The internet has created enormous business opportunities. Alastair Gilmour talks to a former DJ who is creating a big noise in new technology. **********
 Working in New Media is the 21st Century's version of shipbuilding and engineering. That's the view of Stevie Bainbridge, a young Gateshead man who has set up a music library business and has recently launched another in the relatively new phenomenon of podcasting. Podcast Digital is believed to be the first company in the North-East to offer businesses a complete podcast service from on-site recording, sound mixing, editing, podcast creation, publishing, submission and even hosting. Stevie says: "Podcasting is becoming an integral and accepted part of the marketing mix and companies are utilising it as an effective communications mechanism." To some technophobes, this is a completely new world, but it's actualy relatively straightforward. A podcast is an audio file that can be downloaded from the internet which can also contain images, links and even video footage. Podcasts are a way of subscribing to audio content and, once you have downloaded - free - you can be automatically notified when a new episode is available. "I was a drummer and a DJ and did a music technical production at Newcastle College," says Stevie. "After I graduated I didn't really want to leave the North-East so I started up The Beat Suite, a royalty-free production music library. "I would download music mainly for multi-media companies; then I realised I couldn't do enough music styles for what everybody wanted. I then decided to go into music licencing - downloading from the internet for advertising campaigns, video production, exhibitions, games, film, television and presentations. "We're a bit like a distributor or a promoter, but we're very selective about what we do. The library has been running for about two years and we've now got 2,000 music tracks right across the board. We've tried to make things as easy as possible for small businesses - browsers used to be very complicated. "We're now selling music tracks all over the world with clients in Mexico, the Middle East, China, USA, Canada, Hawaii and some places I'd never heard of in my life - I had to look them up. "A client supplies the brief and we supply the music in any format they like. We create a frame-by-frame music soundtrack then deliver it online as a download. We can edit and change the music to fit the brief." Stevie's website www.beatsuite.com won the DTI North East e-commerce award last September in the "best broadcast business" category and was runner-up in "best online marketing". The company also featured on a BBC News 24 business documentary called Net Profits. "I then started learning about podcasting and got really excited," he says. "Podcasts are much more than radio show downloads, they can be business seminars and conferences, lectures, educational classes, workshops, training, news reports, music charts and reviews. "Podcast Digital is more of a regional business than The Beat Suite and I've got projects lined up with One NorthEast, Service Network and Codeworks. We're also doing work for Nike, Granada and Fox. It's really a simple device, it's like using a cassette but it uses powerful technology with embedded files and images." Podcast Digital's first commission was the annual symposium for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). The keynote speech by Lord Hunt is available for podcast, as are embedded pictures, logos and weblinks. "We can even download his powerpoint presentation," says Stevie. Vicki Jackson-Hopps, of the CIEH says: "We don't always use such new technology but we thought that podcasting the symposium was a great idea. Anyone who missed the event can now download the podcast and listen again to the speakers. "The great thing is that each podcast contains links to websites. Our members were very happy with the podcasts and it is something we will be sure to expand upon." Stevie, who says he's had "great support and financial incentives" through Business Link, has even taken on his first member of staff, Mark Malekpour, following a spell of work experience. "We got on well, so when he graduated from Newcastle College, I took him on full-time," says Stevie. Nina Cliff of Codeworks is also enthusiastic about the business which is based in Pink Lane, Newcastle - Silicon Alley to those in the know. "We needed a piece of music for the titles of a corporate DVD," she says. "The Beat Suite provided the perfect solution. They offered several bespoke music tracks which we were able to tailor to suit the animated titles." Shipbuilders may be in short supply these days, but the new media revolution is absolutely flying. For further information, telephone 0845 094 1512 or visit www.beatsuite.com and www.podcastdigital.co.uk | 
