This Superfan Platform Gets Artists Paid 10x+ What They Make From Streaming
Digest
This podcast episode features Mag Rod Riegas discussing Even, a direct-to-fan (D2F) platform designed to help artists, especially emerging ones, overcome the challenges of low streaming revenue. Even facilitates the sale of music and experiences directly to fans *before* streaming release, contrasting with traditional "windowing" approaches. Riegas details Even's mechanics, highlighting its ability to build community, foster fan engagement, and generate substantial revenue through emotional commerce. He uses J. Cole's "Inevitable" campaign as a successful example. The platform provides artists with valuable data on fan behavior and spending habits, enabling better marketing and strategic decision-making. Riegas shares his background and the inspiration behind Even, emphasizing its artist-centric approach and flexibility in working with both independent and major label artists. He explains Even's two business models: the Even Marketplace and Even Studio (custom releases), and discusses the importance of paid access to maintain a high-quality, engaged community. Ultimately, Riegas defines "making it" in the music industry not by traditional metrics, but by building a sustainable and ethical business prioritizing artist well-being and genuine fan relationships.
Outlines
Introduction to Even: Direct-to-Fan Monetization for Artists
The podcast introduces Even, a platform enabling emerging artists to overcome low streaming revenue by selling directly to fans and building strong communities. It highlights the challenges faced by artists and positions Even as a solution for increased revenue and fan engagement.
Even's Functionality and Differentiation
Mag Rod Riegas explains Even's function as a direct-to-fan platform, contrasting it with past "windowing" attempts and highlighting its unique approach to leveraging the current streaming market. He emphasizes the sale of music and experiences directly to fans before streaming release.
Even's Mechanics: Sales, Community, and Engagement
Riegas details how Even facilitates digital album sales, community building, and fan engagement, using J. Cole's "Inevitable" campaign as a successful case study.
Even's Success Stories and Strategies
Riegas showcases examples of emerging artists who've achieved substantial revenue through Even, emphasizing the power of direct fan engagement and emotional commerce. He discusses strategies for successful campaigns and the importance of community building.
Mag Rod Riegas' Background and Even's Development
Riegas shares his background in music and the challenges that led him to create Even, a platform prioritizing artist needs and fan engagement.
Working with Labels: Even's Approach
The discussion covers Even's flexible approach to working with both independent and major label artists, emphasizing fairness in revenue distribution and its artist-centric model.
Even's Business Models and Community Features
Riegas explains Even's two business models (Even Marketplace and Even Studio) and its evolving approach to community building and fan discovery, stressing the importance of paid access for a high-quality community.
Keywords
Direct-to-Fan (D2F) Platform
A platform enabling artists to sell music and experiences directly to fans, bypassing traditional intermediaries.
Superfan Platform
A D2F platform focused on cultivating and monetizing relationships with highly engaged superfans.
Emotional Commerce
A marketing strategy leveraging emotional connections between artists and fans to drive sales.
Streaming 2.0
The evolution of the streaming model, acknowledging its limitations and the need for supplementary monetization.
Fan Engagement
Strategies to cultivate strong artist-fan relationships, fostering loyalty and driving sales.
Music Monetization
Strategies and platforms for artists to generate revenue from their music beyond streaming royalties.
Artist Revenue
The income generated by artists from their music sales and related activities.
Community Building
Creating and fostering online communities around artists and their work.
Q&A
How does Even differ from existing platforms like Bandcamp or Patreon?
Even focuses on community building and selling "access," offering a streamlined experience with tools for fan engagement and data analysis.
What kind of data does Even provide to artists?
Even provides comprehensive data, including revenue per view, conversion rates, streaming equivalents, and granular fan spending habits.
How does Even handle working with major label artists?
Even offers flexible revenue-sharing models accommodating various contracts and agreements, prioritizing transparency and fairness.
What does "making it" mean in the new music business, according to Mag Rod Riegas?
"Making it" is about building a sustainable and ethical business prioritizing artist well-being and genuine fan relationships.
Show Notes
This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Mag Rodriguez, the founder and CEO of the direct-to-fan platform EVEN. Throughout his career, Mag has helped artists generate over 1 billion streams—but now, he’s focused on building a parallel music economy where artists sell directly to fans before streaming. “Superfan” platforms like EVEN are redefining how artists monetize their work.
Through EVEN, Mag has partnered with J. Cole, 6LACK, LaRussell, Lauren Jauregui, Fariana, Smino, Ryan Leslie, and thousands of other artists of all levels, empowering them to take ownership of their fan relationships and unlock new revenue streams. They’re essentially putting control and earnings back into the hands of artists.
In this episode, Mag tells Ari about artists who don’t have many followers or monthly listeners, but are making significant revenue from their fans on EVEN. They discuss the previous eras of direct-to-fan platforms (like Bandcamp, Patreon, Kickstarter) and how EVEN’s music-centric model differs from these prior iterations. Superfan platforms are truly taking the industry by storm—Mag tells Ari that EVEN, alone, onboards about 8,000 artists each day. If you’re interested in exploring superfan platforms, this episode is a great place to start.
Check out EVEN at: get.even.biz
Chapters
00:00 The Challenge of Monetizing Music for Emerging Artists
02:57 The Rise of Direct-to-Fan Platforms
05:58 Understanding Even: A Direct-to-Fan Platform
08:55 Windowing and the Shift in Music Distribution
11:54 The Economics of Music Sales vs. Streaming
15:12 Selling Access: The Community Aspect of Even
18:00 Building Community: The Even Triangle
21:04 Real Success Stories: Emerging Artists on Even
24:00 Emotional Commerce: Connecting with Fans
26:57 The Future of Music Monetization
35:10 The $1,000 Album Phenomenon
38:36 Sustainable Revenue Models for Artists
40:16 Data-Driven Insights for Artists
44:27 The Journey to Building Even
51:12 Navigating Major Labels and Independent Artists
54:23 Operational Framework for Artists and Labels
01:00:07 Community Engagement and Fan Interaction
01:04:24 Defining Success in the New Music Business
Edited and mixed by Ari Davids
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take
Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
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