FlipTunes.net aims to fill the need of an online OPM (Original Pinoy Music) store we have been waiting for years. Self proclaimed as a “Global Entertainment Portal”, the site contains some (weak) music articles and an online store that uses Window DRM. That is right, sorry iPod owners.I cannot see anyone in the Philippines using this service. It’s much easier to buy a CD either legit or pirated and convert it to any digital file yourself. The market here is for Filams and OFW’s. While iTunes does have some OPM, it’s lacking. Even targeting the Filam market is tough. They are competing with the Pinoy stores that carry music and movies in every major US city. Don’t forget about the online stores such as TitikPilipino.com, TatakPilipino.com, Divisoria.com, OdysseyLive.net and dozens more.

Good
* Underground artists
* Infrastructure/Payment gateway
* Developed/Managed by Mozcom

Bad
* Downloads only work in IE
* Windows DRM,DRM,DRM
* Torrents - Why use the word torrent on the site? The average Joe doesn’t know what a torrent is.
* User interface - FlipTunes needs a makeover. The UI feels like an out of the box ecommerce package. I suggest they check out LaLa.com and study their use of Ajax.
* Different looking site for the store section

The Mom Test
My mom would not be able to order from this site. She would not know what a torrent is or why she would need a license. When she purchases a song from iTunes, it’s just 1 click. That is what most people are used to.

The totally different looking FlipTunes store

Song page

IE only!

Cluttered email

Suggestions
* Get a content partner - If they intend to be an entertainment portal to keep the site sticky, I suggest partnering with Philmusic.com or PEP.ph for their content.
* RSS - News, new releases, etc
* Setup a blog
* Work on the UI
* Steal ideas from OdysseyLive.net
* Move to the subscription model like Napster

Overall I like the idea but it needs to be executed better. Fliptunes now feels like a 1st generation digital audio store. With them being one of the 1st to do this, they can take advantage of what pull they might have and move out of the brick and mortar ecommerce business model and realize that just because you build it, it doesn’t mean that they will come. Also, the word Flip while not derogatory in my opinion, just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

From FlipTunes.net

The local music scene, with its roster of world-class talents, needs a wider and newer market for their musical works and recording, a limitation of the “physical” product format. Thus gave rise to new generation retailing by Fliptunes, Inc.

Mozcom, the pioneer product of the Philippine ISP industry, through partnerships with marketing, music and intellectual property professionals from both international and local companies made efforts to develop the first ever digital retailing of Philippine music.

Through fliptunes.net Filipino music-lovers from all over the world can now download their favorite OPM instantly, while producers can sell their music at cost-effective manner, in the global market with better protection utilizing the DRM-WMA format.