "Yes, there is a fun side to the business which attracts the karaoke fans, but it is a great learning tool."

'Bad habits'

Yet while learning to play an instrument via a website may sound enjoyable, is it ultimately any substitute to going to a proper tutor? David O'Callaghan, owner of Chiswick Guitar Group, who has been offering guitar lessons for a number of years, does not think so. He says: "Whilst the internet is a marvellously rich source of learning a musical instrument, there really is no substitute for learning technique, touch, and tonal control from another human being. "Bad habits are very easy to pick up when starting any new skill, and the guitar is no different. "I'm afraid the internet does not watch over you while you are learning, and is not there to tell you when you are doing something wrong." He adds that with many people now spending their working lives in front of a computer, they don't want to do so when they get home in the evening.

Sheet music

Yet such is the march of the internet, that even the main producers of sheet music are now increasingly seeing their business go online. Mark Mumford, European director of sales at Hal Leonard, the world's largest sheet music publisher, says: "Our online presence is growing and growing in significance. "The problem for us in the past is that while we have always had great websites, users would simply print out the sheet music, which as a result, was of a lesser quality, and of lesser use, than actually buying the book in the first place. "What has transformed things is the onslaught of the iPad [and its computer tablet rivals], which is exactly the right size for displaying sheet music. "We can rely on this to really enhance the sort of things we are doing regarding digital content."

At London-based Sunfly Karaoke, the switch to online has been even more dramatic. "Our DVD and CD mail order sales have fallen off almost completely over the past 18 months," says Franceska Brown, Sunfly's business development manager. "By contrast, downloads from our website have tripled, if not quadrupled. "For us, online is much more efficient because we can make the tracks live as soon as we produce them. We can follow the charts."

Back at PureSolo the focus is now on cracking the US. But have they considered trying to break Japan, the home of karaoke? "That's a tough one," says Mr Thirkell. "It is a challenging market with a lot of established players, but we haven't ruled out looking to try and get a local Japanese partner."

Music Week

Monday June 20, 2011

By Robert Ashton

PureSolo, A tool that allows singers and musicians to play along and record their own versions of hit songs, has launched in the US after sewing up deals with a raft of American publishers.

The company, which already has UK and European agreements in place with EMI, Universal, Warner/Chappell and Sony/ATV allowing it to offer around 25,000 studio quality backing tracks for musicians to play or sing over, has now signed comparable contracts with the four majors in the US and around a dozen indie outfits, including Kobalt.

PureSolo COO John Thirkell said the move would allow the company to significantly add to its existing 40,000 users from nearly 180 countries, who regularly download tracks for between 49p – £1.99 after selecting which instrument they wish to accompany it.

The PureSolo online music recorder will then provide a track (with guitar, vocal, bass, or any other 19 instruments specified by the user, missing from the mix) which they can then make unlimited number of recordings.

After making a recording, the user can then share the music with friends through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media.

Thirkell said the company had had to create a very complex suite of rights to enable the company to distribute the music and also for users to record it and disseminate it an infinite number of times. “There are publishing rights, mechanical rights, a whole bunch of rights which are interwoven and it has taken us around two years to negotiate them all and make sure everyone who should get paid does get paid,” he said. “Every song means there is a percentage cut to the publisher, a percentage to the collecting society and percentage to the master recording.”

With the back-end rights management system now in place, CEO David Kaplan said expansion into the US would provide an exponential increase in the number of users because it would unlock thousands more copyrights: songs are being added at the rate of around 50-75 each month in more than 30 different genres, from jazz to classical.

Well-known songs already available include Delilah by Tom Jones, I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash and The Flood by Take That.

“In terms of market size this is a major leap in the evolution of the platform,” said Kaplan. “Because of the rights the US publishers own it also means we are going to be exposed to the markets in the Far East.”

The site also offers regular competitions, with recent prizes including a guitar lesson from Mark Knopfler for the guitarist who provided the best solo on one of Dire Straits’ tracks. Kaplan and Thirkell believed the new US publishing deals would also lead to a whole raft of new competitions with US artists.

