Partner Article

New tech helps musicians sell straight to fans

A new North East service is tuning into the potential of internetand mobile technology to help unsigned musicians and performers reachnew audiences.Likened to an iTunes for mobile phones, Sunderland-based IsMyMusic.com is a web-based service which allows unsigned bands to increase theirpromotional reach and selling opportunities by enabling them to selltheir music directly to fans’ mobile phones.

Artists using theservice must subscribe to IsMyMusic.com, where they can upload theirmusic. Then, during performances, they can direct the audience todownload the songs directly to their mobile.

Dirk Kok, Foundingdirector of IsMyMusic.com, said: “Over the years, I have seen so manygreat bands and innovative musicians who never got the recognition orthe return on investment they deserved. I got frustrated with thesituation and started to think about a service where everyone wins – amobile ‘iTunes’ platform where bands can expand their promotional reach.

“Thepotential to everyone involved is massive, especially to unsigned bandswho just wouldn’t have access to such high-level promotion normally. Wehave started on a local level but there is no reason why the sitecouldn’t reach out nationally and even worldwide.”

IsMyMusic is amember of Codeworks Connect, the trade association for the North East’sdigital industries. Carri Cunliffe, sector development manager atCodeworks Connect, said: “IsMyMusic.com is yet another example of ayoung entrepreneur thinking out of the box and coming up with a viablebusiness idea based on a combination of new technologies.

“Theinnovation here is that IsMyMusic.com is targeting a huge market –especially younger mobile phone users who are more active when it comesto downloading and sharing music. We wish them luck in breaking intothat market.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .