FAQs

general

what is getcloser.com all about?

There's a story behind every music and film collection. It could be a little-known fact about a musician or actor, surprising trivia about a movie or even a personal memory. Stories are what make music and film collections, and our relationships to them, unique.

getcloser.com is all about sharing these stories. It's a community that empowers fans to explore the relationships between albums, songs, movies, shows, artists, actors and directors to let them get closer to the music, film and tv they love.

• Build collections of music, film and tv shows, display them for others to discover and share the stuff you're into.
• Share your experiences and knowledge by creating connections and writing reviews.
• Browse the latest news, features and updates about music, film, tv, people and events.
• Got a film or an album that you love? Plug it - and let everyone in the getcloser.com community know about it!

who can use getcloser.com?

Anybody in the UK can use getcloser.com.

do i need to register?

You don't, but there's some great reasons to do so. Any visitor to getcloser.com can watch videos, view connections, check out reviews or browse discussions in the rooms. But to enjoy the full getcloser.com experience, you'll need to sign up. Doing so couldn't be easier - just click the sign up link at the top of any page and follow the instructions. In almost no time at all, you'll be able to do all of the following:

• Create your own profile page, build a collection and tell the world what makes you tick.
• Add friends, send messages, join rooms and post comments in the chatter boxes.
• Write reviews, edit biographies, rate items, make connections and plug your favourite things to the entire community.
• Customise your experience so that you'll receive updates on all your favourite artists, albums, movies and tv shows, get personalised plugs highlighting great stuff you'll love and receive the getcloser.com newsletter - which is packed with links to exclusive content and loads more.

my profile & friends

what is 'my profile'?

my profile is your personal space, where you'll find the stuff you created and stuff other users have created which might be of interest to you. It's where you can manage your profile details, your friends, your collections, rooms and events.

When you register with getcloser.com, a profile page will automatically be created for you. When you log in for the first time, we would encourage you to fill in your profile details. The more information you share, the richer your experience will be. Your answers to the 'flavour' questions (first gigs, fave bands etc) will be public to all other users on getcloser.com and is a representation of you and what you're into. Note that your email address, age or location will NOT be visible to any other user.

how do i edit my profile?

Go to your my profile page and you'll find the edit profile button towards the top. Inside, you can change your profile picture, interests and various other details.

how do i add friends?

You'll find a search box at the top of most getcloser.com pages - just type in your friend's name and a list of results will be returned. You can narrow the search results down by selecting artists & users on the filters to the left of the page. Once you have browsed the results and found the user you're looking for, just click on their name to go to their profile page and then click on the add to friends button which appears under their picture. The user will then be sent an invite message from you. Once that's accepted, they will be added to your friends list. For more information on using the search function, please check out the content section of this FAQ.

how do i invite my friends onto getcloser.com?

Anyone is welcome to join getcloser.com by simply registering at www.getcloser.com. However, if you would like to email an invite to a friend, just go to the friends option on your my profile page. Enter your friend's email address into the box on the top-right of the page, add a message below if you wish and then click send invite. A very quick and easy way to see if your friends are already on the site - and if not, invite them to join you - is to import your email address book from Google Mail, Yahoo! Mail or Hotmail. You can do this by clicking on the import your address book link on the bright red 'Friend Finder' box which can also be found at the top of the homepage.

how do i send a message to another user?

On every user's profile page, next to their picture, there are two buttons. One is to request them as a friend and the other to send a message. Alternatively, you can send and receive messages by using the messages function which is at the top of the my profile page.

What is the 'content' page for?

This sub-page in the profile section is where you can find, edit or delete all of the connections, reviews that you have written and images that you have uploaded to getcloser.com.

collections

what is my collection?

Your collection is your own personal locker listing all of the music, film and tv you own or love. There are two ways of adding something to your collection - manually or by importing your iTunes library. Your collection is private and only you can see it. However, you can select one, many or all of the items in your collection and add them to a sub collection, one of which can be displayed on your profile page shelf (see below).

how do i import my iTunes library?

Importing your iTunes library is the quickest and simplest way of building your collection. We don't import the actual mp3 files, so you can't listen to your music on getcloser.com. What we do is simply list all the titles you have in your library.

