Aimed at studio owners, sound engineers, record producers, session musicians, location sound recordists, editors and cameramen in audio, film and broadcast, ProQloud is a new web-based service for website construction and business management.
Based around a drag-and-drop website builder, the service promises to allow a site to be set up and running quickly, with a responsive template for all devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops. Importing audio files and videos for showreels has been made as easy as possible, as has blogging and integration with social media accounts. For those who want even more from their website, a Qloud+ service gives users a suite of business tools built into their web platform, including unlimited file transfer facilities, invoicing, a web store and online payments.
The business has been set up by a group of Welsh audio professionals, after struggling to create an on-line presence for their studio: ‘Ten years ago we simply had to commission and build our own website,’ explains ProQloud MD, Donal Whelan. ‘These days, while there are countless companies offering easy website construction tools, none have really thought about what a freelancer or a facility in the audio or broadcast business needs. You can put something together using social media web sites, but then the first thing prospective clients see when they check you out is the social media logo, not your name or company. With ProQloud, you create something bespoke, that’s professional and specific to you, but without having to spend a lot of your precious time – so you can get on with making music or editing films, or whatever your creative speciality might be.’
A monthly subscription gives access to carbon-neutral cloud hosting and all the site construction tools. Qloud+ customers pay slightly more for access to the business management tools and file-serving facilities.
‘Most creative professionals don’t have the time to effectively broadcast their abilities to their prospective clients,’ Whelan says. ‘We understand these issues because we’ve grappled with them ourselves. Being a freelancer in these industries is about making your creativity pay, and we believe ProQloud is a game-changer in that respect.’
More: http://proqloud.com
