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Thread: Crowdfunding Disaster: PledgeMusic.com

  1. #26
    Member Jay.Dee's Avatar
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    It does not surprise me because PledgeMusic have had atrocious reviews for the last few years:

    https://www.trustpilot.com/review/pledgemusic.com

    However some of their competitors do not fare any better:

    https://www.consumeraffairs.com/business/gofundme.html

  2. #27
    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Proglodite View Post
    http://aminbhatia.com/projects/albums/more-about-is25/

    The only crowd-sourcing I did was for the blu-ray surround release of Amin Bhatia's Interstellar Suite. After many delays I finally received what appeared to be a BD-R of the release in really flimsy CD-wallet sleeve. Apparently at some point the rights were no longer available to him, and instead of refunding the crowd-sourced funds, he sent these things out. Now if he'd included the 'coffee table' book that's shown in the link above, I probably wouldn't have felt so 'cheated'... --Peter
    I got that "coffee table"-book (not really) together with a couple of CD's, a mini-cd, a long-sleeve shirt and a USD-stick, so although the DVD-R was a disappointment in regards of it's cover, I was happy with the total-package.

  3. #28
    Subterranean Tapir Hobo Chang Ba's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits View Post
    I pledged on John Zorn's The Book Beri’ah box set last year, and just recently got an email announcing that Tzadik never got a penny of the funds and they are now going to release a special series of vinyl collectibles to raise money to pay off their debt for the PledgeMusic project. I think a lot of us assumed the PledgeMusic was putting the money aside for the artists and that their operating expenses were paid by their own cut. As it turns out, they were running a bit of a pyramid scheme.
    Ugh. This is most unfortunate to read. I would have waited if I knew for sure the discs would have been released separately (which at the time there was no word of...in fact any information about it was limited), but being I was afraid of missing out, I felt like I had to order it from pledgemusic. Guess I should be happy I got anything from it, but it really sucks that Zorn & Co, got nothing.
    Please don't ask questions, just use google.

    Never let good music get in the way of making a profit.

    I'm only here to reglaze my bathtub.

  4. #29
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  5. #30
    Subterranean Tapir Hobo Chang Ba's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve F. View Post
    I'm glad he seems to have a more positive outlook on this situation than he has any business having.
    Please don't ask questions, just use google.

    Never let good music get in the way of making a profit.

    I'm only here to reglaze my bathtub.

  6. #31
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hobo Chang Ba View Post
    I'm glad he seems to have a more positive outlook on this situation than he has any business having.
    I was very struck by that too.

    I bet when The New York Times isn't watching he goes home and kicks his saxophone.....
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  7. #32
    Subterranean Tapir Hobo Chang Ba's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve F. View Post
    I was very struck by that too.

    I bet when The New York Times isn't watching he goes home and kicks his saxophone.....
    As long as he records it for inclusion on his 10th album release of the year.

    But yeah...I would have to assume deep down he is quite gutted about the whole thing. Especially since raising money beforehand through a pledging site was an unusual step for him to take.
    Please don't ask questions, just use google.

    Never let good music get in the way of making a profit.

    I'm only here to reglaze my bathtub.

  8. #33
    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Looks like things are really happening now. Visitors of a Pledge-campaign will get this message-pop up:

    To the Artists and Fans of PledgeMusic.

    As many of you know, PledgeMusic suspended operations a number of months ago. The company continues to work with outside counsel on the most appropriate next steps, and we will update you with those specifics as we get more information.

    For you artists, we have prepared a link for you to download your data from the platform here. Click "Download All"

    (Please note that due to volume these might be slower than usual to process.)

    For you Pledgers, you can download your past releases archive from here.

    PledgeMusic Board

  9. #34
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  10. #35
    Sheesh... Wow, what a read. Thanks for sharing that.

  11. #36
    I thought this was the most damning quote from Hattie Webb's article:

    "...at this point why would anyone have faith in their company name even if they do get bailed out? They said it would be the same platform with a complete rebrand. Plus that artist money would never actually go to PledgeMusic, only the commission, so the artists' album making money would be entirely out of reach of PledgeMusic."

    It seems quite clear that those who comprise PledgeMusic could not resist dipping their fingers into other people's money...sounds like either outright theft to me, or some sort of Ponzi scheme.

    Peter

  12. #37
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    Thank you for posting.

    The next time ass clowns tell me how evil I am for how I spent my life and how the Internet has eliminated the need for what I did and how everyone can reach THE FANS all by themselves, without the need of unnecessary middle men, I’ll remind myself of this article....
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  13. #38
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    Read it earlier, pretty damning.
    Ian

    Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
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    I blame Wynton, what was the question?
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  14. #39
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    Stinkin' bastids!!! It's hard to impossible as it is to make a living in music without shysters like this. Good on Hattie for giving them some shit. They need to have faces to identify with the human damage they have wrought.

