Some of the Other Guys...

Billboard recently posted a story on the Five Digital Startups to Watch in 2013. The article reviews five companies that have managed to stay out of the mainstream. It is all too easy to get caught up with streaming services like Spotify. There are a number of lesser known music-centric startups that are also making waves.

Among the five companies that Billboard reviewed is SoundCloud. It is a little difficult for me to think of SoundCloud as a startup because I have used SoundCloud on a daily basis for the past several years.  SoundCloud offers a number of features that are valuable for both musicians and listeners alike. It is a great way to share music.

Billboard also mentioned a couple of startups that were new to me, Chirpify and Tictail. After a little research, I found that Chirpify utilizes Twitter to create a very powerful electronic commerce platform. It is a great direct-to-fan resource for musicians.  Tictail is also an electronic commerce resource. Tictail allows users to quickly setup an online store. Artists will find this a useful resource to sell direct to fans.

The Echo Nest is the fourth company that Billboard spotlights in the article. Like Chirpify and Tictail, The Echo Nest was unknown to me. This company’s service is difficult to understand. Their website states they offer “a wide range of end-to-end solutions to re-invent how we listen to, discover and share music.” The service seems elusive, but along with the other startups mentioned, will potentially meet the needs of artists in this new digital age of music.

The final company discussed in the Billboard article is PledgeMusic. PledgeMusic is a crowd-funding source specifically for musicians.  PledgeMusic’s website states that they offer “artists a new way to continue making music while keeping their rights. We offer fans a unique way to get involved, with exclusives they can’t find anywhere else.” The benefit over other crowd-funding sources such as KickStarter is that PledgeMusic is “founded, managed, and run by a team of music business industry pros.”

The five startups mentioned in this article may not be game-changers on their own, but they do provide value to independent artists and music fans.