Loudar.com is an Australian music video start-up that wants to change the way artists and fans get paid.
It's a new concept that aims to provide long-term income opportunities for both fans and artists via a platform that allows fans to vote on artists' videos.
Here's how it works: artists sign up for free and upload their videos. It then costs fans $1 (it's free to browse, listen and watch) to vote on their favourite videos, with 50 cents going directly back to the artist. Fans can make money by becoming a 'viral agent' – share videos for free and every time someone votes via your share you make 10 cents.
Fans can further participate as 'talent scouts' by inviting artists to sign up, and when they do you receive 5 cents every time someone votes on that artist's videos. Both the 'viral agent' and 'talent scout' commissions are taken from Loudar's 50 cent cut, not the artists' revenue.
In January and February, the most voted for video will also win $1,000 in prize money per month and all videos will be eligible for a stack of other prizes, from Beats by Dre headphones to promotional packages. As a proud industry partner, we'll be supporting Loudar.com by choosing our own feature artist each month in December, January and February.
Created by musicians for musicians, Loudar.com is the brainchild of Tom Chwieduk and Mac Mikosik, two Gold Coast musicians with tech skill sets. The initial idea came about during their seven-year stint running the design, web and promo department of one of the largest studios on the Gold Coast.
Frustrated by the way the industry model had evolved with streaming all but eliminating ‘reasonable’ incomes for independent artists, they asked themselves the question – ‘is there another way?’.
“Over those years we were asked the same question over and over again by artists: ‘I’ve recorded an album, I’ve got my branding, my tracks, my show and my merch all together – now how do I sell my music online?’," Tom says.
"We would provide the list of available online promo and distribution services, and of course tried them all ourselves with our own music, but the result was always the same – the streaming income, even based upon substantial listens, was miniscule."
After years of research and equipped with some of the world's finest technology, Loudar.com has been launched in Beta Mode, with a full launch expected in 2020. With the Loudar.com Beta now launched and operational for the next three months, Tom and Mac are hoping to revolutionise revenue streams and how artists engage with their fans.
