Sellaband

Sellaband was a music crowdfunding platform founded in the Netherlands in 2006. It allowed unsigned musicians to solicit "Believers" to invest in their music career. Believers would purchase "parts" (initially priced at €10) of a virtual record contract with the artist. Once an artist accumulated €50,000 in parts sales, they were then expected to record an album, which would be professionally produced, marketed, and distributed, with profits shared between the artist, Sellaband, and the Believers.

The platform aimed to disrupt the traditional music industry by giving artists more control over their careers and connecting them directly with their fan base. Sellaband offered a different approach to artist funding compared to traditional record labels, emphasizing community support and direct investment in musicians.

While the platform gained some initial success and funded a number of albums, it faced challenges in scaling its operations and maintaining sustainable funding for artists. The company eventually declared bankruptcy in 2011. Despite its demise, Sellaband is often cited as one of the early pioneers of music crowdfunding and influenced subsequent platforms that adopted similar models. Its legacy lies in demonstrating the potential for direct artist-fan relationships and alternative funding mechanisms within the music industry. The site’s collapse served as a cautionary tale about the difficulties inherent in disrupting established industry practices and maintaining the long-term viability of crowdfunding platforms.