To begin importing your iTunes library, navigate to your getcloser.com collection, click the blue import now button towards the top-right of the page then follow the instructions. After you have completed the process, the items from your iTunes library will be added to your collection. You are then free to cherry-pick that to create one or more sub collections which can be displayed on your shelf (see below).

Please note: your iTunes library my take some time to upload.

how do i manually add music, film and people to my collection?

Search for the title or person you wish to add to your collection, then click add to my collection. You can also add items straight into a sub collection by clicking the drop-down box and selecting which sub collection you'd like to use.

what are sub collections?

Sub collections are smaller, more specific groups of artists, music, films or tv shows - created by you - that you might like to display to the entire community on your profile shelf. To create one, just visit your my profile page, then click collections. Enter a title for your new sub collection (there's a box towards the top-left of the page) then browse through your music, film & tv and artists tabs, ticking any item you'd like to add to this new sub collection. At the top and bottom of every page, you'll see a drop-down box where you can choose which sub collection you'd like to put these items into.

what is my shelf?

Your shelf is the section of your profile page that displays a sub collection of your choosing. To set one of your sub collections as your shelf, simply click my profile, then collections and set as shelf next to the sub collection you'd like to display. You can add items directly to your sub collection and/or shelf (or even create a new one) from any artist, album, or movie page. Simply look to the right of the screen on any artist, album, track, movie, tv show or event page and you'll see a drop down box offering the options of add to collection, add to sub-collection and create a new sub collection.

Tip: your shelf is a reflection of your personality. You can choose to display everything in your collection on it you wish. But it's also fun to create sub collections based on different things. Some interesting ideas for shelves might be things you're looking forward to, stuff you're currently listening to, top 20s or your favourite ever albums or films. It's completely up to you!

what is 'kickstart my collection'?

This functionality is aimed at helping those members who don't yet have a collection or a shelf get started. If you don't yet have a shelf, you will find the kickstart my collection function in two places - first, on your my profile page where your shelf would normally live and, secondly, on your my my profile / collections page. Clicking on a kickstart button will take you to a page where you can choose from among the top 150 most popular artists, actors & directors and film & tv shows currently on getcloser.com. Anything you choose will be added to your collection and a shelf will be automatically generated and displayed on your profile page. Remember that this is just a helping hand for beginners, and you'll get much more from getcloser.com once you start to create or import your own collections and shelves.

what is getcloser DNA?

Your DNA represents the type of person you are on getcloser.com. Using your DNA, we can let others know what you're all about. It also allows us to get a better understanding of what makes you tick, so we can tailor the site to your needs. Your DNA will change over time, depending on how you interact with the site.

To get your DNA started, simply sign in and start doing things on getcloser.com! Create or import your collection, review your favourite items or make some connections (see below).

The makeup of your DNA is broken down as follows:

you're more of a...

This bar shows how original you are, being the first to make a connection between two items or being the first to review something. The more you do this, the more of a pioneer you are.

you tend to be...

This bar will rise, with the more friends you have on the site. Starting at 'self sufficient' and rising to 'well connected'.

your stuff is...

Other users can rate your connection stories and reviews, and this bar shows what the community think of your content. The more they love it, the higher your percentage rating will be.

you're mostly into...

This bar shows how your collection is split between music, film and artists.

your tags...

Your tag cloud is built by the pages that you visit on getcloser.com, and not just the things in your collection. This way, it gives quite an accurate snapshot of the things that you're currently interested in.

Tip: once signed in, you can add tags to any artist, album, track, film or tv show on getcloser.com. The more tags people add to items, the more varied and interesting your own tags will become. Also, tags can be used as part of the search function, so adding tags will also help to make things easier to find! Don't be afraid to tag emotionally: it often says more to use a tag such as 'heartbreaking' than one such as 'classical'.

your activity on getcloser

This area summarises your activity on getcloser.com. The following will be displayed:

• The number of rooms you are a member of
• The number of reviews you have written
• The number of connections you have made
• The number of items you have rated

hubs

what are hubs?

getcloser.com has hubs for music, film & tv, artists & people and events.

what's in the music, film & tv and artists & people hubs?

