A pair of fans of Taylor Swift raised more than $1,000 in a GoFundMe a campaign to publicly support Swift in her ongoing battle with Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta. Haley Spalding and Kyle Graden used the funds to pay for two digital billboards in N…
Category archives: Crowdfunding
91% of Artists Remain Undiscovered — Here’s How Show4me Is Planning to Change That
Would you pay $1 a year to directly support an artist? That’s one of several solutions that Show4me is spinning as part of its broader direct-to-fan network. It’s a statistic that can make any emerging artist feel depressed. Several years ago, Next Bi…
The Rise and Fall of PledgeMusic — How the Future of Music Crowdfunding Turned Into a Nightmare
“To me, the way PledgeMusic puts out music is what the future of the release of an album looks like.” – Benji Rogers Rogers founded PledgeMusic in 2009 as a direct-to-fan crowdfunding platform that focused on providing an experience. …
Frustrated Singer-Songwriter Liz Longley Asks Fans for $35,000 to Get Out of Her Label Deal, Gets $130,000 on Kickstarter
It’s not unusual for artists to have problems with their record labels. But rarely do such problems culminate in a happy ending. But this is exactly what happened to country artist Liz Longley, in a story that will inspire both artists and their …
Founder Benji Rogers and A PledgeMusic Staffer Respond To News That Artists Will Never Be Paid
After news broke yesterday that PledgeMusic had $9.57 million in debt and assets worth $25,000 leaving "little prospect" that artists and other creditors will be paid, Hyepbot heard from two ex-staffers with intimate knowledge of the debacle. Founder and former CEO Benji Roger’s interview with a court-appointed receiver makes up…
PledgeMusic Owes $9.5M Leaving ‘Little Prospect’ That Artists Will Be Paid says UK Court
[UPDATE] PledgeMusic entered liquidation with $9.57 million in debt and assets worth just $20,000, according to court documents obtained by Hypebot. With an "estimated deficiency" of $9.5 million and secured creditor Sword Row, LLC first in line, there is "little prospect" that artists and other creditors will be paid, according…
PledgeMusic Bankruptcy Receiver Has ‘No Update’ 2 Months After Appointment
The Official Receiver named to oversee the liquidation of PledgeMusic.com Ltd had "no update" when contacted this week by Hypebot. A spokesperson for the Official Receiver, who was appointed on July 31st by a UK court, told Hyepbot: “The Official Receiver was appointed liquidator of PledgeMusic.com Limited in the High…
PledgeMusic Almost Killed Artist Crowdfunding — Bandzoogle Has a Plan to Save It
It was a disaster that almost killed artist crowdfunding entirely. As PledgeMusic disappeared with potentially millions in fan contributions, the concept of an artist crowdfunding platform rightfully came under scrutiny by musicians. But how was it po…
Patreon Is Thinking About Giving Its Artists Loans and Health Care
Patreon is looking into a new range of services for its crowdfunding creators. CEO Jack Conte confirmed the news at a tech panel coordinated by Variety in Los Angeles. He says Patreon is considering new ways to provide capital funding and other financi…
Hinting Musicians May Never Receive Their Payments at All, PledgeMusic Co-Founder Benji Rogers Pens Apology Which ‘Breaks My Heart’
In May, PledgeMusic’s embattled co-founder Benji Rogers issued a ‘heartfelt’ apology. After nearly a year of promising to return artists’ money “within 90 days,” the apparently regretful co-founder confirmed the troubled British crowdfunding platform w…