Pledgemusic
Encyclopedia
PledgeMusic is an online Direct-to-Fan
/ Fan-funded music platform (a subset of Crowd-funding) utilising a Threshold Pledge System
/ Provision Point Mechanism, launched in August 2009, that facilitates musicians (Artists) reaching out to their fan-base (termed Pledgers) to financially contribute to upcoming recordings or other musical projects (Projects). Broadly speaking it bears many similarities to such platforms as Kickstarter
and Sellaband
.
PledgeMusic has offices in London, New York and Los Angeles.
PledgeMusic and the following companies have entered into commercial partnerships to provide more integrated services to Artists:
PledgeMusic has partnered with the Hotel Cafe
for SXSW 2011.
PledgeMusic has hosted showcases with CMJ.
While discussing the Digital Economy Bill Lord Errol, in the UK House of Lords, has described PledgeMusic as a "rather clever idea" in the context of new ways of releasing music.
PledgeMusic was nominated for the 2011 Music Week Awards in the category "Consumer-Facing Digital Music Service of the Year".
PledgeMusic was nominated for the 2011 BT Digital Music Awards in the category "Best Innovation or Gadget".
Direct-to-Fan
Direct-to-Fan is a business model used by independent musicians, independent music labels, music marketing professionals, promoters, and others in the music industry...
/ Fan-funded music platform (a subset of Crowd-funding) utilising a Threshold Pledge System
Threshold pledge system
The threshold pledge or fund and release system is a way of making a fundraising pledge as a group of individuals, often involving charitable goals or financing the provision of a public good. An amount of money is set as the goal or threshold to reach for the specified purpose and interested...
/ Provision Point Mechanism, launched in August 2009, that facilitates musicians (Artists) reaching out to their fan-base (termed Pledgers) to financially contribute to upcoming recordings or other musical projects (Projects). Broadly speaking it bears many similarities to such platforms as Kickstarter
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects. Kickstarter has funded a diverse array of endeavors, ranging from indie film and music to journalism, solar energy technology and food-related projects.-Model:...
and Sellaband
Sellaband
Sellaband is a music website that allows artists to raise the money from their fans and the SellaBand community in order to record a professional album. It was set up by Johan Vosmeijer , Pim Betist , and Dagmar Heijmans in August 2006. Its offices are located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but it was...
.
Features
Features of PledgeMusic that distinguish it from other online fan-funded systems include that it:- is solely focussed on raising funds for musicians;
- does not retain any ownership or rights to any music created through the platform;
- encourages Artists to include contributions to charity as part of their fundraising project;
- absorbs all transaction processing costs involved in Pledging on a Project;
- encourages Artists to offer a wide range of incentives and exclusive content to Pledgers;
- does not process any funding transactions until the funding target is reached;
- is international, accepting Artists, Projects and Pledgers from all over the world.
Notable Artists
PledgeMusic has successfully helped fund a number of Artists' projects (82 in September 2010), with 82% of projects launched on the site successfully reaching their fundraising target. Some of these Artists include:- ArchiveArchive (band)Archive is a musical group based in London, England, whose music spans electronic, trip-hop, avant-garde, post-rock and progressive rock. Over their sixteen-year history, the band has released eight studio albums and enjoyed established success throughout Europe, while remaining little-known in...
- Brigade
- Charlie SimpsonCharlie SimpsonCharles Robert Simpson , is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the youngest member of multi BRIT Award-winning band Busted, and is the lead vocalist, guitarist and co-lyricist in alternative rock band Fightstar...
whose PledgeMusic funded album launched at number 6 in the UK album charts. - Dave McPherson
- Duke SpecialDuke SpecialDuke Special, real name Peter Wilson, is a songwriter and performer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A piano-based songwriter with a romantic style and a warm, distinctly accented voice, he has a distinctive look, with his long dreadlocks, eyeliner and outfits he describes as "hobo chic"...
- Earthtone9Earthtone9earthtone9 is an alternative metal band hailing from Nottingham, UK. Their line-up on most of their major releases was Karl Middleton on vocals, Owen "Oz" Packard, Joe Roberts on guitar, Graeme Watts on bass and Simon Hutchby on drums .-History:Signing to Copro Records in 1998, the band's first...
- Emmy the GreatEmmy the GreatEmma-Lee Moss , known by her stage name Emmy the Great, is a London-based singer-songwriter. She has released two albums, First Love and Virtue.-Early life:Moss was born in Hong Kong to an English father and a Chinese mother...
- For a Minor ReflectionFor a minor reflectionFor a Minor Reflection is a post-rock band from Reykjavík, Iceland. The band comprises four 20-year-olds. Their self-produced debut album Reistu þig við, sólin er komin á loft... featuring six songs lasting an hour in total, all recorded over a weekend in Iceland...
- Funeral for a FriendFuneral for a FriendFuneral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:...
- Gang of FourGang of Four (band)Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...
