About
We’ve all heard the story of ideas for websites being drawn-up on the backs of napkins. While those make for great stories, that’s not EXACTLY how the idea for Countrytune.com was conceived… but there were napkins present.
In February of 1999 two old friends met in a Denny’s in Southwest Florida and were discussing all of the exciting things that the internet had to offer. Joe Patrick and Chuck Francis had known each other through Country Radio for over a decade, and bounced ideas back-and-forth about the web; the change that was being ushered in and what this information super-highway would mean to the world of entertainment, radio and music in general.
By the end of their reunion meal – they had mapped-out a rough outline for a web site that would be devoted exclusively to the world of country music, and more specifically – new country songs, artists and news. Seems hard to believe, but at the time there were only two major players online for sampling music from new releases – Amazon.com and CDnow.com… and neither site allowed visitors to sample every track on the CD.
Countrytune.com was launched later that month – featuring one new CD release at time, and allowing visitors to hear every song on the album BEFORE the CD was even available in stores. In its first year, countrytune.com’s pioneering approach to previewing country music online led to strategic partnerships with over 150 country radio stations in the U.S. – allowing their listeners to preview and win new music through the web. Later that year the parent company Tunecom was formed, and the Countrytune.com online audience continued to grow slowly and steadily from a few hundred visitors a month at first, to well over 10,000 visitors per month by Y2K.
Tunecom expanded its offerings to the country audience and record community with various online tools - including music previewing and audience polling, musical greeting cards, an on-demand jukebox, news updates and newsletters, contests and promotions, and of course – monthly new music features.
By 2005, Chuck Francis sold his interest in Tunecom to focus his attention on his growing web development business (USA Access) and new media consulting company (Remerge) – and original founding-partner Joe Patrick continued to expand Tunecom as a thought-leader in online country entertainment.
The past several years has seen an explosion in the world of online entertainment, and social media (web 2.0) tools have expanded the web users ability to access customized entertainment options with other like-minded fans. Video technology and delivery has advanced thanks greater broadband access and sites like YouTube. iTunes, FineTune, SeeQpod, Playlist, and others have made new music discovery more accessible than ever before.
Now as we head into 2009, Tunecom and it’s online assets (including Countrytune) have been purchased by USA Access – reuniting the two original founders just in time to celebrate Countrytune’s 10th year online. To mark the occasion (and to demonstrate that we still have a few surprises up our sleeves) Countrytune.com heads into this year with a brand-new look, and a renewed vigor for continuing this online entertainment revolution.
Admittedly, we still have a ways to go! However, we appreciate your continued loyalty and visits – and we look forward to having you aboard as we expand the features of the new site, and unveil new and exciting ways to interact with CT for many years to come.