These hubs are regularly updated with news and features from getcloser.com's team of editors. These pages will usually point you in the direction of the most topical and freshest content that has been added to getcloser.com.

If there's a new clip or video available, we aim to have it up on the site for you as fast as possible. For new movie trailers, music vids and interviews or features, these hubs are a great place to look.

Clicking on any of the featured links will take you to the relevant item's page - be it a person, film, tv show, album or track. On each of these pages, you can watch video clips and hear sound clips plus, if you're signed in, you can write reviews, make connections, plug, create / edit the just the facts section or add the item to your collection / one of your sub collections.

how can i follow my favourite artists, movies, albums and tv shows?

Keeping bang up to date with all your favourite things is easy. Just be sure to sign in, then look for the get updates box on the towards the right of any artist, album, movie or tv show page. Click subscribe and any changes on that page (new videos etc) will be highlighted in your news feed which is displayed on the getcloser.com homepage.

how can i share my favourite getcloser.com pages and videos with my friends and social bookmarking sites?

You'll find areas on each page (and next to every video) where you can copy the unique page address (URL) - just paste this address into an email and send it off to your friends to help them find great stuff on getcloser.com.

You'll also notice an add this button near the top of nearly every page and next to every video / audio clip - hover over this button and you'll see links to a huge variety of social bookmarking and sharing sites. So, if you find something of interest on getcloser.com that you would like to share with other people - or just save for later - simply click the appropriate link to add that page to your list. If you're not currently a member of any of the social bookmarking /sharing sites listed, you'll need to register with them to take advantage - but doing so is free.

what is the events hub?

The events hub is an exciting place to discover what's going on or to tell others about events you are organising or attending. If there's a gig, club, movie, festival (or anything else!) that you want people to know about - then add an event!

Are you looking for somewhere to go or something to see or do? Then check out the events hub and see what's going on. You can browse the events highlighted by the getcloser.com editorial team, or view the most recent, most popular, recently created, or even all events. Once signed in, you can confirm which events you will be attending and people will be able to see these on your profile page. You can also add photos and reviews for any event, so anyone who missed out can see what it was like.

The events functionality is still being developed, and you will soon be able to link and access events from related artists, people, films and titles.

how do i create an event?

On the events hub, there's a create new event link near the top of the page. Sign in then click this and follow the instructions, entering the event name, date, type, description, images and related website links. You can even invite people to your event from here.

Tip: once the event is created, you can add connections from other relevant artists, people and users to draw more attention to it. Please see below for an explanation of getcloser.com's unique connections function.

what are the rooms?

The rooms hub is an area of getcloser.com for chat and discussion. A mixture between user groups and forums, rooms are ideal for forming clubs on getcloser.com. First up, sign in and create your room - be it about your favourite film, album or pair of shoes...it's up to you! Then invite your friends to join or wait for fellow getcloser.com users to discover it. You can share messages between room members or post topics where you can chat about related subjects. You'll find a 'team getcloser.com' room there too for site updates and information (and to get to know us!).

Tip: if you create a Room, be sure to add a topic in there to get some chat started - that will encourage other members to join, too!

what are plugs?

Saw a great movie at the weekend? Discovered an amazing new album? Then plug it! Plugging stuff lets the getcloser.com community know about unmissable music, films and tv shows. Providing you're signed in, you can plug any artist, title, movie or tv show on getcloser.com by clicking on the plug it button that appears on any item's page. You can also add comments to your plugs, to let people know exactly why they should check this thing out. Looking for plugs is easy, too. Just use the plugs carousel on your homepage for instant recommendations from people with similar tastes to your own, from your friends or from the getcloser.com community in general.

how do i watch videos?

We upload lots of videos to the album, film, tv, artist and events pages each and every day. Up to two videos might be featured on any of these pages but don't assume that's all there is! To see the FULL list of videos available, just click the audio and video link towards the top of each page.

If a video won't play or has any other defect, first ensure you have the latest version of Flash installed on your computer. If the video still won't play, feel free to let us know by clicking the get in touch link at the bottom of any getcloser.com page. If you do this, it would be helpful to include details of which computer, internet browser and operating system (XP / Vista / Leopard, etc) you are using.

how do i listen to audio?

