Music Influencers Pete Wentz, Ryan Tedder and Matt Pinfield Select "Next Big Band" in "Join Say it with Skype" Global Competition

PALO ALTO, Calif., July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a worldwide search for the "next big band," Skype today announced Sacramento alternative pop-rock band The Reel as winner of the "Join Say it with Skype" competition. Judging the entries were Pete Wentz of Black Cards, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, and Matt Pinfield, MTV music personality and host of "120 Minutes." The band was selected for its outstanding vocal ability, screen presence and originality, all of which resonated with each of the judges. 

The Reel received a personal mentoring session on a Skype video call with the celebrity judges, who provided advice and covered the ins and outs of the music industry. The band members also received paid studio time to record an original song of their choosing, and filmed their rendition of the "Happy Birthday" song to be featured on the Say it with Skype app. Say it with Skype is a group video greeting application available on the Skype website and Facebook that enables consumers to share personalized greetings with their loved ones.

"The 'Join Say it with Skype' competition was an excellent opportunity to give up-and-coming artists the chance to showcase their amazing talent," said Skype's global marketing manager Leanne Johnson. "We are proud to name The Reel as our new house band for the app, which is helping people make meaningful connections, every day and on every occasion."

Introduced in May, the "Join Say it with Skype" competition was created to serve as a launching pad for emerging artists and bands to get their big break and showcase their talent, while exemplifying the convergence of music, technology and the power of social media. Bands from all sorts of backgrounds and different genres submitted songs via Facebook and Skype.com to be considered.

To hear The Reel's song for the Say it with Skype app or to send your own video greeting, please visit http://apps.facebook.com/sayitwithskype/ or Skype.com.

About Say it with Skype:

Say it with Skype is an engaging group video greeting app that lives on both Facebook and Skype.com. It allows users to send a friendly and fun greeting to their friends and families. Launched in November 2011 with birthday greetings, to cut through the standard "happy birthday!" wall posts on Facebook, Skype partnered with 10 bands for users to join and sing along with via their web cams on a group video-inspired interface. With the success of the birthday greetings, Skype quickly followed up with a Happy Holidays version, another instant hit. The app has seen over 70,000 videos produced and over 180-million impressions as it continues to gain traction in the social space. Say it with Skype is designed to show everyday reasons for friends to get together and say something like Happy Birthday, You Rock, and more. With an exciting selection of content set to debut in the near future, Say it with Skype is bound to keep building its presence as an essential and popular app in the social engagement world.

About Skype:

Skype is communications software whose purpose is to break down barriers to communication. With an Internet-connected device, families, friends and colleagues can get together for free with messaging, voice and video. At low cost, they can also call landlines or mobiles virtually anywhere in the world. Skype has recently introduced group video, allowing groups of more than two people to share conversations and experiences together whenever they're apart.

Founded in 2003 and based in Luxembourg, Skype is a division of Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT). Skype can be downloaded onto computers, mobile phones and other connected devices for free at www.skype.com.

Contacts:
Skype
Demetra Kavadeles
[email protected]
650-799-9358

Kaplow for Skype
Serena Tesler
[email protected]
212-221-1713

SOURCE Skype