Just call him Mr. Super DJ

If Sharon Cuneta were to release her first hit single today, it would probably be retitled Mr. Super DJ.

All around us is technology that allows people more options to conveniently listen to music of personal choice.

Who doesn’t own an iPod, or an MP3? Or a mobile phone that at the very least use music as ring tone? But the one to beat all has finally arrived: the Touch Music Video (TMV) system invented by a Filipino no less.

A couple of days ago, our friend Bambi Fonacier, a radio dj-turned-TV host-turned owner of Odyssey Music Stores in the ‘80s, invited us to experience his new baby. And in less than an hour, we had to agree with him that we did, in fact, see the future of music merchandising right then and there.

TMV, like the karaoke a few decades back, will change the listening and buying habits of music lovers not only here in the Philippines but worldwide. The system addresses the need of many music lovers to be in-the-know that it’s hard to believe it took this long for TMV to be realized. TMV is an entertainment system hinged on a patented software program that makes the current 3CD music listening stations mostly used in record stores outdated, impractical and obsolete. If these 3CD music listening stations have, at most, 30 to 50 songs up for sampling by listeners at any given time, TMV can archive up to 15,000 songs at disposal!

Using just the fingertip (the system works with a 17" touch screen flat panel LCD monitor that comes with the purchase), displayed titles of songs and albums and names of artists are presented alphabetically and by genres that could be stored, selected and sequenced instantly. It’s so fast that if it takes iPods or MP3s to upload 10 songs in minutes, with TMV, it’s just 10 seconds.

And it’s so user-friendly anyone can use it. We know because we’re no techy. This means we could best tell you what having a TMV means in the practical sense.

It means that with TMV, we no longer have to worry that our CD collections will get scratched every time we want to listen to it. We only have to upload the music once to the system and it’s there, waiting to be played ad infinitum. Our CDs can just be displayed to impress guests.

During parties, we don’t have to stand up to change what’s playing. Let’s face it. Few people at parties play an entire CD through because usually, not all the tracks suit the mood or are familiar to guests. With TMV, no stack of CDs is lying around and there’s no reason to leave a running conversation just to "kill" Madonna and switch to Barbra (Streisand).

Want to sing but don’t have the energy or time to go out to a sing-along joint? Then why not just hold a concert at home? Upload your CD minus-ones to TMV, sequence selections according to a personalized repertoire, clear the throat then howl.

It saves us from reaching for aspirin. Remember the time when you reached for a CD, opened it and found no disc inside or a different one? Then you look at your collection wondering where it went only to decide not to play music at all since you’re daunted at the sheer volume before you. Then sometimes there’s this song title or name of an artist at the tip of your tongue. Some favorite, perhaps, by your mom or grandma who just dropped in to visit you. Now, you want to make them feel welcome by playing their favorite song but can’t because memory fails you. Never again with TMV.

Bambi says he actually invented the TMV for the industry. Being a part of the music industry for so long, he certainly knows its needs. Record store owners, read up: According to a study of music consumer habits made in the US recently, 78 percent use listening stations at an average of 12 minutes per visit to record stores. Most, who had no intention of buying a CD when they come in, end up purchasing or at least marking some they have sampled for later purchase.

And to think that these people only get to sample a negligible number of CDs versus the 750 CDs or more that TMV could offer. Getting one is definitely a good business investment.

A local store, in fact, rented out a couple of TMVs recently to see how effective it is as a marketing tool. Lo and behold, when the sales report of the record store came back, they noted a 100 percent improvement versus no TMV and just the 3CD Listening Stations. Even CDs or companies that used to do slow sales benefited.

Indeed, how could they not? With TMV, all CDs are promoted equally. Superstar or not, people will see your CD and will probably give it a spin at least because, really, what would it cost them to do so? How could using just a fingertip be that difficult?

This is good news even to little known but talented artists. With TMV, their albums no longer have to languish behind other CDs or in the lower portion of shelves where people don’t usually see it. If your music is in TMV, it will be seen and made available at the least. Little wonder that when Bambi recently went to the US to see how industry movers and shakers there would react to TMV, all were incredulous of its features and capabilities, to the point that many thought it was a Japanese invention.

But, no, TMV is proudly Pinoy – and bound to be the next status symbol acquisition and this year’s hot Christmas gift must-have. For now, TMV could only be availed from the company that makes it with contact numbers 726-8249, 724-5308, 0927-3892935, 0917-2050500 and 0917-4799594. Or log on to www.touchmusicvideo.com.ph

"Mr. DJ, can I make a request..."?

With TMV, it’s "Mr. Super DJ, can I make lots of requests?"

Sure. No prob.