Monday, March 10, 2008

Another Online Music Model: JillsNextRecord.com

It's been 12 years since Jill Sobule sang the hit, "I Kissed a Girl." But Jill still has friends, and she's not afraid to ask them for help. Demonstrating the power of social media and minipreneurship, Jill is financing her latest recording one financier at a time.

Needing $75,000 to record her new album and having been burned by record labels, she took her appeal straight to the Internet. Her approach was funny, personal, and quirky. For donating $10 you'd get a copy of the CD. For $500 she'd mention your name and maybe rhyme with it on the final track of the CD. And for $5,000, she'd come to your home and perform a house concert for you and your friends.

The approach worked. As announced at JillsNextRecord.com, she raised over $80,000 and has shut down the donations. According to the Tote Board on her site, Jill's going to have to work 23 names into her song for all the people who gave at the $500 level. Three people will get a personal concert from Jill in their homes, and one person gave at the maximum level--$10,000--which entitles that person to sing on her record (or perhaps just play cowbell, depending upon musical ability.)

With so many music artists attempting new and unique ways to finance their art (and so many labels trying to figure out their place in the changing digital world), it's refreshing to see small artists make smart use of the Internet to reach and involve their fan base in their music. This sort of minipreneurship and social networking will continue to change not just the music world but could impact everything from art to commerce.

Read more on Wired.com, or enjoy Jill's hit tune below...

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