Applications for the iPad and iPhone are also being worked on and Kaplan suggested the PureSolo could also be used by record companies as a way for A&Rs to search for new talent. “This is the ultimate platform for auditions,” he added.

PRESS RELEASE: PureSolo.com the online music recording community has solidified its position as a unique promotional tool and incremental revenue stream for major artists in a competition with hit-maker and DJ extraordinaire, David Guetta.

In this once-in-a-lifetime competition, fans are invited to use PureSolo’s online platform to re-record the vocal part on specially remastered versions of some of Guetta’s biggest hits, featured on his latest chart-topping album One Love. The ability to record over David’s original tracks in this way is exclusive to PureSolo, and represents a new approach in the way that artists can connect with their fans.

John Thirkell, COO at PureSolo says, “The PureSolo platform offers new ways for Artists to connect with fans; competitions in particular, provide an innovative promotional tool, leading to additional revenues for the artist and increased engagement from the consumer. With David’s new album scheduled for release in November, this initiative couldn’t come at a better time.”

The competition’s amazing prize includes a pair of tickets to see David at one of his spectacular live shows in Europe, as well as the opportunity to meet the man himself. As well as providing travel and accommodation for the competition winner and their guest, competition sponsor ebookers.com will be covering the cost of the first 10,000 competition tracks. In order to redeem their free track, competition entrants must first ‘Like’ their local ebookers Facebook Page.

Steven Rice, Head of Offline Marketing and CRM for ebookers.com says, “When PureSolo presented us with the chance to be associated with such a high-profile artist as David Guetta, we instantly saw the opportunity to engage with a younger audience. By funding the tracks and thus making participation easier, we hope to encourage a lot of entries. We also look forward to making one lucky winner a lot happier!”

The competition is due to launch on the 4th October and will run until 14th November 2010. The original backing tracks required for entry are exclusively available at PureSolo.com. The first track will be free, courtesy of ebookers.com, with any subsequent purchases priced at £0.99. Once purchased, PureSolo tracks can be re-recorded an unlimited number of times and shared online, on CD and via email. A judging panel, including representatives from The Sun and EMI Records, will help David Guetta himself select the winning entry.

ABRSM, the world’s leading authority on musical assessment, and PureSolo, the online music recording community, are working together to provide musicians of all levels the opportunity to create their own recorded tracks at home using music from ABRSM syllabuses.

Beginning with a selection of pieces from ABRSM’s Flute and Clarinet syllabuses, this new service will allow flautists and clarinettists to view the sheet music on screen and then play, practise and digitally record their performances using PureSolo’s online music recording facility. Users can then share their recordings with friends, family and teachers via email, social networks or by burning to a CD. Users with a web cam can also create video recordings.

The site – www.abrsm.org/puresolo - launches on Thursday 15th July and will include its own in-built social networking function, allowing musicians to share their recordings with each other online. Teachers and students can use the facility as a teaching and learning tool, harnessing the benefits of teacher and peer evaluation.

Ben Selby, ABRSM Marketing Director, said: ‘ABRSM constantly seeks new and innovative methods of supporting students and teachers. We’re delighted to have formed a partnership with PureSolo to deliver flute and clarinet Syllabus repertoire in this new format. ABRSM has candidates in over 90 countries around the world and we’re excited by the opportunity that PureSolo gives them to share their performances with each other.’

John Thirkell, PureSolo COO, said: ‘We’re very excited about this new venture with ABRSM, which we believe will provide significant benefits to students, based on an Ofsted report outlining the importance of music recording in learning and improving music performance. We hope that the new service will become a helpful resource for students and teachers.’

To get started, musicians simply register at www.abrsm.org/puresolo where they can install the free PureSolo music recorder. Each piece from the syllabus can be downloaded at a cost of £1.99/piece, which includes on-screen sheet music of the soloist’s part together with the accompaniment track. Users can then begin to record themselves using either an in-built or external microphone, without leaving their web browser. Users with a web cam can also make video recordings of their performances. There is no limit on the number of recordings each user can make using each backing track.

Once recorded, the track’s balance levels can be adjusted before it is saved as an MP3 audio file, shared via email or social networking sites (eg Facebook, Twitter), or burned to a CD.

