Way back in those salad days of 2007, I was working on the Midtown Project Vol.1 with my manager, Winn Elliott, over at Paul Eckberg’s kickin’ home studio, “The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Paul.” We were taking a break, enjoying some hard-earned Jersey Mike’s and we stumbled into a conversation about the quicksilvery business of music. Specifically, about how artists and musicians would continue to make a living in this brave new world of digital downloads, labels with shallow pockets and a home studio on every corner.
Winn had moored his mind on the subject after having met with the Square Peg Alliance – a group of Nashville-based musicians like me & AP who actively support each other’s music. The biggest question was, could these uncharted times actually provide new opportunity for musicians like these to record and distribute new material and still make a living from their craft? And if so, what would that look like?
Oh, how I wish I could say that we came up with the bones of Brite Revolution that night. Alas, it was only a few months later that Winn really did figure out a way to possibly change the music business and answer the questions we postulated that cool Fall evening… and the Brite Revolution had begun.
Brite is easy to describe, which usually separates the wheat ideas from the chaff ideas. Subscribers pay $4.99/month, and they get access to full ownership of Brite’s entire catalogue. The catalogue goes through a staggered monthly rotation, with each artist releasing one new song every month. Each song is brand new, and exclusively available for two months, and then it is gone. It goes back to the artist to use as they will.
From that $4.99, portions go to Brite and to the artists, a portion goes to the artist’s choice of charity, and a portion goes to the subscriber’s choice of charity. So, in one clean electronic transfer, an artist’s music has been enabled, charities have been supported, and a customer gains access to handfuls of quality music. You can go there yourself and check out the roster. It’s killer music on there, and I feel fortunate to be a part of it. If you want to browse around and kick the tires, the first month is free, and you can cancel any time. (I now officially feel like I’m writing ad copy). At any rate, you should just go check it out because the site looks so cool.
In all seriousness it is a bold new idea, and the Rabbit Room seems like the perfect place for a conversation about it. Its one click away at www.briterevolution.com.