Microsoft Soapbox Aims to Scrub YouTube

September 19, 2006 By Geoff Duncan

Microsoft has launched a beta of Soapbox on MSN Video, a new user-generated video offering designed to take YouTube to the cleaners.

Redmond software giant Microsoft today announced an invitation-only beta of a new user-generated video site called Soapbox on its existing MSN Video service.

"Soapbox delivers on a critical component of the MSN growth strategy of deepening audience engagement by enabling people to participate in the content experience," said Rob Bennett, MSN’s general manager of Entertainment and Video Services in a release. "By adding a user-uploaded video service, we are rounding out our existing investments in commercially produced and original content on MSN Video."

What they aren’t saying is that Microsoft is clearly looking to tap into some of the buzz and industry momentum currently being enjoyed by YouTube and open another front in the company’s online struggle with Google for online viewership and, of course, billions in online advertising dollars.

Microsoft hopes to differentiate Soapbox to video creators through easy-to-use tools, and attract viewers through new waysof discovering and sharing entertaining content. Soapbox organizes videos into 15 categories and enables users to find related videos, subscribe to RSS feeds, and share favorite selections with their friends without interrupting the video they’re watching. (Of course, whether users can effectively multitask enough to watch a video and subscribe to an RSS feed remains another story.) Users are invited to rate and tag videos, share links via email, and embed Soapbox videos right in their own Web sites or blogs. Video creators might appreciate single-step uploading. In a somewhat unusual move towards acknowledging not everyone uses Windows or Microsoft software, Soapbox says it accepts all major digital video formats, and works with Firefox on Windows and Mac OS X.

Microsoft says it will remove any copyrighted material illegally uploaded to the service once alerted by the rights holder, which is a policy remarkably similar to YouTube. Soapbox won’t carry any ads during its testing period, but when the service (ahem) goes "live" in the next six months or so, yo can bet Redmond will have worked on monetizing the site.

Showing 6 comments

Tim Stevens at 10:16pm 21st September 2006 Too many people in this space. How many places do you really need to be able to watch the same clips? YouTube already has the traction, no one else is going to catch up unless they get sued into non-existance.
Ian Bell and Dan Gaul at 8:37am 20th September 2006 To Mentosmaker: I am willing to bet that Revver goes under here shortly. I know they have investor backing, but it seems like they are getting little press, and the quality of their videos are really falling short too.

Flixya doesn't look too bad, but again, it seems like they are showing the same videos as everyone else.

The thing with Microsoft is that all they need to do is funnel traffic from their other web properties to add "instant growth" to their Soapbox.
mentosmaker at 10:03pm 19th September 2006 They should have called it Sandbox -- but then that reminds me of kitty litter. I think sites like http://www.flixya.com/ [flixya.com] or http://www.revver.com/ [revver.com] make sense. I'm curious why the beta release from Soapbox is in 2007? How much time do you need? ;) It's like they just can't play in the same sand box without being the bully..
I'm Guessing at 1:38pm 19th September 2006 MS Technology Envy

Here we go again with another case of Microsoft technology envy. You know, where some one, or some company is jealous because "their" technology is bigger than ours. And so it goes with Soapbox, Microsoft's supposed answer to YouTube, the highly popular, entertaining and non-profitable video sharing website.

I mean, I sort of understand Microsoft's reasoning. Why produce a few world class, pricey software packages and/or services, when we can produce a whole slew of average, pricey software packages and/or services. Microsoft marketing must be doing caffeine IV's just thinking about the possibilities.

Reviewers have mostly been under-whelmed. Soapbox brings a few nifty tech tricks to the table, but nothing earth shattering. So customers who currently use and peruse YouTube, will have no compelling reason to switch to Soapbox. I'm guessing this will be another Xbox (losing $100 - $300 per game unit) or Zune (not sure how much they'll lose, but pretty sure it will be enough to feed a small city for a month).

Once again, Microsoft's ego has gotten in the way. They just can't handle it when another tech company is successful. Instead of tipping the hat and giving kudos, they insist on trying to enter a market where they have no expertise, just because they can. Technology envy, bad, tipping the hat and giving kudos, good. Why am I not surprised which one Microsoft chose?

And, really, what's with that name anyway?. When is the last time anyone got on/off a Soapbox? Seems Microsoft thinks it's been too long.

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Matt at 11:08am 19th September 2006 It's all about the cash-ola baby. Even if the site fails, Microsoft will be happy to play off their name and sell some ad's to pay for their marble and gold lined toilets. Geeez, I can't wait to see another clip of a girl with a sock on her face, or another lonely girl clip. It's a sad regurgitation of the same freaking videos that are everywhere else. Next thing you know they will be looking for "video bloggers" to find original clips. If they provided "original" content, I think the site would have a chance. But I'm sure that's not their MO.
Ian Bell and Dan Gaul at 10:28am 19th September 2006 Not too sure what to think of this. Everyone seems to be jumping into this space, and if Microsoft can integrate SoapBox into MSN.com, and other properties, they are sure to get instant traffic.

The problem I see is that advertisers are still reluctant to advertise on user-generated videos, so obviously this move is to strictly build a loyal "Microsoft" user base to use for long time gains. What do you guys think?