PureSolo.com the online music recording community has teamed up with guitarist Mark Knopfler to launch an online guitar competition, in which guitarists are given the chance to win a master class with Knopfler at his private studios in London.

Mark Knopfler is not only known for his role as founder and lead guitarist in Dire Straits, whose tracks ‘Sultans of Swing’ and ‘Money for Nothing’ are considered a staple in any respectable guitarists’ repertoire but also for his solo career and soundtrack recordings.

The competition’s unique method of entry offers guitarists the opportunity to take the place of Knopfler on three original recordings. These tracks have been specially remastered with the lead guitar part removed and entrants are invited to re-record this part in their own style.

Guitarists without access to recording equipment need not worry as all the tools needed to create their competition entry are provided at PureSolo.com. The site boasts an online recording facility that makes it easy for anyone to record music using just a microphone and computer.

Once submitted for entry, songs can be played and rated by other members of the PureSolo community, eventually creating a shortlist from which the winning recording will be chosen by an expert panel of judges including Mark Knopfler.

Joining Mark on the judging panel are Chris Vinnicombe, Guitar Editor at MusicRadar.com; and HP Newquist, author and founder of The National Guitar Museum.

The competition is due to launch on the 14th June and will run until 31st August. The original backing tracks required for entry are exclusively available at PureSolo.com and are priced at £1.99. Once purchased, PureSolo tracks can be re-recorded an unlimited number of times. The competition prize includes a return economy flight from anywhere in the world and two nights in a 5* hotel in London. There will also be a prize for the competition’s runner up, a Fender guitar courtesy of The National Guitar Museum.

The Stage is this week launching an exciting web-based competition to find a new voice for Musical Theatre.

In a tie-up with interactive music website PureSolo and international record label Silva Screen Records, The Stage is leading the search for a new singing star to appear on the forthcoming Silva Screen album release ‘The 100 Greatest Musicals’ alongside Stars such as Lesley Garrett, Dave Willetts and David Shannon.

Individual vocalists will record their competition entries at their computer using a mic and the innovative and easy to use PureSolo recording platform. Entrants can choose their preferred song from 3 male and 3 female vocal backing tracks drawn from the Musical Theatre catalogue of Silva Screen Records.

For just £1.49* entrants are able to download their selected track, record and re-record as many times as they like, before uploading their audition-ready performance to the site. A shortlist of 10 entries for final judging will be determined by online community votes before a panel of expert judges selects the ultimate winner.

The competition is open for entries from Thursday April 22 until noon on Thursday June 10 (6pm GMT). Online voting will close at noon on June 18. The Stage will announce the final results of the judging panel by the end of June.

The winner will then be invited to the studio during July to record their track for "The 100 Greatest Musicals” album, to be released Worldwide by Silva Screen Records later this year.

John Thirkell, co-founder of PureSolo, says: "We are thrilled to be working with two such respected companies to be able to offer an aspiring star this great opportunity. There is a wealth of undiscovered talent out there and we look forward to hearing some of it featured in the PureSolo community.

Brian Attwood, editor of The Stage, said, " We are searching for a great voice to fit in naturally alongside other greats such as Lesley Garrett, Dave Willetts and David Shannon and will be watching not only for the winner but keeping a close eye on runners up as well.

Full information on the competition, including how to register and enter, can be found at http://www.thestage.co.uk/musicalvoice and at http://www.puresolo.com/thestage. The competition will feature strongly in The Stage’s April 29 issue and will be further promoted in print and online.

* Payable from credits purchased, minimum £2

Notes to Editors:

The Stage is the UK’s premier entertainment industry publisher and has been publishing continuously in print each week for 130 years and online for 12.

PureSolo.com is a web-based music and re-recording software provider, founded in February 2007 by chief operating officer John Thirkell, a professional trumpet-playing and music industry veteran, and chief executive David Kaplan, a former partner with Goldman Sachs. They have built what they believe is one of the most comprehensive sets of licensing agreements in the world, covering the rights to offer their service and allowing their users to share their recordings legally.

