A New Funnel for Music

The problem: Technology and music have always engaged in a symbiotic path towards innovation and creativity. The first recording devices, synthesizers, and even records were a result of technological innovators. Likewise, the first computers and mobile devices prioritized music as a key feature. The way we produce, consume, and support music has ch... See more

One of the major pivots the music industry has made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is a shift in focus from lean-back, aggregate streaming channels (e.g. Spotify, Apple Music) to direct-to-fan channels (e.g. Bandcamp, Shopify, Patreon) where the revenue impact is more immediate and transparent. Monthly membership revenue in particular is easi... See more

On the opportunity side, NFTs could unlock special album incentives. You could get access to certain live stream. You can get limited edition albums. That's an interesting kind idea of incremental revenue for these players, but a key role for, as we've talked about, for these labels, is also this VC element to it. Imagine if I was a mid-tier artist... See more

The money flowing to recording artists dropped 65% in 15 years between 1999 and 2014 because digital music technology disrupted the mechanism the recording labels had for collecting money from consumers. With streaming technologies on the rise, and now NFTs, the tide has turned in the last 7 years. Same skills. Same inherent joy for the music maker... See more

When all artists are confined to the same handful of platforms to promote their work, only the top 1% get a fair slice of them. And when all listeners are dispersed over an infinite array of small-scale, pop-up, artist-first solutions, no one gets a pleasant digital music experience. The only solution is stratification at scale.