Sellaband

Infobox Website
name = Sellaband



caption = A Sellaband profile
url = http://www.sellaband.com/
commercial = Yes
type = Social network / Music
language = English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese
registration = Required for buying parts, not required for listening
owner = Sellaband GmbH & Co. KG
author = Johan Vosmeijer, Pim Betist, Dagmar Heijmans
launch date = August 2006
current status = online
revenue =
slogan = You Are The Record Company

Sellaband is a music website set up by Johan Vosmeijer (ex Sony/BMG), Pim Betist (ex Shell), and Dagmar Heijmans (ex Sony/BMG) in August 2006 to allow music ensemblebands to raise the money to record a professional album.fact|date=April 2008 Their offices are located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but it's a German company that started in Bocholt, Germany.fact|date=April 2008

On December 18, 2007 a partnership with the British site from Amazon.com was announced. [cite web |last=Kiss |first=Jemima |title=Amazon hooks up with bands site |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/dec/18/digitalmedia.web20 |date=2007-12-18|accessdate=2007-12-26 |publisher=Guardian Unlimited]

On April 8, 2008, they raised EU€3.5 million [cite web|last=Pfauth|first=Ernst-Jan|title=Sellaband closes a round of € 3.5 million funding for international expansion|url=http://thenextweb.org/2008/04/08/sellaband-closes-a-round-of-e-35-million-for-international-expansion/|publisher=the Next web|date=2008-04-08|accessdate=2008-04-16] (US$5 million) [cite web|last=Butcher|first=Mike|title=SellaBand wins $5 million in Series A|url=http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/08/sellaband-wins-5-million-in-further-funding/|date=2008-04-08|accessdate=2008-04-16|publisher=TechCrunch] in their Series A round led by Prime Technology Ventures. [ [http://ptv.com/page/sellaband Sellaband ] ]

Model

With the support of music industry professionals, [ [http://www.sellaband.com/experts/ Experts - SellaBand ] ] any band that is able to sell 5,000 "parts" is then provided with their own producer, studio, and A&R to record an album. Bands are required to set up a profile and upload some of their music to attract "Believers". Parts are then sold at US$10 each giving the band US$50,000 to record, mix, and manufacture their album.fact|date=April 2008

Believers

Individuals interested in supporting Sellaband artists by buying "parts" in them must establish a Sellaband "Believer Account". They can then fund their account through various means of payment subject to a transaction fee. An individual is not considered a Believer and granted access to certain site functions until they actually buy their first "part". Believers can purchase any number of "parts" in a single artist or "parts" in multiple artists. Up and until the time all 5,000 parts are sold, the money collected from Believers in exchange for artist "parts" is held in an escrow account managed by a third party (Dieter Roesing, Rechtsanwälte und Notare, Bocholt), regulated under German Law, [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition66/ Sellaband Tribune Article "Sellaband & Escrow"] ] and cannot be accessed by Sellaband. Any interest accrued during this period is kept by Sellaband. [ [http://www.sellaband.com/site/faq_believer.html Frequently Asked Questions - SellaBand ] ] During this time Believers may sell back any number of "parts" they have in an artist, which are re-deposited into the Believer's Sellaband account, and buy parts in other artists. They can also request a refund of any and all amounts they have in their deposit account. All refunds are made to the original source of the funding (credit card, money transfer service) and are subject to a small transaction fee per individual transaction. Once the US$50,000 is raised, the Believers' funds are committed to the artist and the Escrow Agent transfers the funds to Sellaband for the recording project.fact|date=April 2008

Believers then own one (of 5,000) limited-edition CD of the album produced, for each part they own. The Believer has the option to take physical possession of any number of Limited Edition CDs they own and do as they please with them. Any Limited Edition CDs not taken by the Believer will be sold through Sellaband. Sales of these CDs can occur through the open Sellaband Store, through the Believer's own Sellaband Shop, or through third party distributors. The amount received by the Believer from the sale of these CDs will vary according to the method sold.

While Limited Edition CDs are sold through the Sellaband site for US$15.00. with US$11.00 going to the Believer. Believers can also earn an additional US$0.50 commission if the sale is generated through the Believer's Sellaband shop. Limited Edition CDs sold through 3rd parties yield less than the US$10.00 paid by the Believer for the CD via the "part" purchased. Sellaband states, "When the CD (limited edition) is sold through 3rd parties you earn somewhere around US$7.50 but this may vary per distributor and currency exchange rates." Believers are given the option to have their Limited Edition CDs sold through 3rd parties.

Believers will also receive a proportional share, based on the number of parts owned in a particular artist, of one-third of advertising revenue from the free download section of the site, song / album download revenue, and revenue from the sales of "regular edition" CDs. [ [http://www.sellaband.com/site/how-it-works.html How it works - SellaBand ] ]

CD and download sales, and advertising revenue are not reported publicly but are provided to individual Believers per the artists they own parts in.

