Many startups have developed novel mechanisms to apply crowdsourcing principles to the A&R process, but newly launched WeMix LLC is trying to extend its group-participation model all the way to the process of song creation. The company, which counts hip-hop star Ludacris as an equity stakeholder, offers remixing, DJing and mashup tools alongside the now-familiar "inverted A&R" model in which artists receiving the most votes rise to the top of the rankings. The payoff for the top-ranked artists? A chance to make a record with music professionals, including Ludacris himself.
Founded as a joint venture between the production companies operated by co-founder Matt Apfel and Ludacris, WeMix has accepted $500,000 in angel money from unnamed individuals over the past year. Apfel, a veteran of reality television programming, envisions WeMix's Web site as one part of a multimedia, multi-channel approach, with the company eventually acting as a label that promotes its members' music in TV, films and advertising. He says WeMix expects to use television as a promotional channel, be it via an informercial-type program or a full-fledged reality series.
WeMix's remix tools are still fairly primitive, but Apfel said it will eventually provide more advanced options like those offered by JamGlue Inc., Splice Inc., and similar sites. And while the site is currently dominated by hip-hop, Apfel plans a push into other genres, starting with rock and roll. He says he's begun having conversations with potential Series A backers, including venture firms and strategic investors but not music labels, and hopes to complete a round by the fall. Meanwhile, WeMix hasn't spent much on marketing itself -- it's just asked Ludacris to spread the word, and he's never been shy about talking up his new projects. -- Paul Bonanos
See April 1 post from Tech Confidential on crowdsourced A&R site OurStage
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I hope its a huge success!
Production Music Library - Urban Dropz
http://www.ProductionMusicLibrary.com