The entertainment industry is a very tough and cut-throat industry to make it in. In order to make it in the music industry it often comes down to survival of the fittest. Gaining profits out of the music business can be an ever more challenging task that requires time and money. Kickstarter is an online fundraising company that gives money to aid small record labels, film studios and all types of independent artists.
The company was founded in April of 2009 and operates out of its headquarters in New York City. They operate a fund and release system in order to gather the funds raised. Over the course of the year the team at Kickstarter picks and chooses which projects are worthy of funding and they assign project owners to each project in order to help and assist the artists as well as make sure that the money they invested is being used wisely. Despite Kickstarter’s active involvement in the development of its projects, the company claims no legal ownership over the projects as opposed to many other fundraising organizations. All of the money raised from donors is collected entirely online through Amazon Payments and it offers a very easy and intuitive system for donors to pledge money through.
Kickstarter has funded projects of all kinds since its inception in 2009. They have ranged from indie films, mobile applications and even a statue of RoboCop in Detroit. Most notably, Kickstarter has funded Musopen (an online music library that allows users to record and release music without copyrights) and Seattle area hip-hop sensation, the Blue Scholars. Kickstarter is a very respected and efficiently operated fundraising organization and is a very good source for startups involved in any type of business.