Silva Screen Records is a London-based independent record label specialising in the re-recording of film, TV and stage scores. Silva Screen Records remains at the forefront of the music industry with their entire catalogue of recordings available for download and recordings being marketed and promoted worldwide for usage in advertising, TV programmes, mobile ringtones, synchs and feature films.

The eligible backing tracks for the competition are:

Female voices
Over the Rainbow – Wizard of Oz
Defying Gravity - Wicked
I Dreamed a Dream – Les Miserables

Male voices
All I Ask of You – Phantom of the Opera
Maria – West Side Story
Oh, What a Beautiful Morning – Oklahoma!

Relevant links:
http://thestage.co.uk
http://thestage.co.uk
http://www.puresolo.com
http://www.silvascreenmusic.com

Contacts:

The Stage Newspaper Ltd:
Scott Matthewman, Assistant Editor – scott [at] thestage.co.uk
Graham Aveling, Business Development Director – graham [at] thestage.co.uk

PureSolo.com:
John Thirkell, chief operating officer – john.thirkell [at] puresolo.com
David Kaplan, chief executive - david.kaplan [at] puresolo.com

Silva Screen Records:
Rick Clark, Manager of New Media and Music Production – rick [at] silvascreen.co.uk
Adam Greenup, Legal and business affairs – adam [at] silvascreen.co.uk

An initiative launched by PureSolo.com in association with Jazz FM will provide undiscovered jazz musicians with the break they’ve been looking for, in a series of online talent competitions.

For most budding jazz musicians, the thought of performing with some of the genre’s biggest stars is a pleasant daydream - but one that is seemingly unattainable.

PureSolo and Jazz FM have teamed up to make that dream a reality for a chosen few, in a unique series of competitions that will culminate with six winners being mentored by, and performing live with, three of the UK’s finest Jazz musicians: Snake Davis, Dennis Rollins and Steve Waterman.

Competition entry requires contestants to record themselves singing or playing along with the artists’ original backing tracks using the online recording platform at PureSolo.com. Following submission to the site, entries can be played and rated by other web users.

The eventual winners will be chosen by a panel and invited for a mentoring session with Snake, Dennis or Steve; before going on to perform with the artist at one of a series of gigs at select venues including the Pizza Express Jazz Club in London’s Soho and the Hay Festival.

PureSolo co-founder John Thirkell, himself an ex-member of both the Gil Evans Orchestra and Buddy Rich Band, says “PureSolo provides a great platform for musicians to record and share their talents, and what better way to develop and extend that sharing than to have the opportunity to play with some of the biggest stars in jazz at such world renowned venues.”

Richard Wheatly, Chief Executive of Jazz FM says “At Jazz FM we’re always on the lookout for innovative ideas to offer to our listeners as well as different ways to promote new jazz talent. We think PureSolo is a great way for budding musicians to share in the jazz music experience and as such, we are very excited to be working together on this project.”

The competitions will run as three separate events ending in June. Entry is at www.puresolo.com

If you would like any more information about this event, please contact Stefanie Bull on 0207 034 7340 or email stefanie.bull[at]puresolo.com

About PureSolo

PureSolo provides the opportunity for singers and musicians of all abilities to record their own performances using just a microphone and computer. With over 20,000 licensed backing tracks and PureSolo’s free online recording platform, users can record themselves within minutes and share the results in either audio or video format within the PureSolo community, other social networks such as Facebook, or alternatively save their recordings as CD or mp3 for their own personal use.

About Jazz FM

Jazz FM is the UK's leading broadcaster of jazz, blues, soul and funk. Originally founded in 1990, Jazz FM was re-launched in 2008 and celebrated its first anniversary as an independent company in October 2009.

One year on from its re-launch after a three-year absence, the station has not only far exceeded its own projected listening figures, it has also become the fastest growing radio station in the UK and the most listened-to digital radio station in London. Latest RAJAR figures (February 2010) give Jazz FM, which broadcasts on DAB (digital radio), satellite and via the internet, a weekly audience of 446,000 in the UK. Jazz FM's worldwide internet audience listens via the company's website, jazzfm.com, and through mobile apps which are available for iPhone, Android and selected BlackBerry and Nokia handsets.

