Anyhow to your points. I can’t speak to our friends at Kickstarter except to say that fans pledging for a return on investment is technically illegal and so can’t be done.

PledgeMusic however I can speak to. Firstly I built it because it was something that I wanted to use. As an artist that is. We launched a campaign to make my last EP and six days later I was in the studio. 1 month later it was up online to be bought and the Pledgers got to hear it and download it first.

Secondly – it’s not just about funding the album. It’s about the experience of making the album. Bands tend to hit their fans with two basic messages.

1. Buy my new album
2. Buy a ticket to my show.

and as you say in your post – they hit a wall. I hit this exact same wall in fact.
So what fascinated me about the idea of PledgeMusic was that you could invite the fans into the process of making the albums, by video, audio, photographic and written updates, (we call these Pledgers only updates). So if an artist does 45 pledgers only updates during the campaign (remember these include unreleased tracks, videos from the studio, perhaps unseen photos etc all delivered solely to Pledgers for the price of the minimum £8) then it’s incredible value for money.
Then if you want to buy more deluxe items, signed Vinyl, Hand written lyric sheets, and yes even the sunglasses etc you still can.

What Pledge does is bring the fans on a journey with the artists that they love, allow fans more options that just a CD, download or ticket but also does not exclude that.

To say it another way. As a fan (not a record shop) what would you rather?

Have an artist let you know two weeks before the album comes out that you can preorder the album on itunes, or on CD. Bundle it with a T-Shirt or a ticket and that’s it? Just wait for it to arrive…?

Or would you rather see into the process, watch the music as it’s being made, see the artwork, get your name in the album credits, hear songs from the vault, unreleased live takes, old press pics, posters from years gone by etc… and then STILL get the album on CD with a T-Shirt or ticket bundle.

The latter seems like a better deal and far greater value for money.

For those who don’t want it that way they can just wait till all that fun stuff is over and then grab the CD. So one does not preclude the other.

As to selling to the fanbase this is a fair point except for the fact that the average Pledger spends over £50 per transaction. So you need fewer fans to make the record happen. I think it’s no secret that bands need more fans. Whilst Pledge can’t make this happen on it’s own we did build the ability for fans to autoshare their Pledgers only updates to both their facebook and twitter feeds.

So for example an artist posts an update of a demo for a new track and this feeds that artists facebook, twitter, myspace etc. Then when I Pledge I can set for this update to also post to my facebook and twitter as a fan. My friends then get to see that I am watching or listening to something that they then would have to Pledge to see. In this way each update gets the band more exposure.

For example as I’m typing this Ginger Wildheart just released a Pledgers only update video (his 44th) and it was retweeted 142 times to his followers on twitter alone. http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/gingerwildheart

I believe that fans want to show loyalty and that true fans want to be taken on a journey. Since we founded Pledge we have had 3 top 20 albums out of the system and a top 30. Which means that the super fans have used Pledge to get the music first and the rest of the fans have bought it later on. To add to that 26 artists have been signed to major and indie labels out of the system.

It was designed to be an option and I know in my heart that it’s a great option.

Lastly the Ian’s tote bag comes with the digital download and access to the updates in which there are two unreleased performances already for Pledgers only!
So it’s already a bargin right?
Cheers and be well.

Benji
Founder of PledgeMusic

The method of the studios is to tell you that recording and releasing an album is incredibly expensive. We will give you an advance, send you to a studio, and then release your album, and then we will take your advance back from your share of the profits. Very few albums ever actually break even for the artist.

Taking the studios out of the equation leaves artists needing to foot the bill for recording, mastering and duplicating before they can get any money in return. Pledgemusic is there, as generally is kickstarter, to fix that cashflow problem. If your core fans (who will buy the album anyway) pay for their albums first, by the time you get to release day your debts are paid off and you have an album to sell.

Of course, what they should do is coordinate that launch with record shops and do all the things that they should do anyway. But it means that it should be technically impossible for a pledgemusic album to fail financially, and anyone who is complaining after the event has just used it badly.

Betro~Electro

Cheers!

Anyroad, as former Edinburgh residents my good lady and I were regulars in the various branches of Avalanche and indeed in pretty much every other record shop in the capital. It’s always been better to go into a shop and have a browse rather than buy online. Now, alas, we live a long long way from such civilisation out here on the Ardnamurchan peninsula and online shopping is often the only way. I’ve just this minute (literally moments ago) bought (or “pledged” to buy) the 2nd Tom Williams & The Boat album via their website so that the band have the cash to make it – did this with Post Electric Blues by Idlewild a couple of years back too. I’ve also just subscribed to Fence’s Chart Ruse EP series which will allow them to do the same. I know that doesn’t help you as a shop at all but it does feel like I’m supporting (a) the artist/s at source and (b)getting some “proper” (non digital) music which is always a concern (as Nick Hornby noted in High Fidelity there are those bloke who simply cannot leave a record shop without a square shaped carrier bag bulging with a purchase of some sort!)

As to the mighty Star Wheel Press, I bought my copy direct from Ryan at a bike festival (!) in Aberfeldy and will probably order subsequent copies (I’m going to spread the word at each family birthday present buying opportunity!) straight from him in order that the band get the benefit. Again, I know this isn’t helping you.

Not sure what the answer is. I’d always prefer to buy instore rather than online but, as I say, with the the likes of Fence & SWP it does feel good to be helping them directly…

Good luck with it all. Will pop in soon.

Cheers.