- Ginger (musician) whose PledgeMusic project became the fastest to reach its target in the website's history
- GrammaticsGrammaticsGrammatics were a British alternative rock band from Leeds, England, predominantly influenced by British bands of the 1990s such as Blur, Pulp, and Suede.The band also quotes the following musical influences: Cursive, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Queens Of The Stone Age,...
- I Like Trains
- Jack BruceJack BruceJohn Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
- Joe BrooksJoe BrooksJoe Brooks was an American character actor best known for portraying Trooper Vanderbilt, the near-sighted soldier, in F Troop. He also played Dave Meyers in Gremlins. His interment was located in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery.-External links:...
- Juliana HatfieldJuliana HatfieldJuliana Hatfield , is an American guitarist/singer-songwriter and author from the Boston area, formerly of the indie rock bands Blake Babies and Some Girls. She currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
- Firehorse (band)Leah SiegelLeah Siegel, is an American musician, singer, songwriter. She is the daughter of Robert Siegel and Jane Siegel.Siegel wrote a song for a Topsy Foundation commercial. The commercial won a Clio Award, Grand LIA and award at Cannes, in addition to being named an "ad worth spreading" by the nonprofit...
- Madina LakeMadina LakeMadina Lake an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A in 2005.Madina Lake released their debut album From Them, Through Us, to You through Roadrunner Records on March 27, 2007...
- NattyNatty (artist)Natty is a songwriter, singer and musician from Finsbury Park, North London.- History :Born Alexander Akiloe Philip Modiano in San Francisco, California. Natty moved to London, England with his family at the age of one. His musical eclecticism of today reflects the differing tastes of his parents...
- Rachael YamagataRachael YamagataRachael Yamagata is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from Arlington, Virginia. She began her musical career with the band Bumpus before becoming a solo artist and releasing four EP's and three studio albums...
- TAB the BandTAB the BandTAB the Band is an American indie rock band from Duxbury, Massachusetts. Formed in December 2006, the group consisted of brothers Adrian Perry and Tony Perry , and Ben Tileston . In August 2008, Lou Jannetty joined the band...
- Terra NaomiTerra NaomiTerra Naomi is an alternative, rock, and pop artist, who rose to fame through a performance of her song "Say It's Possible" on the video sharing site YouTube...
- The BlackoutThe Blackout (band)The Blackout is a post-hardcore band from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, formed in 2003. After some time backing Lostprophets on their Liberation Transmission Tour, along with Dopamine, Covergirl, Kids In Glass Houses, The Guns and Men, Women and Children, they released their first mini-album The Blackout!...
- The DamnwellsThe DamnwellsThe Damnwells are an indie rock band originally from Brooklyn, New York The band formed in 2001 and has released four full length albums, Air Stereo , Bastards of the Beat , and One Last Century...
- Tina DicoTina DicoTina Dico is a singer and songwriter inspired by artists such as Tracy Chapman, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.In Denmark she performs under her real name, Tina Dickow.- Beginnings :...
who raised £60,000 in 30 days - The SubwaysThe SubwaysThe Subways are an English alternative rock / indie rock band. Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the U.S. Their second album, All or Nothing, was released on 30 June 2008 and their third album Money and Celebrity debuted on the...
Management
PledgeMusic is run by CEO Benji Rogers, a London Based musician who has been recording and touring since 1999, and Malcolm Dunbar, formerly A&R Director at Island, Warners/East West, Mother/Universal, V2 and Sanctuary, is Managing Director. Randy Sabiston, previously at S1 Songs America, Warner/Chappell, Polygram/Island Music Publishing and EMI Music Publishing, is MD for North America. Rose Noone, formerly of Warner Bros, Epic Records and Island Records, is the Head of US A&R.PledgeMusic has offices in London, New York and Los Angeles.
Affiliated Companies and Partnerships
PledgeMusic Recordings and PledgeMusic Publishing are both affiliated companies providing the traditional services of a record label and a publishing company to select Artists.PledgeMusic and the following companies have entered into commercial partnerships to provide more integrated services to Artists:
- MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- SonicBids (who also owns www.artistdata.com)
- SoundOut (Slicethepie's insight and analytics service)
- Lyric Financial
- NimbitNimbitNimbit, Inc. is a Framingham, Massachusetts-based company offering direct-to-fan sales, marketing, and career management solutions for independent artists and music labels through Web-based services...
PledgeMusic has partnered with the Hotel Cafe
Hotel Café
The Hotel Café is a live music venue located off an alley on the Cahuenga Boulevard strip in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that has become known for helping to establish the careers of new singer-songwriters in the 2000s...
for SXSW 2011.
PledgeMusic has hosted showcases with CMJ.
Awards, Nominations, and Notable Commentary
PledgeMusic was nominated for the 2010 BT Digital Music Awards in the category "Best Innovation or Gadget".While discussing the Digital Economy Bill Lord Errol, in the UK House of Lords, has described PledgeMusic as a "rather clever idea" in the context of new ways of releasing music.
PledgeMusic was nominated for the 2011 Music Week Awards in the category "Consumer-Facing Digital Music Service of the Year".
PledgeMusic was nominated for the 2011 BT Digital Music Awards in the category "Best Innovation or Gadget".