Rap legends Public Enemy, have in an unusual move, sidestepped the current music industry problems and are financing their new album in a completely new way. They are using the site Sellaband to raise $250,000 by selling off the album and a chunk of the proceeds to those willing to put up $25 up front. Let Chuck D explain…
“SellaBand’s financial engine model goes about restructuring the music business in reverse, it starts with fans first, then the artists create from there. The music business is built on searching for fans and this is a brand new way for acts to create a new album with fans first, already on board.”
Sounds like a revolutionary concept, avoiding record company bullshit and piracy issues. Revolutionary perhaps if Nick Tann didn’t write something about the very same concept last week… Although impossibly unlikely, I like to think they stole his idea…
If both a multi platinum rap groupand a singer songwriter from Hampshire can make this concept work, why not other bands…?
7 Comments
it takes a nation of millions to hold NT back! Sounds promising though, although $25 is pretty high for an album, I guess with established acts it’s a fairly safe punt-not sure if I’d put up that much cash on an untried artist though-maybe bands should integrate their myspace followings into this? Joint the myspace, pay $2, get a slice of the album pie? Of course, merchandising is where the real cash is made…
I’m a safer punt because all my demo tracks are available to listen to so people will know what to expect and even have a say in which tracks appear on the album.
Interesting but I think this only gonna work for special projects like Nick’s.
It’ll probably work for Public Enemy because they’re so well known already but for your average independent artist it’s not gonna be reliable method of sustaining your music career.
I agree to a point Chris. It would depend on how much publicity one would get.
My vinyl project isn’t my only project, it’s one of many. I don’t necessarily think it will be my only way of selling my stuff and I think this will also be the case with Public Enemy. They’ve already got the publicity.
I’m just doing this on my own, I haven’t got a team doing any work for me so in that respect i think you’re right about it working for PE as they do have that.
I’m not saying it’ll work for every band, but it couldwork sor some better than the current system. It’s just cool that there are other ways to make money off music rather than the labels or traditional self releasing methods.
Agree with that. Been thinking about this today and maybe that’s the deal now.
The old business model is thankfully on it’s last legs so anyone that wants to make money with music will really have to innovate and be creative. Anyone who just wants to make music for fun can do and distribute it globally to boot.
Having said that there is something about crowdfunding that doesn’t sit well with me with the grittier end of music.
I know it’s impossible to compare then and now but if Appetite for Destruction was on the horizon I can’t imaging GnR coming out with “Hey fuckers we wanna be the sleaziest rock n roll band in the world, we wanna fuck a lotta hookers and groupies, tour the world, take a shit loada drugs and get hooked on scag. We can’t afford it though so can you pay for it and then we’ll get snorting.”
There are plenty of artists that make a good living out of music without being ridiculously rich and famous and who don’t have usual 9-5 jobs.
They earn enough to pay the mortgage, have the odd holiday etc. These kind of plans can work for them and me hopefully.