Hang w/ is The New Mobile App That’s Got Celebrities Like 50 Cent Excited [INTERVIEW]

Get ready for the next generation of social media. Introducing Hang w/, Medl Mobile’s first mobile app that lets you chat and broadcast live 3 minute long videos to your followers and follow celebrities who record their lives in real-time. Since the iPhone app release last spring and the Android release this summer, Hang w/ has been turning heads as the app rocketed past half a million downloads. Not to mention it lets you hang with rapper and entrepreneur Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson. Since September, Hang w/ has been the exclusive live streaming platform for 50 Cent who has released content ranging from new music, music videos, and his daily life. Jackson’s endorsement is only the beginning of this new form of media sharing and the marketing possibilities may be endless. Along with 50 Cent, a quick look at featured users on Hang w/ and you’ll see names like Terrell Owens, Chief Keef, Lily Allen, Timbaland, Kaskade, Vida Guerra, and Cheech and Chong. Since it’s launch, Hang w/ has racked tens of millions of total broadcasts from its users. We were lucky enough to catch up with the team at Hang w/ in an email interview where they share what its like working with 50 Cent, future projects to look out for, and more.

Tell us a little about how Hang w/ was conceived.

MEDL has always worked with high profile celebs, musicians and athletes. And for a long time we have been hearing their frustration over social media and how fake it was becoming. In order to have a social media presence, they felt the need to hire a team of people to represent them on Facebook or Twitter. And eventually, their true fans would see through it. They wanted a social media platform that could not be faked and live streaming video in social media sized packets was our solution. It wasn’t until after it was built and we started using it that we realized how fascinating it was to watch ordinary people like you and me. And that’s when it got really exciting.

For those of us who haven’t discovered Hang w/ yet, what are the key features (and possibilities) that will attract users?

Broadcast your life LIVE to your friends, follow the lives of celebrities you think are fascinating, and maybe even become a celebrity yourself.

Because Hang w/ combines live streaming video with simultaneous chat for all of the viewers, it really feels like you are hanging w/ people on your phone.

Hang w/ has been gaining lots of steam since the summer, but what have been your largest obstacles to breaking into the mobile video app market?

From a technical standpoint, the hardest part has been streaming a consistent image from a phone when bandwidth varies constantly. Our system has gotten really smart and can detect fluctuations in your internet signal and adjust the quality of the broadcast to match.

From there, it’s all about spreading the word. But we’ve been fortunate that so many great people are helping us do that.

Of course a lot of people want to know what it’s like to work with 50 Cent. What can you tell us about introducing Hang w/ to him?

He flipped when he saw it. 50 Cent has built his career on being authentic and real. When he saw that we were bringing a raw reality to social media, he saw the potential instantly. He’s also a very savvy business man and a savvy tech investor. His team kicked our tires pretty thoroughly before he was ready to put his stamp of approval on Hang w/. But now that he’s on board, it’s been really exciting for all of us.

Mobile video streaming is set to be the next stage in social media lifestyle and networking. What is your vision on the future of mobile video and this kind of social networking?

Our hope is that the rawness of truly live video will strip away the fakeness of social media. And once people get a chance to hang w/ each other and see how we are all alike – and how we are all different – it will bring the world closer together.

Hang w/ looks like it’s oozing with potential. Are there any other interesting projects MEDL Mobile has in the works?

Oh yeah. We are working on a 3D update to our top rated App Store hit – Boxhead: The Zombie Wars. And we have built some amazing technology for a few of our custom development clients which we can’t yet divulge – but we believe are giant leaps forward. Our company’s mantra is “hello future” and we are always excited about what the future may bring.

Learn more about Hang w/ and MEDL Mobile and download the app for Android or iPhone.

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