    Now that I got that off my chest, back to downloading free music from the torrents starting with the new Hattie Webb CD. /s

  15. #40
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buddhabreath View Post

    Now that I got that off my chest, back to downloading free music from the torrents starting with the new Hattie Webb CD. /s
    There you go!

    Because YOUR personal actions have no consequence, of course and carpe diem and Ayn Rand and all that.
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  16. #41
    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    I was just playing Disc One from Phil Collins Plays Well With Others and noticed the song "Pledge Pin" by Robert Plant.
    Although the lyrics aren't really making any sense in this thread, I guess there are some lines that make it fitting:



    Personally I think the crowdfunding-concept can work fine (as it did for a couple of years), but what Pledge Music did the last couple of years (also acting as a kind of webshop) didn't have much to do with the original idea of crowdfunding.

  17. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve F. View Post
    There you go!

    Because YOUR personal actions have no consequence, of course and carpe diem and Ayn Rand and all that.
    That's exactly right. In fact I can flaunt my disregard for the law in public without fear, follow our Dear Leader and ignore any summons or subpoenas with impunity because its all about me and what I want. Legal Schmegal!

  18. #43
    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buddhabreath View Post
    Legal Schmegal!
    Wasn't Schmegal the creepy guy in Lord of the Rings?
    Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
    https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
    http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx

  19. #44
    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    ^ We're starting to think alike.

  20. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits View Post
    Wasn't Schmegal the creepy guy in Lord of the Rings?
    Yes, and technically these Hobbit-types known as Stoors who had training in the Common Shire Code were in fact known as "Legal Schmegals".
    Last edited by Buddhabreath; 05-22-2019 at 11:17 AM.

  21. #46
    Member Joe F.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buddhabreath View Post
    Yes, and technically these Hobbit-types known as Stoors who had training in the Common Shire Code were in fact known as "Legal Schmegals".
    I think I saw that movie. Redford/Winger?

  22. #47
    Quote Originally Posted by interbellum View Post
    At the moment I have 6 Pledges, which haven't been completed. The Jack Bruce Tribute from Jeff Berlin is the one that takes the longest time now, but I don't think that's caused by the problems mentioned above.
    The last couple of weeks I've pledged for Richard Wright/David Harris, Mike Oldfield (Killing Fields), Yuval Ron feat. Marco Minnemann, David Sancious and Archive.
    In fact the Allan Holdsworth-pledge was the one that caused the most trouble, all others (about 25) were fullfilled perfectly, so I still have hope this will come to a good end.
    Hello everyone, Yuval Ron here. Since my project was mentioned in this thread I'd like to say that as I promised all my fans when this happened, each and every pledge was fully fulfilled and delivered regardless of the crap PledgeMusic had put us through. While many artists including myself have lost a lot of money, I thought it would be wrong (and unwise) to make the fans pay for it. It was the right thing to do.

    That said like many fellow artists I am totally pissed off at PledgeMusic. The company now faces a liquidation process and I hope that criminal charges will follow, because it was clearly a fraudulent conduct and an absolute lack of good faith. They should have never touched that money, which didn't belong to them in first place.

    In spite of all this, the new album which features Marco Minnemann on drums and all its extra merch which the pledgers so kindly helped to make happen were released and can be found on my Bandcamp page.

    Also a cool new music video that we made and another one coming soon, all thanks to the support of the fans and no thanks to the crooks at now defunct PledgeMusic.

    Yuval

    Last edited by JAZZ-FROM-HELL; 10-21-2019 at 06:26 PM.

  23. #48
    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Welcome Yuval and good luck with the new album. Hopefully a lot of non-pledgers decide to buy it.

  24. #49
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    This just in from John Young of the band Lifesigns:

    Well just had the court report through on Pledge Music and sadly I'll never get paid the £1.5k they owe me but I guess I'm one of the smaller debts. They went under with pretty much no assets and owing £7.5 million. How can that happen, obviously someone did very well out of it. Such a shame as it was such a good idea...but as usual people started lining their pockets. The thing that annoyed me was that they couldn't tell the truth ... if they had owned up at some point I would have prefered that but they lied to the death. Also I feel sorry for the staff who worked hard but were caught between a rock and a hard place. They let so many people down who were clinging to them as a lifeline in this current world of spotify and other crooks. I am sure there is a way forwards...
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  25. #50
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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