We’ve professed our love for Kickstarter here before (and crowdsourcing funds for your band, in general) so you don’t have to rely on a record label advance. And indeed many bands have successfully used Kickstarter to fund their albums, tours, and even new gear.
But, as much as we love it, there’s one little problem with Kickstarter — you can only use it with a U.S. bank account. And since metal bands come from all over the world, that might be a problem for a big chunk of Metalluminati readers.
Luckily, there’s a solid alternative — PledgeMusic!
PledgeMusic lets you to get funds from your fanbase just like Kickstarter with the same type of “all or nothing” stipulation where people’s money is only taken if you meet your total funding goal. Not only that, but bands also can take advantage of special musician-centric PledgeMusic perks like sample-clearing, song distribution, and even a directory of recording studios.
The fine print: PledgeMusic lets you accept donations via debit/credit cards and PayPal, but they take 15% of your total donations if you successfully reach your funding goal. (whereas Kickstarter takes only 5%) Nevertheless, while Kickstarter is still working on allowing international projects to be funded thru them, PledgeMusic is a solid Plan B for bands outside the U.S.
If it’s good enough for Apocalyptica, it’s probably good enough for your band!