We Reupholstered Ourselves!

logo300x300It’s the early 2000s, and file sharing is upon us. Napster has successfully opened the floodgates and brought this new phenomenon out into the public eye. No longer just the territory of tech-nerds, the average person is now able to share mp3 music files through email and other means. Over the din of new peer to peer file sharing software (R.I.P LimeWire) and massive album leaks, one could almost hear the cry from the music industry for a solution. In the midst of all the chaos and Metallica lawsuits, Destiny saw an opportunity and MPE technology was created.

Originally a video game company, Destiny went public in 1998 and switched gears, focusing on Internet technologies. After launching Destiny Broadcast Network in 1999, the first ever internet radio, the company was in familiar territory when it came time to make the next move. MPE (for those of you who have been in the dark for all these years, it stands for Music Protected by Encryption) was a self-contained program that allowed customers to either pay $1 for the track or view a sponsored ad. MPE was already ahead of the times, but we didn’t stop there.

As the times changed, however, so did we. Being heavily invested in both the tech and music industry, the balance between the two worlds has always been a large influence on both design and product. As the music industry made the transition to the digital world, our product evolved to meet those needs. Our service became more all-encompassing through various partnerships, increased promotional value, added tech support (shout out to Pete, the fastest shooting help-desk reply guy in the west) and constant refinement on the product side.

For a period of time, part of the promotional expansion came from partnering with Promo Only, introducing the beginning of a much heavier promotional aspect to the service. With more and more labels jumping on board, we quickly became established as the go-to for pre-release, promotional distribution. After parting ways with Promo Only, we felt it was a good time to add a little more fun and musicality to our name. The solitary MPE was joined by Play, becoming the now elegantly titled, Play MPE! Reflective of both our innovative past and a reminder that music is a joyous thing, the name stuck! After all, if Snoop Dogg can become Snoop Lion overnight, we can make minor changes too. Thus, the new era was ushered forth.

That vision has carried us forward all the way through to today. Our newly launched website is testimony to not only our forward thinking company culture, but also a nod to our longevity and distinguished past as the industry standard. Speaking to our very own Graphic Designer extraordinaire, Ryan Gutierrez, he explains that “the new logo and webpage retain many of the distinctive yet simple elements of the previous design, but also allow for a more versatile look and concept. Music can be open, progressive, and full of subtle expression. With that in mind, we wanted our company focus of offering a seamless client experience for both labels and radio to be reflected in our new logo and webpage design. Simple yet effective. The technological aspect is obviously crucial to our success, but it is the overall service-based experience that is at the forefront of what we do.”

When it comes to the chosen color schemes, things aren’t so straightforward. The original Play MPE logo was created by a design firm based in California, the home of three NHL hockey teams, the Anaheim Ducks, LA Kings, and the San Jose Sharks. Despite this, there is evidence to suggest that they are secretly fans of the Vancouver Canucks, without a doubt one of the greatest teams of all time. As many people know, Destiny Media headquarters are based in Vancouver, Canada. The original (and current) Play MPE logo consists of the very same green, white and blue colors that can be found on a Canucks jersey. Coincidence? We think not. The firm in question was unavailable for comment at this time.

From day one, regardless of the release, artist, country, or time zone, we have been committed to the same promise of a support-driven, seamless, client experience. You can trust our service team to take care of things, getting your music to the world’s largest actively managed community of DJs, programmers, and bloggers. Our team consists of credible, knowledgeable music experts that are here to help!

Head on over to our new webpage at www.plaympe.com to see what all the hype is about! And if you’re so inclined, feel free to support the boys: canucks.nhl.com! Go Canucks Go!

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