Jill Sobule Goes to Fans for Album Financing
Canadian recording artist Jill Sobule needs $75K to record her album, but rather than taking an advance from a label, as she has in the past, she's going straight to her fans for financing.
So far, they have contributed $66,319 to her cause, so if the trend continues, she'll be headed into the studio soon. Rather than using an intermediary that lets fans try to earn a financial return, Sobule is offering a variety of ways to participate, including the right to sing on the album.
Here are the options:
* $10 - Unpolished Rock (but with potential) Level: A free digital download of the album, when it's released.
* $25 - Polished Rock Level: An advance copy of the CD. Weeks before the masses.
* $50 - Pewter Level: An advance copy and a "Thank You" on the CD.
* $100 - Copper Level: All the above, plus a T-shirt saying you're a junior executive producer on the album.
* $200 - Bronze Level: Free admission to my shows for 2008.
* $250 - Silver Level: All the above, plus a membership to the "Secret Society Producer's Club," which means you'll get a secret password to a website where I'll post some rough tracks, or... something worthwhile.
* $500 - Gold Level: This is where it gets good! At the end of my CD, I'll do a fun instrumental track where I'll mention your name and maybe rhyme with it. And if you don't want your name used, you can give me a loved one's instead. What a great gift!
* $750 - Gold Doubloons Level: Exactly like the gold level, but you give me more money.
* $1,000 - Platinum Level: How would you like to have a theme song written for you? I'll have a song you can put on your answering machine and show off. Again, this could be a gift.
* $2,500 - Emerald Level: Mentioned as an executive producer of the album -- whoop-di-doo!
* $5,000 — Diamond Level: I will come and do a house concert for you. Invite your friends, serve some drinks, bring me out and I sing. Actually, this level is a smart choice economically. I've played many house concerts where the host has charged his guests and made his money back. I'd go for this if I were you.
* $10,000 - Weapons-Grade Plutonium Level: You get to come and sing on my CD. Don't worry if you can't sing - we can fix that on our end. Also, you can always play the cowbell.
By Eliot Van Buskirk, Wired Listening Post
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You, the fan, provide microfunding for musicians from one of the unlikely music capitals of the world - the townships of Capetown, South Africa, say, or the favelas in Salvador, Brazil. You are directly engaged in their creative process - making new and completely unique recordings that wouldn't exist without your assistance.
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Choose a Musician's Campaign, Lend, Get Repaid
1. Music Fans like you can browse Campaigns of Musicians and choose an artist to lend to. When you lend, using Paypal or your credit card, Microfundo collects the funds and then passes them along to the artist once they've reached their goal.
2. Over time the artist is able to repay the loan via sales of digital downloads of their music that is distributed through Microfundo's media partners at Natonal Geographic and Mondomix.
3. When you get your money back you can re-lend to another artist Campaign or choose to purchase their artists' new releases or you can simply keep your money.
You, the fan, provide microfunding for musicians from one of the unlikely music capitals of the world - the townships of Capetown, South Africa, say, or the favelas in Salvador, Brazil. You are directly engaged in their creative process - making new and completely unique recordings that wouldn't exist without your assistance.
Change the lives of our Artists and help develop a thriving music economy around the globe.
Get Started >>
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