Finally, YouTube Shows Some Real Value

If you want to get a glimpse of the true potential of community Web 2.0 sites (beyond being yet another way for clever marketing execs to spread their same old marketing messages) check out what River Cuomo has going on over at YouTube.

The lead geek of alt-pop poopahs Weezer, Cuomo has tapped into the YouTube community to collectively write and produce a new song. Cuomo is letting the YouTubers do most of the work in composing and creating the music, lyrics and video, while offering up his guidance and direction along the way.

For creative types and makers of user-generated content, Cuomo’s step-by-step postings and commentary are insightful and entertaining lessons on the song-writing process, served up by a master song writer. For the rest of us, the project (there are about 10 video postings so far by Cuomo and countless replies from the minions) is a case study in public Internet collaboration and a glimpse of a coming marketplace where consumers are actively involved in the design and development of new products and services.

It helps that the song Cuomo and his community are putting together (an anthem to individualism and 1980s pop radio) is actually quite good. The latest version of the song/video can be seen about half way through the video posted here.

My guess is we’ll all be hearing lots more about this project in the mainstream media this summer.