Using fans and the public rather than a record label to fund your music career is exactly what Francis Rodino has managed to achieve with SellaBand.
For his first album ‘Circles And Squares’ Francis managed to raise $50,000 in contributions from the public and his loyal fan base, allowing him to bypass the record label and have complete freedom on how the album would be shaped.
After playing extensively on the London pub and club scene, Francis Rodino had gained a solid fan base, which is obviously essential when they're going to be the main source of your donations.
He started off by getting producer/engineer Steve Bush (Athlete, Ronnie Wood, Stereophonics) to record the album and Bob Ludwig (U2, Coldplay, Radiohead) to then take care of the mastering. With two big names in the music industry onboard and not a single record label to answer to, Francis retains complete ownership of his work and can express himself however he pleases.
Now Rodino has released a new self-titled EP, created with money once again raised by his fans. This time recorded by George Shilling (Blur, Oasis, Mark Almond, Primal Scream) and mixed by Steve Bush.
SellaBand’s fan funding platform allows artists the option to involve the fans much more in their projects by offering rewards for their involvement. Exclusive downloads, gifts and even shares in the revenue created from album sales are available to them.
Fan-Funded Music
Francis Rodino Achieves Success with Sellaband
Trend Themes
1. Fan-funded Music - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Artists can bypass traditional record labels and gain complete ownership and creative freedom through fan funding.
2. Crowdsourcing Music Projects - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Artists can actively involve their fans in their projects by offering rewards for their participation, leading to a more engaged and loyal fan base.
3. Direct-to-fan Business Model - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Artists can establish a direct relationship with their fans and leverage their support to fund their music careers, eliminating the middlemen.
Industry Implications
1. Music Industry - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Traditional record labels can adapt their business models to incorporate fan funding platforms and support artists in gaining creative control.
2. Crowdfunding Platforms - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Crowdfunding platforms can expand their services to cater specifically to musicians by offering tailored features and rewards for fan funding.
3. Artist Management - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Artist management companies can explore new ways to support emerging talent by utilizing fan funding platforms and helping artists maintain ownership and control of their music.