Youtube star Ana Free

LISBON, Portugal - Acoustic/pop singer Ana Free has achieved immense success through her youtube channel with over 16 million views and more than 50,000 subscribers to date.

Ana has captivated an international audience of followers with her enchanting voice and impressive guitar skills. Her youtube videos are a mixture of pop and acoustic covers including original material. Ana s music has featured in Disney's Tinkerbell and on MTV Portugal. She will be launching a 5 track EP this coming February and is also recording her first album in the UK after the success of her last three single releases.

Iain: What effect has Youtube had on your career?

Ana: The Internet has had a very lasting and positive effect on my music career because that's where it all began for me. YouTube was the first website I ever posted my covers and material to, and I still use it as my main platform. My website (www.anafreemusic.com), MySpace, Twitter and Facebook have all been very complementary to my YouTube presence, because they allow fans to access information on a daily basis regarding what I'm doing in my career, where I am, tour dates and events, etc. I send free mp3s to my fans on my email mailing list, and I try to get to as many personal messages as possible on the other platforms.

The great thing about Youtube has been that I can post anything I want, including random things like outtakes, behind-the-scenes, interviews, and concert videos. Since I still do all my own video editing and my friends do most of the filming, nothing has really changed since my career took off. I love the freedom to share the journey with people, because I think the process is what makes it so special. The channels I use to communicate with my fans are very efficient and make my relationships with them much more personal and rewarding.

Iain: What is the music scene like in Portugal?

Ana: I feel the Portuguese music market has seen quite a lot of diversity in the last 10 years. There used to be an emphasis on Portuguese artists writing and performing in Portuguese only, and I feel that notion is disappearing gradually, especially with the appearance of young artists trying to reach an international English-speaking market. I love playing in Portugal because it's my home country and I feel that I can connect easily with people there. I love the culture and the rhythm. Portugal s music scene gains more momentum in the Spring/Summer months when there are a variety of festivals and a lot of international bands play those scenes. It's definitely a lot of fun to be a part of the generational music scene shift in Portugal!

Iain: Which artists have inspired you and if you had the choice, who would you tour with?

Ana: I grew up listening to many different genres of music. As a child I'd listen to Sam Cooke, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, The Mama's and the Papa's, and The Beach Boys. Then I hooked on to the rock bands of the 90s and began to check out classics like Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Sheryl Crow, and Alanis Morisette. I used to borrow their albums from my older brother s room. Nowadays I'm really inspired by a variety of artists and genres, like HipHop, Soul, Ambient and a little French, Greek and Spanish music! I have a lot of artists I love at the moment, including Colbie Callait, Lady GaGa, Tiago Iorc and Shakira. I feel a special affinity with John Mayer's music, and I would definitely tour with him!

Iain: Do you watch the Grammys, and if so who would you vote for this year?

Ana: I'm actually a big fan of award shows - I like watching them but I almost never catch them on TV. I end up scouting the Internet for videos people have posted!I've never seen an entire Grammy award show because I grew up in Portugal, and the live shows are usually shown in the middle of the night because of time differences! I watch the repeats the following day. I'd vote Lady GaGa for Album of the Year and Use Somebody for Song of the Year because of the sheer volume of covers that were made after it was released!

Philippe Boutefeu

Iain: What is it that you are looking to do in the future with your music?

Ana: I have a lot of plans for my life in general! I aim to make decisions and choices that are sustainable, good for the fans and for me. I have a wonderful team working with me to ensure that everything is on track. I've just launched the official website this year, and recorded a 5-track EP which will be launched in February. The debut album is scheduled to be out this year and I ll be touring all my projects! The main priority is to have fun with everything I do, learn new things and keep growing!

Ana Free - Hands On Approach Music Video