PledgeMusic has released a major redesign of their crowdfunding platform for musicians, but there is more to the redesign than just a facelift. This represents a big strategic shift for the platform, and one that says quite a bit about crowdfunding strategy for musicians and PledgeMusic’s place in the narrative.
For a look into how the redesign affects musicians, look no further than a currently-running campaign by alt rock stalwarts 311. Their campaign for pre-orders of the band’s forthcoming 15 track studio album Stereolithic.
The rewards? A combination of CDs, vinyl, band signatures, lithographics and more. Pledging to the campaign gives pledgers access to ongoing exclusive content from the band as they record and presumably as they tour, 27 updates in all. Engagement has been strong.
Comments from PledgeMusic President and founder Benji Roberts speak volumes on what this redesign represents.
“I’m a fan of crowdfunding, but it’s not always the correct tool to use for music,” Rogers told Billboard in a recent interview. “One of our artists put it best when they said that with crowdfunding, the artists thanked the fans at the end of a campaign. But with other types of direct-to-fan sales, it’s fans thanked them. It changes the way fans think about artists.”
That last statement is important. The site has been reworked with emphasis placed on exclusive content. The new motto: Music as it happens.