Platform enables fans to sing along and record at home

7th October, 2009: PureSolo, the developer of the online music store which lets people record personal versions of well-known tracks to own, keep and share, has partnered with FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) to develop The X Factor branded karaoke for the official website at http://xfactor.itv.com/2009 which will allow fans to record themselves singing along at home.

The service will deliver an immersive brand experience online, allowing fans to do their own preparations, recordings and performances from within the comfort of their own homes.

Powered by PureSolo’s recording software and supported by a catalogue of thousands of backing tracks, fans will be able to download and record their own versions of the songs performed by The X Factor contestants to keep, re-record and share with others. The PureSolo platform will offer free recording software and licensed downloadable tracks, complete with lyrics or sheet music, and a professional backing track. Each karaoke track will cost £0.99 to download.

Robert Marsh, VP Interactive and Telephony, FME UK, commented, "The X Factor is a brand that people truly want to engage with and PureSolo has delivered a fantastic online karaoke platform to enable this interaction."

Initially, the website will offer tracks performed in previous seasons and from the series 6 auditions. Once the live shows start, backing tracks of the songs used in the programme will be made available as the show is airing. The karaoke function will also offer built-in sharing facilities enabling users to burn tracks to a CD, download and store on MP3 players, e-mail to friends, and upload to a dedicated karaoke community for fans of the programme. A special ring-tone feature is also planned.

PureSolo chief executive David Kaplan says, "We are thrilled to be working with FME to provide an easy and simple home studio recording facility which fits perfectly with The X Factor philosophy of engaging its audience. While PureSolo aims to provide an educational resource and a platform for aspiring musicians and singers, part of our strategy is also to partner with businesses that have music engaged audiences, and this deal is completely in line with our vision for the company."

The X Factor has won multiple BAFTA Awards and audiences peaked at a record-breaking 14.1 million during the last series making it one of the UK’s highest rated entertainment shows. The programme is produced by talkbackTHAMES, the UK production company owned by FremantleMedia, and Syco TV Production for ITV.

The official website was developed by the interactive team at FME along with talkbackTHAMES. It was nominated for a BAFTA television award in 2007 and this year won the Broadcast Digital Award for Best Multi-Platform Project.

The Sims on Stage is closing its doors on the 31st March 2009, meaning its members will not only need to start searching for alternative sites but they will also lose all of their recorded songs. Sims members can now ensure that this never happens again by visiting PureSolo.com - the only site that allows users to actually own their versions of popular songs.

The Sims on Stage allowed its members to stream backing tracks with a record functionality so that users could record their own versions of popular songs. The recordings were then stored on profile pages where other members could also listen. However, with the Sims on Stage closure, any recordings will be permanently lost in the internet ether.

A search of the actual Sims online forum reveals feelings of anger and frustration from many members, who are annoyed that, after years of custom, they are going to lose all of their recordings. Many have stated that they would even be prepared to pay for a subscription to keep the Sims going. But with the closing date looming ever closer, where will all the current members go for their wholly-owned karaoke fix?

Here are 5 reasons why “Karaoke 2.0” outfit PureSolo tops Sims on Stage and is well positioned to offer its customers more:

Burn Your Songs to CD
At PureSolo not only can you record yourself singing over the top of your favourite songs, you can also burn your recordings to a CD. Currently, no other online karaoke provider can offer this service.

Upload to Your ipod
With PureSolo, you can take your recordings wherever you go, just by uploading them to your ipod.

Mix Your Track
PureSolo offers more creativity to its users with an easy-to-use set of basic mixing tools. Users don’t have to mix their tracks but if they want a more polished sound, they can adjust the levels and add varying levels of reverb.

Email To Your Friends
PureSolo allows users to email their recordings right from within the PureSolo Player. Now you can share recordings with friends & family at the click of a button.

