Musician and celebrity mobile app maker EscapeX, has appointed Joe Cuello to the position of General Manager. A former MTV staffer, Cuello joins the company from a stint at Tunecore, where he served as Chief Creative Officer.
Launched just over a year ago, more than 70 influencers use custom EscapeX apps, including the Bob Marley and Janis Joplin estates, iTunes #1 charting Latin artist Prince Royce, the EDM festival Sunburn, and up-and-coming Interscope act Alex Aiono.
EscapeX custom apps have been download 13 million times and boast superior engagement rates compared to social media, with each user spending 18 min in-app per day. The apps also provide creators with tools to monetize social media through advertising, subscriptions, and a patented virtual currency.
“Sephi and the team have created a product that provides an exciting and empowering new way for artists, actors and other creatives to finally generate revenue from engaging with their own fans,” said new GM Joe Cuello. “From my time at MTV to Tunecore, I have seen the world of social media rise to dominance and how global companies have been built on the backs of audiences creatives have built. At EscapeX, we make it possible for creatives to profit from what they’ve built by unlocking an entirely new revenue stream which is fully owned and controlled by the creatives themselves.
Cuello will be appearing on a panel at SXSW on Friday March 17th at 3:30pm entitled “One Fan at a Time? Maximizing Fan Engagement.”