About the company

Yallatunes.com is an Arabic music video web site that uses a player that won an Emmy in innovation and engineering for video on demand at CES Las Vegas in 2006 beating out major competitors. We aim to unite all Lebanese and Arabic speaking immigrants from around the world under one online social networking web site. We also wanted to introduce the Arabic music in all of its richness and fun tunes to the rest of the world. Music is the mirror to ones culture and we thought that Yallatunes.com will be able to achieve the goal of bridging cultural differences. Music is a message of love and understanding, therefore, yallatunes.com is a message of love, understanding and compassion.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities?

From the moment I wake up till the moment I go to bed I am on the move between phone calls and e-mails to various content providers, artists and business partners. I am close to announcing the birth of the web site to the world and there is a lot to be done.

Most notable milestones

Getting the license to the player from the inventor.
Getting contents from the Middle East
Having an award winning designer create the site for me.

What’s the niche?

We have a really cool player playing really cool music and this site is dedicated to music lovers (we all are in essence music lovers). In effect, this web site is for everyone that enjoys fun tunes. The social networking functionality allows every user to choose their favorite music video. Once you do that, you can also click on your favorite videos and see who else has that same choice of music and connect with them and meet them. We also aim to have the largest Arabic movie library online for downloads.

What’s the biggest challenge?

Getting adequate funding for technology build up as well as promoting and advertising worldwide. Also, getting the right content.

What’s in store for the future?

Lots of cool music videos, lots of Arabic movies, and lots of fun interviews with major artists. For example we did one with Myriam Fares in Las Vegas this last May. See full interview on www.yallatunes.com. It’s really fun.

Best way to keep a competitive edge

Always stay on the cutting edge of technology, innovate, and stay in touch with my users and their needs.

Guiding principle in life

Family first. Smart, honest and hard work. If a deal is not catered to what you like say it, don’t lie and cheat. It’s a big world out there with opportunities abound. A man’s true wealth is the good he does in this world: make a difference. I help when I can. It always comes back to me multiplied tenfold.

Yardstick of success

I’ve never given up on a goal I set out to do.

Goal yet to be achieved

Being the number one music video web site in the world. If I am able to achieve that then maybe the whole world will be dancing to one tune, the tune of love.

Best practical advice

Never give up. I read somewhere in some book that 90% of the people who give up never know how close they were. If one door closes in your face, knock on another. Then go back to the first door and knock on it again. Erase impossible from your dictionary, impossible is nothing, it sounds redundant, but its true. well, maybe men will never be able to fly without the machine, that’s impossible, well, you get my drift.

Supportive words from a family member or friend on your venture

I heard it from many people when I expressed certain frustrations. “Give it time, you’re a good man, good things will come your way.” I always had to go after good things. The gist of that is, “good things will come to good people who go after what they want.”

Mentor

Carlo Kassar, a former executive with Carolco Pictures, the independent high flying movie studio that made such films as First Blood and Terminator 2, He is so real with his advice that many times he brought me down to earth from the clouds. I always had big ideas and big dreams. His advice and his approach made me reassess reality to my own advantage.

What motivated you to get started?

Don’t know, always been motivated by success since I can remember. I always wanted nice cars, and nice things when I was a teenager. Now that I am older, I still want nice things. They are a lot more expensive though . In addition to the material things, I see how deeply divided this world is now that I am older and more mature. I am motivated by the need to make a change. I want to heal the wounds of so many people, to find common grounds for those who have different thoughts.

Like best about what you do?

It’s fun, something new every day, and an ever-changing landscape.

Like least about what you do?

It’s been a difficult road trying to get good content from the Middle East. You never get a straight answer. They always say yes because its polite, but they never really do it.

At age 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to create ideas for commercials as well as make movies.

What was your first job?

Helping my dad make plaster statues. At 14, I had a business making those statues and I had a few married women hand paint them for me at their homes; The top gift shops in Lebanon were my clients.

Biggest pastime outside of work

The movies, reading and soccer.

Person most interested in meeting and why?

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, I am fascinated by his road to success and his charitable work. I also admire Carlos Slim Helou, especially after an interview where he said,”family comes first.”

Three interesting facts about yourself

1. Forgiving.
2. Always wanting good things to all around me.
3. I forget the bad things that people do and always remember the good things.

Three characteristics that describe you

1. Honest
2. Driven
3. Well-read

Three greatest passions

1. My web site
2. Making independent films
3. Contemporary Chinese art

Favorite book

Rich dad poor dad

Favorite cause

Leaving this world a better place then what it is today.

Who would you like to be contacted by?

• Prince Alwalid Bin Talal
• Carlos Slim Helou
• RAI music artists and labels
• Spanish record labels
• Portuguese record labels
• Russian Hip Hop record labels
• French Hip Hop labels