Get the Sheet Music & Guitar Tab
Whilst PureSolo has its own dedicated karaoke area, there is also an area for musicians, where members can download sheet music or guitar tab and record themselves playing along with the accompanying music. This means that any karaoke singers who also play an instrument can get everything they need in one place

PureSolo is pleased to announce it is featured in the latest e-bulletin from the Arts Council England initiative ‘Take it away’, designed to help more people get involved in learning and playing music. The bulletin is circulated to around 10,000 individuals all with an interest in music and includes articles and offers about new and exciting projects in the field of music making.

Musical instruments are often expensive, particularly pianos, percussion and brass instruments, which can be challenging for anyone interested in funding a musical interest. Take it away allows individuals to apply for a loan of up to £2,000 for the purchase of any kind of musical instrument, and pay it back in nine monthly instalments, completely interest-free.

We at PureSolo believe that once you have your instrument, there’s no more effective way to learn and improve than to play along with the pros - and it's even better when you get feedback from friends on how you're playing. Using the PureSolo Player you can view sheet music, lyrics or guitar tab on screen, and record yourself playing over high quality professional backing tracks of your favourite songs or pieces. You can practice and record as many times as you like and share the finished product with your friends, band or orchestra members and music teachers via email, CD and/or by uploading to the PureSolo online community or Facebook.

CEO and co-founder David Kaplan says: ”We are excited to be a featured project in the latest Take it away e-bulletin. We see evidence, backed up by a recent Ofsted report, that recording your music is an important element of musical progression. Plus, of course, to share your music is the ultimate joy.”

About PureSolo:
The PureSolo Player is a free downloadable application that lets musicians of all abilities create their own tracks from the comfort of their home or workplace. The free software makes it simple for anyone to view sheet music, lyrics or guitar tab on screen and then play, practice and digitally record their instruments or voice over high quality backing tracks featuring professional studio musicians. The PureSolo Player can be downloaded FREE at www.puresolo.com .

About Take it away:
Take it away is an Arts Council England initiative that offers an interest free loan (0% APR) between £100 and £2000 for people to buy musical instruments, supporting musical equipment and tuition, through a network of participating retailers across England. The loan is repayable in 10 parts, made up of a minimum 10 per cent deposit and nine monthly installments. The scheme is open to all UK residents over the age of 18.

The Take it away scheme is operated by ArtCo Trading Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Arts Council England) in conjunction with the Musical Instrument Finance Company (MIFCO). www.takeitaway.org.uk

See the Pure Solo feature here:
www.artscouncil.org.uk/takeitaway/stories/pure-solo.php

About Arts Council England:
Arts Council England works to get great art to everyone by championing, developing and investing in artistic experiences that enrich people's lives.

As the national development agency for the arts, we support a range of artistic activities from theatre to music, literature to dance, photography to digital art, and carnival to crafts.

Great art inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves, and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2008 and 2011, the Arts Council will invest £1.3 billion of public money from government, and a further £0.3 billion from the National Lottery, to create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.

With the launch of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra last month, the internet looks set to revolutionise how musicians can collaborate together.

In response, Pure Solo has made many of the audition pieces suggested by YouTube available as a free download in their PureSolo Player.

The PureSolo Player is a downloadable application that is available for free at www.puresolo.com . Here, musicians can browse a library of over 10,000 professional backing tracks arranged for a wide choice of artists , genres and instruments.

Each track typically costs 99p, with more intricate classical pieces costing up to £1.99. However, pieces for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra are free for the duration of the audition period.

"I was intrigued when I heard about YouTube’s Orchestra and saw many parallels with what they’re trying to achieve and our own goals and aims for PureSolo. We want to support this idea as much as possible and have decided to make YouTube’s suggested audition pieces available for free. I hope that any musicians thinking of auditioning will find the tracks we have created especially for them useful when it comes to preparing for their final submissions." John Thirkell, Managing Director.

To claim their free audition backing tracks, YouTube applicants can download the free PureSolo Player at www.puresolo.com . After the download has completed, users simply open the application and filter tracks by selecting their instrument and hitting the YouTube button.

Missed the chance to do your best Elvis imion at the office Christmas party? Fed up with the financial doom and gloom and fancy spreading a bit of festive cheer? Well help is at hand today because new visitors to www.puresolo.com can record their own fun, musical and personal Christmas greeting to share with friends, family and colleagues – for Free!

