Moving on and Getting Over.

We’ve been following Pledge closely, and as of last week it looks as though all of our concerns have been validated - artists will not be paid as promised. Hundreds of artists have been let down to the tune of thousands of dollars.

Where did they go so wrong?

Instead of specializing in one specific area, Pledge took on “crowdfunding” to mean powering artist storefronts, handling payment processing and acting as the delivery system for digital music.

A couple months ago we wrote about an alternative to Pledge. Rather than relying on one company, artists can use a few highly specialized tech companies that have mastered the roles we’ve stated above. The end result is artists operating their own crowdfunding campaigns and controlling the entire process.

Using Shopify, artists can create a customized web store, track inventory, view sales analytics and so much more. And through Shopify’s dedicated app store, artists have the ability to communicate directly with customers, create music + merch bundles, sell digital music and even automatically report sales to SoundScan.

Take Control.

Running a crowdfunding campaign with Shopify + Single Music turns your campaign into an actual storefront. Fans purchase “pre-order” products like music and merchandise, knowing that they won’t ship out until the release date. This is a direct to consumer model, so fans pay the artists throughout the duration of the campaign. That’s right, money reaches the artist’s account in just 2-4 days. No more nightmares of not being able to fulfill fan orders because of funds stuck on a crowdfunding platform.

Even more, Shopify gives merchants access to Shopify Payments and PayPal. Both of these payment providers have a track record of proven success, so artists never have to worry if or when they are getting paid.

For a detailed look at exactly how to build a DIY crowdfunding campaign, take a look at our step by step instructions. For artists stuck in limbo on Pledge, we feel for you. Take control and run your next crowdfunding campaign direct to fan.

Your music. Your store.

Interested in learning more? Talk to us!

- The Single Team