BowieNet

BowieNet was an internet service provider launched by David Bowie in 1998 and active until 2006.

Homepage of BowieNet

History

Bowie was an early user of the Internet, and in 1996 he released the song "Telling Lies" as an Internet download, the first downloadable single by a major artist.[1][2]

In 1997 and 1998, Bowie worked with Robert Goodale and Ron Roy to understand the potential of the internet as a resource for music distribution and fan outreach.[3] BowieNet launched in September 1998,[4] and offered dial-up service access to the Internet for $19.95 per month or £10.00 in the UK.[5] Users with another ISP could pay $5.95 to access www.davidbowie.com.[6] Members received an @davidbowie.com-ending email address and had exclusive access to audio recordings, music videos and chat rooms, which Bowie participated in himself. Bowie went by the moniker "Sailor" in chat. He would appear unannounced and talk, with a special guest sometimes joining in,[4] and on the site he would upload personal photos as well as images of his paintings and some of his journals.[4] For the service, Bowie partnered with the network services companies UltraStar and Concentric Network Corp (now XO Communications).[6] At its peak, BowieNet had about 100,000 customers.[5]

BowieNet ceased operating in 2006.[7]

Song contests

In 1999, Bowie ran a contest through his website to help him co-write a song. Over 80,000 people submitted lyrics. The lyrics chosen were written by a 20-year-old American about the concept of a virtual existence on the internet. The recording of the song was live-streamed via a 360-degree interactive webcast, a groundbreaking technology at the time. The song titled, "What's Really Happening?", was later released on the 1999 album Hours....[4]

BowieWorld

The site offered access to BowieWorld, a 3D environment that allowed users to control an avatar that could walk through a three-dimensional city, decorated with images Bowie chose including pictures of himself and posters, and communicate with other users.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Bowie's new single debuts on Net only", The Herald: 7B, 13 September 1996
  2. Rambarran, Shara (2021). Virtual Music Sound, Music, and Image in the Digital Era. New York: Bloomsbury Academic & Professional. ISBN 1-5013-3362-3. OCLC 1236265553.
  3. "BowieNet: how David Bowie's ISP foresaw the future of the internet". the Guardian. January 11, 2016.
  4. "David Bowie: The internet pioneer". BBC News. January 11, 2016.
  5. Brodkin, Jon (January 13, 2016). "David Bowie's ISP, as remembered by the guy who helped create "BowieNet"". Ars Technica.
  6. Newman, Lily Hay (January 11, 2016). "Remember When David Bowie Launched His Own Internet Service Provider?". Slate Magazine.
  7. "RIP David Bowie, Internet Pioneer". MIT Technology Review.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.