Reward-link.com Brings a New Solution to Monetize Music Fans
Moses Avalon
Social media has basically trained artists to scamper for “likes” as if they were dimes at the bottom of a wishing well. Even though experts disagree about their value, artists carry the impression that they translate into sales through internet visibility.
While that may or may not be true, in the fog of uncertainty comes a very real way to turn the casual “like” of a music listener into a financial contribution toward an artist’s efforts. It’s via a French company’s widget called “the reward link”. Reward link can be added to any music streaming feed on social networks.
And it’s free.
“Reward-Link.com is the result of over six years of research, development and meetings with people in the music industry,” according to its president, David Brami.
So what is a Reward-link? It’s a monetizing link that appears on an artist’s social media page: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Once synchronized to the artist’s content server (like YouTube) the link bridges the social media page to the streaming content (music or video) and displays a “reward button.” A fan enjoying the song or video can tap the button to show their appreciation with a micro-payment.
Formally called “Moozar,” this is how ASCAP’s website described Reward-link:
“A reward link is embedded into clients’ tracks automatically. It’s displayed every time someone listens to or shares a track on any social network site. As it contains all the track’s metadata, a song can be shared—as is—and it will display all track information, including the title, artist’s name, a reward message, and any other related media (such as a picture and/or a video). When clicked, the reward link leads to the artist’s page… where the listener can reward the artist by giving the amount of his or her choice… the average amount of these rewards was $1.10.”
CEO David Brami said this about his innovation, “It is a new challenge for the music industry to respond to the changing consumption patterns. A Reward button could be put everywhere music is broadcast and would be another revenue stream for the artist.”
Reward-link.com takes a 90/10 split of revenue in the artist’s favor. Which nets out to about an average revenue of $ 0.08 per view-user in addition to advertising revenues generated from platforms like YouTube.
ASCAP , SF Music Tech, and Rethink Music Partners with Berklee College of Music see the Reward link as a pragmatic way to involve fans in rewarding the artists they love without monthly subscription fees to streaming services.
Soul artist, Joss Stone who has been using Rewards-Link.com for over a year on her social networks. is going to expand her use the service to promote her new album.
Check out Reward-Link.com and begin turning passive listeners of music into paying fans.
If you have experiences with Reward-Link.com support artists’ rights by sharing in the comments section below.
Mo Out
INTERVIEW
I did an exclusive interview with CEO, David Brami available below. (This interview was done via email. I have reprinted it verbatim as promised and therefore it contains some creative English.)
What is your musical background or are you just another tech guy trying to get into the music space because we have the hotter chicks?
I am a French lawyer.
I propose a solution for the monetization of artistic contents, including music, on Internet.
Six years of search, development, meetings with people involved in the music industry, tests, to succeed to a solution, the Reward link.
The artistic creation industry has gained in exposure what has been lost in control. We just need to observe the evolution of streaming and those of digital sales to understand.
I believe we should take advantage of this situation to ensure the artistic creation funding on the web, with pragmatism and respect for the merit of each.
What is a Reward link and what is reward-link.com?
To be simple … instead of sharing content from a Youtube or a Soundcloud channel with their fans and followers, artists or representatives synchronize their channel with our platform and share from our website on their social networks.
The same content will be broadcasted on social networks with a Reward button (- / + $ 0.8 reward) we added, which will allow those who enjoy the work, to financially show their appreciation, acknowledgement and support by rewarding directly and freely the artist.
No download. “Reward just because you enjoy”
People who thinks that talent deserves more than a “Facebook Like” can Reward to support.
The user chooses to reward or not, and sets himself the amount of the reward. When he clicks on the Reward button he is redirected on Paypal or another popular micro payment system.
Reward-link.com is the platform on which the business model is deployed and where the operating rules are set.
Reward-link.com generates Reward links (one record = one reward link/one reward button. For an example: http:// reward-my-music.com/50700), hosts the reward links on the artist page, provides tools to share reward links on social networks, provides reward buttons code to embed, collects and administers the Rewards for the transfer of the money to artists or representatives.
What need does reward-link.com fulfill and why is it not just another solution in search of a problem?
Streaming is a new mode of consumption in constant increase and social networks are the place for sharing.
As we all know, most of those who enjoy musical contents repeatedly, do not use paid download, or streaming subscriptions, and therefore don’t participate directly to the artistic creation funding.
The Reward link is a way to involve these consumers.
When an artist shares a Reward link, he suggests to all of us when the content is broadcasted to reward him freely and directly for his Art.
We create new incomes without upsetting the existing models of digital sales, streaming subscriptions or advertisings, consistent with these new modes of consumption.
How is reward-link.com different than just posting a link on Facebook or Twitter?
Reward-link.com is neither a streaming platform, nor a social network.
The works are hosted on streaming platforms by the artist. Fans and their friends are reachable on the artist social networks. We create a new kind of link between both, containing the work and a Reward button, allowing the artist to be rewarded.
We encourage everybody to share on social networks Reward links to support the artist, instead of posting contents only.
What is the revenue share split between the artist and Reward-link.com?
Reward-link.com is mandated by the artist or his representative to collect the rewards.