Events

Since its inception, Sellaband has conducted 3 "official" concerts in Europe.
*"New Years Party" (January 2007), the Paradiso, Amsterdam, NLfact|date=April 2008
*"London Calling" (June 2007), Gibson Studios, London, UKfact|date=April 2008
*"Sellabration - Birthday Party" (August 2007), the Paradiso, Amsterdam, NLfact|date=April 2008

Sellaband artists also participated in the "Concert At Sea" festival (June 2007) held in Brouwersdam, NL.fact|date=April 2008 In addition, a number of concerts in Europe, Australia, and the United States have been organized through the collaboration of Sellaband artists and believers.fact|date=April 2008

2008 marks the first year that Sellaband affiliated events took place in the US. The first event, Sell-A-Jam USA “One Night In Boston” [MySpace|sellajamusa|Sell-A-Jam USA] took place on January 25 at Boston's Paradise Lounge and featured Sellaband recording artist Lily Vasquez, with Sellaband listed artists Jon Robert and Delco, Jess King, and Wetwerks. The Sellaband Rio Grande Festival, [MySpace|sellabandriogrande|Sellaband Rio Grande] was held in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico on February 22 and February 23.

US$50,000 artists

The first 12 artists to reach the US$50,000 goal and release their Sellaband CD: [ [http://www.sellaband.com/search/?phase=recorded Find artists - SellaBand ] ] table
type=class="wikitable sortable"
hdrs=#!!Date!!Artist!!Country
row1=1!!2006-11-02 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition9/ Tribune - Edition 9 - SellaBand ] ] !!Nemesea!!flag|Netherlands
row2=2!!2007-01-12 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition18/ Tribune - Edition 18 - SellaBand ] ] !!Cubworld!!flag|United States
row3=3!!2007-03-12 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition26/ Tribune - Edition 26 - SellaBand ] ] !!Second Person!!flag|United Kingdom
row4=4!!2007-03-18 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition27/ Tribune - Edition 27 - SellaBand ] ] !!Clémence!!flag|France
row5=5!!2007-05-21 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition36/ Tribune - Edition 36 - SellaBand ] ] !!Lily Vasquez (formerly known as Lily)!!flag|United States
row6=6!!2007-06-02 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition39/ Tribune - Edition 39 - SellaBand ] ] !!Maitreya!!flag|New Zealand
row7=7!!2007-06-28 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition42/ Tribune - Edition 42 - SellaBand ] ] !!Mandyleigh Storm [ [http://www.sellaband.com/mandyleigh/messages.html?offset=720 Mandyleigh Storm - SellaBand ] ] !!flag|Australia
row8=8!!2007-10-05 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition53/ Tribune - Edition 53 - SellaBand ] ] !!Julia Marcell!!flag|Poland
row9=9!!2008-01-06 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition65/ Tribune - Edition 65 - SellaBand ] ] !!Solidtube!!flag|Austria
row10=10!!2007-09-11 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition49/ Tribune - Edition 49 - SellaBand ] ] !!Vegas Dragons!!flag|Australia
row11=11!!2008-03-02!!ConFused5!!flag|Austriafact|date=April 2008
row12=12!!2007-11-05 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition57/ Tribune - Edition 57 - SellaBand ] ] !!T-ka!!flag|France

There are 10 more artists who have reached the US$50,000 goal and are currently recording their Sellaband CD: [ [http://www.sellaband.com/search/?phase=recording Find artists - SellaBand ] ] table
type=class="wikitable sortable"
hdrs=#!!Date!!Artist!!Country
row1=1!!2007-10-27 [ [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/edition56/ Tribune - Edition 56 - SellaBand ] ] !!Francis Rodino!!flag|United Kingdom
row2=2!!2007-12-21!!BulletProof Messenger!!flag|United Statesfact|date=April 2008
row3=3!!2008-02-02!!Thomas Boissy [ [http://www.sellaband.com/thomasboissy/ Thomas Boissy - SellaBand ] ] !!flag|Francefact|date=April 2008
row4=4!!2008-02-18!!Mysti Mayhem!!flag|United Statesfact|date=April 2008
row5=5!!2008-03-04!!LUNIC (formerly known as Kaitee Page)!!flag|United Kingdomfact|date=April 2008
row6=6!!2008-03-19!!Ellie Williams!!flag|United Kingdomfact|date=April 2008
row7=7!!2008-04-18!!So What!!flag|Netherlands
row8=8!!2008-04-30!!Daniel Ward-Murphy!!flag|United Kingdom
row9=9!!2008-05-01!!Angie Arsenault!!flag|Canada
row9=9!!2008-06-07!!Lady Haidee!!flag|United Kingdom
row10=10!!2008-06-25!!Electric Eel Shock!!flag|Japan
row11=11!!2008-08-16!!AIOIA!!flag|France
row12=12!!2008-08-25!!Gisel de Marco!!flag|Argentina
row13=13!!2008-10-08!!Nearfield!!flag|Portugal

There are over 8,600 other artists currently registered on Sellaband looking for Believers. [ [http://www.sellaband.com/search/ Find artists - SellaBand ] ]

ee also

*Crowdsourcing
*Netlabel
*Social commerce
*Web 2.0

References

*BBC Radio 2 Interview (The Weekender with Matthew Wright - 3 November 2006)
*"The Times" (UK): Knowledge Section (26 November 2006)

External links

* [http://www.sellaband.com Official website]
** [http://www.sellaband.com/tribune/ Sellaband Tribune] - the Sellaband newsletter
* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/sellaband Sellaband] on Amazon.co.uk
* [http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/08/24/sellaband-to-crowdsource-free-music/ Sellaband to crowdsource free music] - TechCrunch review of Sellaband
* [http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2070652,00.asp New Ways to Get Music] - ExtremeTech review of Sellaband