Much as we love your company here at ESC Insight, the internet is full of Eurovision fans and friends. We all love the Song Contest, so where else can you get your fix of douze points online?
1. Get Involved in the forty-odd National Finals.
Before everyone in Europe gathers in Düsseldorf to decide which one is the winner of this year’s Song Contest, almost every country has to choose the song they are going to send! With the explosion of streaming video and fast internet connections, it’s possible to watch these finals take place.
From the small one night studio affairs (such as this year’s Swiss final) to events that take over the schedules for a month and sending touring productions around the country (Sweden’s Melodifestivalen) all the news and information on these shows can be found online. Many of the National Finals will be streamed via eurovision.tv/esctv, the host broadcasters website, or available if you can find the right URL.
And during every National Final, we’ll be providing our thoughts and opinions on Twitter, along with thousands of others. We’re @ESCinsight and we’ll be sharing all those URL’s as they pop up.
2. Share your your own thoughts on a Eurovision.tv blog.
While the modern web lets you leave comments on articles, share them with friends or discuss them on Facebook, sometimes you just need to start a topic and get your own thoughts out there. While many websites (including here at ESC Insight, get in touch!) will be happy to consider guest posts, sometimes you just need your own space.
And that’s where the official Eurovision website comes in handy. Register an account there and not only can you start making new friends, but you also get a blog to share what you think about the contest. Head over to Eurovision.tv to get started.
3. Listen to the music
It’s a Song Contest, and that means that there’s a lot of emphasis around the song – even though we all point out the dances, staging, performance, etc. And almost to a man and boy, every artist has more than one song in their repertoire. Both the online music stores (such as Amazon’s MP3 Market, Nokia’s Ovi Music, and the behemoth that is Apple’s iTunes) and the online streaming services (such as Spotify and Last.FM) carry a fair number of Eurovision performers and their albums. And if you need pointer on where to start, head over to our Album Reviews section.
4. Wander around YouTube
If you’re looking for a huge archive of every obscure Eurovision track, then you need to head to one of the world’s biggest search engines… YouTube. Pop in the name of any song and performer, and you’ll end up with multiple versions of each song. Perfect for browsing, especially when you start following the related video feature as you head down a magical musical tour.
5. Tune in to Eurovision Radio
While you can download the ESC Insight Podcast and listen to our news and Juke Box Jury shows at your leisure, if it’s Wednesday evening in Europe then you should turn in to Radio International, the three hour radio programme (that also stream online) brings a bundle of music, news and interviews in what they call an Ultimate Eurovision Experience.
The team from Radio International
6. Get involved with OGAE
No it’s not an anagram, but short for Organisation générale des Amateurs de l’Eurovision, the international fan club of Eurovision. Starting in 1984 in Finland, it runs four annual competitions (the OGAE Song Contest, Second Chance, Video Contest and Home Composed Song Contest) as well as providing help for fans wanting to attend the contest. Start at either their gateway homepage.
7. Remember to read the other sites
We know that ESC Insight isn’t the only website out there in the rich tapestry of Eurovision. From the daily news sites such as ESC Daily, Oikotimes, ESC Today and 3minutes, to the smaller sites of All Kinds of Everything, Boom Bang a Blog and The Schlager Boys, there’s a lot of opinion, news and editorial thought out there.
8. Get involved in the online forums
A question posted online, and discussed, is a question that is not only shared, but answered, makes new friends, and reminds you that you are not online in your love for the Song Contest. You could start on Facebook, where there are a number of Eurovision Groups (like Eurovision Debate), or head to a number of TV and Media sties – most have their own forums, and Digital Spy in the UK has an active Eurovision thread that’s been running for years.
9. Bet on the contest
You already have your favourites in the contest, the songs who you want to win and who you know is likely to beat them. So why not have a little flutter with what you can afford, and liven up the contest even more? How to bet needs a bit more than a paragraph or two, luckily we’ve already looked at the best way to bet on Eurovision without risking too much of your money!
Now, how about a tenth way. How do you enjoy the Song Contest on line? Why not share them with us and see if we can agree on the tenth way – or even ten more ways!
Listen to ESC Insight podcast is missing in your List 😉 but I guess you just don’t want to praise yourself.
Matthias, it does get a nudge in (5.) so it’s not completely forgotten!
yes, it´s part of #5, but ESCinsight Podcast deserve a # on it´s own.
Serious, i discovered your podcast just few days ago (Shame on me)
and i listen all Podcasts from earlier this year
and just lived through the crazy weeks before the German Victory, something i ever dreamed of.
and now i counting down the days til Düsseldorf
Matthias, in which case put it down to modesty and wanting to promote OTHER resources!