6 Music Crowdfunding Campaigns That We’re Totally Rooting for Right Now

It doesn’t take much to inspire us here at Soundfly. In general, we’re pretty excited about most things that our friends, partners, and students send our way when it comes to new music or new projects involving music and sound. But what really gets us amped is watching awesome crowdfunding projects come to life.

Why?

Simple. When artists and fans, creators and supporters, and collaborators join hands to make something new and unique in the world, and when project finances come with no creative strings attached, the limits of what’s possible are endless. It’s one of the reasons why, despite us being an “internet” company, we’re still striving to bring creative humans closer together than ever before with our Mainstage course mentorship model.

Learning online should not be a solitary adventure and neither should music making. Plus, both are way more fun when other people are involved!

If you’re planning your own campaign, you should highly consider checking out Jay Coyle’s in-depth online Soundfly course, Crowdfunding for Musicians.

So, let’s get inspired! Here are six currently open crowdfunding campaigns that we’re totally rooting for right now and why we think they’re on the path to success.

Rob J. Madin – STEAMROLLER

You know that face. You love that face, and so do we. Brett Domino has made us laugh and cry, but it seems Rob J. Madin (his real name, who knew?) is looking to move on. Here’s his new musical direction, and it’s clearly a bit… edgier.

What we love about this campaign is that despite Madin playing a new character here, he keeps his personal voice and brand very well intact, from the subtle comedy hidden in plain sight in the description text to the proclamation on the album artwork that the artwork is “to be confirmed.” Can’t wait to hear the music!

Spinbox – A portable DIY turntable kit

It’s getting to the point now where browsing through Kickstarter is more like shopping online than anything else. It’s just that you’re shopping for future things, things that don’t quite exist yet — literally the forefront of innovation and tech in some cases. That’s why we love this DIY turntable you can make yourself.

One of the best things about this already-successful campaign is that the product is just so desirable that even though they hilariously ran out of reward ideas, it doesn’t really matter! The last five rewards give you the opportunity to simply buy more Spinboxes — up to 96 of them in fact!

Okay, maybe we’re just excited about the fact that you can make it out of a pizza box.

Also, ICYMI. Yup, this happened.

+ Read more on Flypaper: “Which Crowdfunding Platform is Right for Your Next Project?”

Here’s one of our favorite musician/educators out there right now. Dr. Joel Pierson is raising funds for his new project, a method book to help you learn piano that insults you but also makes you feel awesome. It’s called You Suck at Piano — a truly innovative approach to an age-old thing. Hey, we have a piano course as well, and it also has cute drawings! But it doesn’t have Joel in it.

Although the verdict is still out on whether insulting a student actually helps them learn, we gotta support him for trying! And the illustrations really are quite hilarious.

crowdfunding

John Reed-Torres – “Bringing Ragtime to Argentina”

Here’s a project with a small risk, yet a huge reward. A little bit of honesty goes a long way, and that’s what we appreciate the most about John Reed-Torres’ very personal ask for a little money to help him get to Buenos Aires to spread the music he loves so much just a little bit further. His campaign is simple (there’s only one reward option), yet it’s focused and driven, and it reflects his mission to bring the musical world of ragtime back into our lives in the modern era. Except the hats… those are still old.

Sometimes simple is just plain powerful.

Richard Alan White – Breaking Through at Eighty-Two

And here’s another truly special project! Richard Alan White is 82 years old. He’s been around music his entire life, yet he considers himself an “emerging” composer because he’s never published or performed a major original work. The goal of this campaign is to fund the reading and playthrough of his opera, Hester, by the Center for Contemporary Opera in New York City — in other words, at 82 years of age, he’s finally getting his break!

The campaign video does run a bit long as far as his pitch is concerned, but it’s more like a mini-doc retelling the story of his life. The captivating emotion of the story brings us in immediately, and the campaign reminds us that it’s never too late to immerse yourself in music creation and make your dreams happen. Erased Tapes, get at him!

“It’s the need that drives us to fulfill ourselves, not the title we give to ourselves.”

Bnt Al Masarwa – Feminists Singing in Egypt

Last but certainly not least, here’s a group of touchingly dedicated women seeking to raise funds to produce 10 recorded songs created from three storytelling workshops they did with women in Upper Egypt. This project actively challenges the oppressive patriarchal system women must navigate every day, taking a stand against the rhetoric of binary gender roles through the transmission of beautiful songs and lyrical stories.

Alongside this empowering, mission-driven project, Bnt Al Masarwa‘s campaign is professionally put together with a compelling video, clear descriptive text translated in English and Arabic, and rewards for every imaginable level of supporter engagement. They’re setting themselves up for success in every way that they can, and we’re totally rooting for them!

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