In a bid to set things right in the music industry, Project JAM is creating an innovative hub for music collaborators.
As the music scene evolves into one massive but fractured online community, meeting fellow creatives via forums, social media (Facebook) and online marketplace (Craigslist) have become a laborious, complicated exercise.
In response to this problem, startup co-founders Anthony Pisano and Tony Livadas came up with an ecosystem focused on providing better collaboration and cooperation among the members of the music community.
Anthony and Tony shared the insights of their Project JAM journey in a recent interview with TruCrowd.
How long do you guys know each other ?
Project JAM: ”We met over 10 years ago at a recording studio in South Florida. Shortly after we formed a DJ/ Production group called Brass Knuckles, signed a deal with Ultra Records and toured around the world. We had a good 5 year run then transitioned into producing for other artists and started working on JAM Compass.”
As musicians themselves, Anthony and Tony recognized that while the global music industry is constantly evolving, it has somehow managed to retain the challenges experienced by those who create the music.
What drove you into creating Project JAM?
PJ: “After years of experiencing first hand the issues that creatives in the music industry face, we decided to put together a team of industry power players and business technology experts to create a platform that will help creatives navigate the industry and take control of their careers. The goal was to build something we’d use ourselves for collaborating and finding opportunities”
According to the Tony and Anthony, while transitioning from musicians to producers and then eventually to entrepreneurs had its challenges, it had been mostly worthwhile for both of them.
PJ: “Being in our group “Brass Knuckles” was an amazing experience that opened many doors and allowed us to see the world. Being an artist has its pro’s and con’s. Making the shift to producers allowed us to work on more projects and styles of music. From all of our experience over the last 10 to 15 years as artists and producers we started to see an opening for certain needs to be filled in the industry that could help us and other creatives out.”
What does providing “Justice for All Musicians” means?
PJ: “The music industry has become a fractured community, especially in geographically vast cities like Los Angeles, where there are tons of creatives but no central hub to connect them. Writers find themselves searching aimlessly on Instagram, Facebook, and Craigslist when they need a producer, writer, musician, engineer, or even a manager, which can hold up their projects and cost them time and money. It’s unjust for all this great talent to be wasted when there could be a more efficient way of getting things done. So we made it our mission to bring the community together and find justice not only for musicians but for the music yet to be made.”
What do you think will be the "next big thing" for the music industry?
PJ: “There’s been a lot of focus on artist rights, which is something that hasn’t changed with the times. Artists and creatives want more control over their music careers and also want more transparency on the backend so they know where their income is coming from. Being that we’re about to start a new decade, were excited to see new genres and music scenes arise.”
What challenges are you concerned about the most in the music industry?
PJ: “It takes multiple puzzle pieces to form the solid picture of a hit song, a great band, or a well-working team. However, with the rise of digital technology, the landscape is bigger than ever and the traditional ways of meeting fellow creatives have fallen away as we have dived deeper into cyberspace and social media.”
Who is the JAM ecosystem for?
PJ: “The JAM platform will be for serious industry creatives and professionals as well as the up and comers looking for real industry opportunities.”
How will it help creators collaborate better?
PJ: “Currently, Craigslist is the most commonly used way for creatives to find opportunities and connect. Writers find themselves searching aimlessly on Instagram, Facebook, and Craigslist when they need a producer, writer, musician, engineer, or even a manager, which can hold up their projects and cost them time and money. Project JAM will have let find exactly who you’re looking for with directed searches along with great tools to make life easier.”
Which JAM features are you most excited about?
PJ: “We’re excited about our JAM On Demand feature. which will allow users to make themselves available for hire in real-time. Similar to an uber for musicians, creatives can make more money on their downtime.”
As the JAM Compass app’s beta version is set to go live in the Q1 of 2020, Project JAM decided to go the crowdfunding route to let the community be a part of it as their platform itself is community-based to begin with.
What are your fund-raising goals for this round and future funding plans?
PJ: “We are looking to raise $250k to continue development of the app and take it to launch with marketing. For future phases the goal is to raise $1M.”
What are the perks of being a Project JAM investor?
PJ: “You’ve got a chance to invest in the music industry, creators and music you love for as little as $250. Come join us. Join the music evolution!”
What do you want to say to your potential investors?
PJ: “We plan to be on the forefront of the music industry in this new decade. We’re looking for investors that are passionate about music and the creatives driving the industry. We believe that creatives who become early investors will have a great opportunity to grow with the company. This is an exciting opportunity to invest in the future of the music industry and the creators behind the music you love.”
To support JAM, go to the startup’s equity crowdfunding page on TruCrowd’s music funding portal, Musicfy.