Latest news with #independentartists
Entrepreneur
13-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur UK's London 100: elasticStage
elasticStage is the first platform in the world to make on-demand, commercial-quality records — with no warehousing, no upfront costs, and no minimum orders. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Industry: Music Technology elasticStage is a deserving company on the Entrepreneur UK London100 list being the first platform in the world to make on-demand, commercial-quality records — with no warehousing, no upfront costs, and no minimum orders. Just real vinyl, made one at a time, exactly when a fan hits "buy." Thanks to a once-in-a-generation breakthrough in production tech, elasticStage gives independent artists the power to sell physical music directly to fans with zero risk and full control. Founded in London by Steve Rhodes and Werner Freistaetter, elasticStage is backed by icons like Calvin Harris and Paul Epworth. A global wave of independent, self-releasing artists is reshaping the music landscape. Now more than 50m strong and growing by 30% each year, this group is the fastest-rising force in the industry — and the most underserved. These creators want to connect directly with listeners, build lasting fan relationships, and earn a fair income from their work. But the tools available to them haven't kept up. Streaming platforms dominate attention, but offer little in return: royalties are diluted, and the artist-fan connection is weak. Physical music, by contrast, offers higher value and deeper engagement - but traditional vinyl production was never built for small independent creators. It comes with long lead times, high costs, and outdated systems that shut them out - and it hasn't changed in 50 years. Developed over nine years and backed by tens of millions in investment, elasticStage's proprietary production technology is the first major innovation in vinyl production in over 50 years. This breakthrough means artists don't face upfront capital requirements, inventory costs, or minimum orders — transforming a once high-barrier format into an accessible, creator-first channel. Orders are fulfilled in just days rather than months, allowing artists to offer their fans collectible, high-quality physical music without the risks and logistical challenges of traditional production. Since launching its online platform in October 2024, elasticStage has already onboarded almost 20,000 creators in almost 100 countries, and released projects with artists including Boy George and Hannah Laing. It has also formed partnerships with leading music companies and platforms such as The Orchard, BMG, Marathon Music Group, Three Six Zero, SoundCloud, and CTRLFRK.
Geek Wire
28-05-2025
- Business
- Geek Wire
Seattle musician launches startup to help indie artists with licensing and creators with content
GeekWire's startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory . Danny Newcomb, founder of Incantio. (Nikki Barron Photo) Danny Newcomb isn't really interested in using AI to make music. But the longtime Seattle musician is interested in the power of the technology to help independent musicians succeed in certain aspects of the business. Newcomb is the founder of Incantio, a startup launching this week as a two-sided marketplace, where artists can self license, set pricing and manage the rights to music that can be used in ads, television and film. The platform also allows creators to more easily search for and discover music for projects they are working on. 'Half of the global music market is now independent,' Newcomb said. 'And those artists don't have access to self-license into a catalog where they can price and manage their own rights.' Newcomb said the space is traditionally dominated by large companies that buy music outright, depriving artists of performance royalties. In contrast, Incantio allows musicians to retain their rights and earn backend royalties, while offering content creators an easy way to license music at various price tiers. Newcomb, who has played in Seattle bands including Shadow, Goodness, The Rockfords and Sugarmakers, started working on Incantio two years ago. The five-person company raised a pre-seed round of $350,000, led by Northwest Angel, and expects to generate revenue this month. A seed round is planned to follow. He called Seattle a music town, but said it's not a 'music publishing town,' and generating funding interest for a venture like his takes a bit longer. Newcomb also said he came up through a music system that doesn't really exist anymore for independent artists. The industry is increasingly dominated by streaming giants. Physical product is no longer a viable way for labels to generate income, but there's no money in streaming for artists. 'So part of this, for me, is a way of creating an open platform where artists can set the value of their digital rights for licensing and gain some of that value back,' he said. Newcomb calls AI an 'efficiency tool' to help creators search a very large catalog quickly. Picture a filmmaker working with a Rolling Stones song as a placeholder. Their budget may not allow for such music licensing, but they can search Incantio for recommendations related to similar mood, tempo, vocals, and more. 'You can go into our catalog, find an artist, know what their pricing is right away, be able to get a clean license that's already pre-approved and license it immediately,' he said. Incantio is in beta now, but has early partnerships with key players, including on the supply side with CD Baby, a digital distributor used by over 3 million musicians, and on the demand side with Disco, an Australian company used by 90% of global music supervisors. Chris Ballew, onetime lead singer of the Presidents of the United States of America, is signed on, as are Carrie Akre (Hammerbox and Goodness), Steve Fisk (Pigeonhed), Mike McCready (Rockfords), Kevin Murphy (Small Paul & Moondoggies) and 200 others. Being a founder doesn't replace playing music for Newcomb, who calls the latter 'like going to church.' But he does love being an entrepreneur, building a community where independent musicians can be heard — and paid. He recalled a meeting with Ted Cohen, an advisor to Incantio who worked in A&R for such bands as the Sex Pistols and the Pretenders. Cohen told Newcomb, 'Every band is just a startup. Every startup is just a band.' 'I started every band I've ever been in,' Newcomb laughed. 'So, yeah, this does feel like that.'
CBC
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Toronto art fair celebrates Mother's Day this year
Social Sharing For anyone in Toronto still looking for Mother's Day plans, there's an annual Toronto art fair curated for the holiday. The Artist Project, an annual fair for more than 250 independent artists, has made the exhibition for its 18th year all about motherhood. It features interactive works, live painting and a variety of mediums. Sarah Yellin, the Artist Project's sponsor and partnerships lead, says this is the first time the fair has fallen on Mother's Day, so the organizers thought it was a great opportunity to mark the occasion. "Kids get in for free, so you can bring your mom, [there are] gifts at all price points and [it's] just a fun way to celebrate the weekend," she said. Many of the artists participating in the fair are mothers themselves. Artist Jocelyn Teng, who is expecting her second child in August, says being a mother has inspired her work. "I feel like being a mother really made me more confident [about] what I wanted to create. Maybe because there's less time," she said. "I think I also have a stronger sense of play." Teng says she paints landscapes from her childhood growing up in Taipei, and she sees her work in part helps connect her to her children with her own history. "The jungle, the mountain, it was my playground," she said. "I hope through the paintings and the energy that they can feel what it was like for me growing up in a completely different environment." Then there are artists celebrating their own mothers this weekend, like Omar Chris Canales-Cisneros. One of his colourful textile piece shows his grandmother braiding his mother's hair, and his mother braiding his, as he sits with a look of comfort on his face. "It's a piece about lineage, matriarchal lineage. But also, about care," he said. "It means a lot to me to have it here with me today, especially on Mother's Day weekend." Aside from the artwork, there will be a variety of gifts on sale, including balloons and bouquets. The exhibit runs until 6 p.m. Sunday.