You can listen to audio in the same way as you view video. Navigate to the audio and video section of the album / track / film / artist you are interested in, then scroll down the page to the audio section on the right-hand side.

connections & reviews

what are connections?

Connections lie at the heart of getcloser.com. This unique concept allows you to create and define relationships between albums, tracks, films, artists, actors, producers, directors... even getcloser.com users!

There's no limit to the kind of connections you might post on getcloser.com - you might link yourself to a band because they recorded the first record you ever bought. Maybe you'd like to link Sacha Baron Cohen and Matt Lucas because they went to the same school. If there's a connection to be made, getcloser.com is the place to make it.

how do i view connections?

Connections maps appear on every album, track, film and artists & people page. If you want to delve deeper, try clicking the little arrow icon for a full-screen experience. An item will have a maximum of six connections viewable at any one time, but you can use the refresh button to view more and more connections with every refresh.

Perhaps the most fun thing about connections maps is double-clicking any connected item to view its connections. Before long, you'll be filling your screen with all kinds of 'Six Degrees...' style journeys.

As ever, you can manage your connections via your my profile page.

how do i make a connection?

• Once you're signed in, find the item with which you wish to begin your connection story
• If you are starting your connection from an item in a connection map, just rollover the item to reveal a connect button
• Alternatively, click the make a connection button on any album, film, tv, artist or events page
• Next, search for the album, track, film, artist or getcloser.com user you wish to connect it to
• Write the story that describes your connection
• Click 'continue' and view your new connection

tips for making valuable connections

You can make connections between whatever you like, However, if you want them to be rated as useful or interesting - and therefore seen by a lot of people - here's some tips:

• Please take a look at the connections which already exist between items - that way you can avoid telling the community a story they've already heard!
• Think about the value to other users. It may seem like a good idea to link every album you've ever bought, but that might not be so interesting for other users
• We all know Paul McCartney was in The Beatles. Obvious or very obscure connections offer little value to others and may attract poor ratings. Unusual and interesting links, on the other hand, attract high ratings and earn you respect within the community
• On the music front, we've found that connections around collaborations and remixes are especially valuable to other users and attract high ratings. Similarly, early film and tv appearances by actors are useful connections (Jean-Claude Van Damme appeared as an extra in 'Flashdance', for example)
• Amusing anecdotes and funny stories add colour to the site and bring it to life. We love those ones and the people who post them

how do i write a review?

Most pages will have a button towards the bottom left saying write review. Sign in, then click this and follow the on screen instructions. You can review anything you like - be it old or new, good or bad. Writing a review will also move you some way towards being classed as an 'expert' on the subject!

content

how do i search?

Considering the huge amount of content on getcloser.com, we've made searching both simple and flexible. You'll find a search box towards the top right of almost every page. Initial search results will feature all the items containing the word/s you searched for. For a popular artist or title, this may be a lot of results! However, you can continue to narrow down your search by selecting from the additional parameters on the left of the page.

For example, you can narrow the search to look for Music (albums and tracks), Artists & People (the band themselves) or Film & TV (DVDs and movies). There is also the option to use tags to narrow your search. The more tags getcloser.com users add to items, the better this function will become.

why are there duplicates in the system?

While using getcloser.com, you may discover duplicate entries for artists and titles. These are a by-product of the immense size and scope of the electronic catalogue running in the background of getcloser.com. There will often be individual entries for multiple releases, formats and editions of any given title. The same goes for artists who work in several different fields - actor / directors, for example, will have an entry for both roles until we merge them.

There are some titles that we want to keep unmerged. For example, the Stereo and Mono versions of the Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds' could be considered very different albums, so we leave them apart. We're currently working our way through the catalogue and merging duplicates as and where we find them, but, as you can imagine, it may take a little time. If you spot a duplicate, feel free to let us know by using the get in touch link at the bottom of any getcloser.com page.

help and contact

If you have any questions, concerns, problems or suggestions, please don't hesitate to get in contact with the getcloser.com team. To do so, just click the get in touch link at the bottom of any page. Give us an outline of the problem and we'll do our best to help and take any action necessary as soon as possible.