90% of the rewards amount is for the artist or his representative. Reward-link.com delivery fee is 10%.
To increase the virality of the reward buttons where and when the works are enjoyed, we go further:
A reward link is easily shared by the artist, his fans, their friends, on the social networks. It leads to the work streaming feed with a Reward button.
When the work is broadcasted somewhere else than on a social network, as on a streaming platform, a blog, neither the artist nor our services can control the display of the content. To ensure the presence of the Reward button where the work is broadcasted, we encourage these streaming platforms or blogs to integrate them.
Therefore, Reward-link.com provides codes to display Reward buttons and lends its full commission to “Partners” who have integrated them to suggest the reward during the broadcasting. This allows these partners, in direct connection to the Internet users, to monetize their traffic, not only in their interest but also in the interest of the artistic creation funding.
Following the same logic, the artist who incorporates the reward button on his own website, collects 90% of the sum as an artist and 10% of the sum for having suggested the reward. (= 100%)
You talk about Reward, which is a donation. What about copyright fees?
All those involved in artistic creation, including producers, are concerned.
On each artist page on reward-link.com, under the artist name, you get a link “more information” which leads to the reward activity for each reward link. As, we enjoin the sharing of the rewards collected following the use of digital sales, the producer, who is not already registered as a representative, could ask his part of rewards to the beneficiary.
When does the artist get their money?
The rewards are paid on request to the artist or his representative, via Paypal, 90 days after receiving the money on Reward-link.com. We have preferred Paypal for identification, safety and cost. The payment is intended with such delay to prevent any kind of abuses.
How many artists are currently using reward-link.com and can you give us examples of artists who have used successfully the reward link?
Currently, more than 2000 artists use our platform and share on their social networks their contents with a way to be rewarded. For example : Joss Stone, Real tone records, Tommy Mac …
To complete this answer, we observe that 7% of the people who watches the content and find the Reward button attached to it, reward an average of $ 1.20.
To be more general, that gives average revenue of $ 0.086 per view-user.
These results are good and they should be better if a keen interest by the representatives was given.
The rewards come in addition to advertising revenues (such Youtube: $ 0.007 per view-user…).
We use the APIs provided to the developers by the streaming platforms to broadcast works on Reward-link.com, so the Youtube ads are still displayed.
Some people compare the Reward link to a TIPJAR to picture it.
While, a tip is an income for a common service and a jar is physically at the feet of the artist, a reward is a testimony of the acknowledgment needed in any creative process. The Reward button is below the content, and you find it everywhere the reward link is shared.
Most of the current registered artists have between 10 to 500 fans / followers. It limits the total amount of the rewards perceived. We are absolutely sure that the gains could be much more important if the shares were held on bases with several thousand fans.
Indeed, the Reward link propagates when the artist shares with his fans and when his fans, in turn, share with their friends, etc.
It is a new challenge for the music industry to respond to the changing consumption patterns. They could put forward a Reward button everywhere works are broadcasted. It would be a possibility to remind to the internet users the merits of artists and allow individual expression of gratitude when and where people enjoy the contents. It would obviously be another revenue for them.
What other benefits, like data, and SEO does reward-link.com provide for free?
When an Artist registers on our service, an artist page is built by syncing his streaming channels. Social network accounts and other websites can also be linked.
Any content hosted on account that has been synced : Youtube (video), Soundcloud (music), Instagram (photo); can be shown on the artist page and shared on social networks with a reward link.
It is very fast to be operational.
By syncing, you can also add: gigs / concerts dates and even add a buy link to sell tickets or music download.
An Artist can also raise his voice for a cause and add on his artist-page, a reward message-text … “my reward will be given to …”
It is possible to add the artist page as a Facebook app, or embed it on a website.
When the artist has set up his homepage, he finds analytics we automatically provide: numbers of plays, views, likes, shares, subscribers … from each social media accounts linked to the artist page. Relevant information which guide artists or their representatives to observe the tendencies of their public.
2 responses to “Reward-link.com Brings a New Solution to Monetize Music Fans”
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This looks very interesting. I don’t really see a down side. Does any one else?
The idea is a really good one; simple, but well thought out. On the one side, any stolen music that is shared between listeners is a kick in the crotch to the artist (who may have spent a load of money & time on the recording), and anything less than full payment is still thievery. On the other hand, until the law takes artists more seriously, something really OUGHT to be done about it. Perhaps this is a good first step. Perhaps in time, if it catches on, more people will find it acceptable and show their gratitude. My only doubt is that many who will pilfer such content, do so because of several reasons, one of which might be laziness to pay. If the patrons have to sign up through paypal to make a payment, it may not happen. I personally wonder how accurate the 7% participation rate is (from those who’ve already stolen the music, after all).
Still, it ‘s all better than nothing, and the fact that it pays the artist first, is really …. A FIRST! I hope a quick, simple method of payment is soon born, so people will be more inclined to reward/tip. (I prefer the word “tip”, simply because all of America has pretty much accepted this term and its application. “Reward” may seem to require more “please me” attitude from the givers.) Secondly, I hope this leads to some form of mandatory payment system that actually works.