Berklee Online's The Roaring Crowdfund Wins 2019 UPCEA Marketing Award
Originally released in February 2019, The Roaring Crowdfund follows four different musical acts and tracks their progress across various crowdfunding platforms, including Kickstarter, PledgeMusic, and Indiegogo.
“We looked at our student body and realized that most of them who are making music are releasing it through crowdfunding initiatives, so we wanted to make a series that they could enjoy and relate to,” says Healy.
Major record deals have become a rarity in the current music landscape, and The Roaring Crowdfund shines a light on independent musicians and their ambition to fund their musical endeavors. The podcast features Emily Keener, a singer-songwriter from Cleveland who made it to the top 12 on The Voice; Boston hip-hop artist Dutch ReBelle, who Boston Magazine named 2018 Best Music Artist; Johnny Chops, an Austin-based rocker and bassist for the Randy Rogers Band; and Stono Echo, a Jacksonville-based hip-hop duo that uses vintage soul beats and gospel melodies to make something brand new.
“These artists let us ride shotgun in their active crowdfunding campaigns, and it was a pretty wild ride,” says Healy. “We got to see firsthand the strategies that they were using as the clocks ticked down on their deadlines, and really experience the emotional highs and lows of what it’s like to be an independent musician in this day and age trying to raise money to make art.”
In addition to the four main musical acts, The Roaring Crowdfund features input from executives at major crowdfunding platforms and experts from Berklee College of Music, including John Kellogg, entertainment attorney and director of Berklee Online’s music business master’s degree program. Artists like Ted Leo, Gift of Gab of Blackalicious, Meredith Graves, Brian Rosenworcel of Guster, Mark Kelly of Marillion, and Mike Doughty of Soul Coughing also offer their take on crowdfunding, after taking part in the process themselves.
“It’s an honor to receive this UPCEA award, and I hope this podcast continues to serve as a guide for independent musicians who are contemplating venturing into crowdfunding," adds Healy.
To listen to the entire podcast series, visit online.berklee.edu/takenote/roaring-crowdfund or listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts.