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without some heart-warming carols and songs about Santa, snow and sleigh-bells; and this year carols and karaoke aren’t just for parties.

PureSolo.com lets you create a musical, user-generated alternative to greetings cards by recording your own festive performance over traditional and contemporary professional Christmas tracks – just like having your own mini-recording studio.

Whether you’re a classical chorist, karaoke queen or just fancy having some festive fun with a little help from a musical instrument and a group of friends, PureSolo.com offers a choice of over 70 Christmas themed tracks that you can play or sing against to your heart’s content.

The choice from a wide range of tracks includes:

Traditional carols such as “Away in a Manger” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”

Kitsch favourites “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” and “Last Christmas”

Contemporary classics like “All I Want for Christmas is You”.

The PureSolo Player is free to download and first-time users of the new software are given a complimentary credit to buy one track – your Christmas single is free.

Your own Christmas single can be shared throughout the world via email or through the PureSolo social network, so you’ll be doing your bit for the environment as well.

David Kaplan, co-founder and CEO of PureSolo said: “People may not be digging deep into their pockets for the office Christmas party this year, but this doesn’t mean the festive spirit can’t be captured and shared in other ways. Nothing unites people over the festive season more powerfully than music and we all have a favourite song that puts us in the party mood, whether it’s a good old classic carol or a sleigh-bell filled glam rock tune from the 70s.

Recording your own Christmas greeting at PureSolo.com is a fun, inexpensive alternative to the traditional Christmas card and a great way to send something you’ve created yourself to someone you love, as a bit of festive cheer”.

Tracks are available to download through the PureSolo Player and are priced from £0.99 to £1.99. Once downloaded, a track can be used and re-used an unlimited number of times and can be burned to CD or emailed through the PureSolo Player. Each user receives one free download of their choice when they register to help them on their way.

The PureSolo Player is available as a free download at www.puresolo.com .

Experience your own virtual recording studio at PureSolo.com

Whether you’re a budding rock-star, an aspiring classical concert performer or karaoke fan, today is good news for musicians everywhere. From today, anyone can record their instruments or voice on over 10,000 professional backing tracks, for their own personal enjoyment or to share with others, by downloading the new PureSolo Player at www.puresolo.com .

The PureSolo Player lets musicians of all abilities, from new learners to experienced maestros, create their own tracks from the comfort of their home or workplace. PureSolo’s smart, free software makes it simple for all members of the family to view sheet music or lyrics on screen, play, practice and digitally record their instruments or voice over high quality backing tracks featuring professional studio musicians.

PureSolo is just like having your own recording studio. All you need to do is plug a microphone into your computer and play. You can choose from a catalogue of over 10,000 downloadable backing tracks covering genres as wide-ranging as classical, jazz, pop, rock, country, folk, soul and funk.

The slick, easy to navigate software makes it easy to playback and re-record tracks, while the unique functionality of the digital sheet music’s automatic page turns allows musicians to focus on their playing, uninterrupted.

PureSolo also makes it easy for musicians to share their musical masterpieces with friends, teachers or talent scouts via email or burning to CD. User generated music and content can also be uploaded to the PureSolo social network, where they can connect with like-minded musicians and get their friends to rate their tracks.

The PureSolo Player can be used again and again – even when you can’t be online. It’s safe and legal too, since it provides exclusively-crafted backing tracks and digital sheet music through licensed deals with the music’s original publishers.

John Thirkell, co-Founder and COO at PureSolo.com, said: “For many music enthusiasts, the joy of hearing themselves performing with professional accompanists on a piece they know and love gives them complete satisfaction in their learning. The ability to share their take on a favourite track gives users the chance to say “that’s me you’re hearing” to friends, family, potential band members, or even a record company.”

Tracks are available to download through the PureSolo Player and are priced from £0.99 to £1.99. Once downloaded, a track can be used and re-used an unlimited number of times and can be burned to CD or emailed through the PureSolo Player. Each user receives one free download of their choice when they register to help them on their way.

The PureSolo Player is available as a free download from today at www.puresolo.com .