TechCrunch reports that SellABand just might be working.
But a few months later, wow. 2700 bands from all over the world have signed up, and four have already reached the $50,000 mark and have recorded albums (Nemesea, Cubworld, Second Person and Clemence, and more are on the way. Mandyleigh, one of our readers, is currently no. 4 on the top list and looks to be headed to the studio soon.
How it works is you upload your music and people listen to it. If they like it, they pay $10. Once you reach $50,000, SellABand helps you record your album with a producer. It’s a unique model. When/If you reach your goal and make the album, listeners who paid for your music get a free CD.
If you can get 5,000 people to “donate” $10 bucks to your cause, then you’ve got an album. Of course, if you’ve got the platform, you might just want to ask for the money directly. But if you’re starting from scratch and you have good music, why not let SellABand help you find some believers.
Mandyleigh says
Hi Graham,
Well, I`m an artist on Sellaband (Mandyleigh Storm), and we looked long and hard at it before deciding to join. Had to make sure it wasn’t some sort of scam of course. We found it wasn’t dodgy in any way, and in fact the people behind Sellaband have the best credentials you could ask for…. most of them worked at Sony Music Europe and Sony BMG, with all the top artists in the world, before they decided to quit and form Sellaband. I think one of them was quoted as saying he was sick of bringing out the next Justin Timberlake cd, and wanted to change the way music was heard, and cut out the middle-man (ie the record co’s).
There really is extremely little risk with Sellaband, from an artist or investors point of view.
For $10 (which can be moved or refunded at ANY time before the 50k target is reached), an investor can:
– receive a limited edition (numbered) cd of the professional release.
– get their share of the 50% cd profits from worldwide sales.
– get their share of 1/3 of the ad revenue from the Sellaband website, when some of their artists tracks are available for download.
Pretty good for 10 bucks right? Most cd’s in the world cost up to $30, and don’t offer any revenue back either. btw, the cd’s will be totally DRM free.
As for the artist:
– get to CHOOSE who they want to work with, when recording the cd (studio/producer/musicians/A&R). Being ex Sony, these guys have ALL the best contacts worldwide. Just check out the process Cubworld went through. He’s recording now. Hopefully have his cd out in June.
– can record whatever songs they like (no being forced in any one direction). Total creative freedom. Something that has rarely been seen since the 70’s.
– Receive 50% of the cd profits (worldwide sales). Sellaband WILL be selling the regular edition cd’s in physical stores and online, worldwide.
– receive 1/3 of the ad revenue.
– also receive royalties for every free download of a song from the website.
– Sellaband will be pushing the songs as much as possible, so they can get a return on the publishing side of things… of which the artist also gets 60%.
All in all, this sort of fairness to the artist and the investor is unprecedented. Do some research and see what artists like Courtney Love think of the music industry, where even artists like TLC at their height were earning $35,000 a year each… and had to declare themselves bankrupt. Toni Braxton – bankrupt. All is not rosy in the established music industry, which treats it’s artists worse than some Indonesian child-labour sweat-shop.
Sellaband is the future in my opinion. Music back in the hands of the people.
Love,
Mandyleigh XX
Graham English says
Thanks for the review, Mandyleigh. It was very thorough. I sincerely hope you get the support you need. And I hope other artists join and do well. The idea is right on time.
Best of luck!