BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

How Slip.stream’s Royalty-Free Music Is Bumping Artist Revenue

Following

Branding is a core focus for creatives, especially music artists whose identities are shaped by their music. And, despite its pitfalls, social media platforms provide the perfect opportunity to reach and forge ongoing engagement with fans.

According to Forbes, social media marketing campaigns featuring video total 66% more engagement (likes, comments, shares) and almost 600% more impressions than those without video. However, options for incorporating audio content into promotional video material across social media are limited.

Major labels and publishers enjoy different commercial deals across streaming and social media platforms like TikTok, Fortune reports, though smaller brands often face clearance roadblocks when it comes to music rights, limiting their creative options and hindering their ability to monetize viral content across all of their channels.

The largest royalty-free music resource, Slip.stream, is closing the gap by empowering artists to leverage the content they create, or that influencers create for them, to elevate their social channels. By providing “universal rights,” the business eliminates risk of claims or muting of channels. This allows independent artists and labels to increase their exposure through about 200,000 creators and clients using the platform to soundtrack content across YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and other social platforms.

"Where we see the opportunity is really modernizing rights structures and offering music that is creator safe, but not necessarily royalty free. We go to artists and we offer them the opportunity to get on our platform and give them entry into hundreds of thousands of creators who are coming to our platform to look for music to use in their content," says Slip.stream co-founder Dan Demole.

As influencer and social-led collaboration campaigns power brands, there is a valuable revenue opportunity in the digital royalties generated by Slip.stream subscribers and enterprise clients. The royalties are a share of revenue that streams from paid subscriptions and enterprise fees. Demole explains that the team is creating a two-sided deal with musicians on one side who want their music used by creators for exposure, monetization and intrinsic brand lift. On the other side are brands and agencies that are growing into daily content creators.

"Whalar specialises in developing and executing creator-led marketing campaigns, and has worked with Slip.stream to deliver a number of projects together," says Shannon Parker, senior director of brand solutions at Whalar (North America). "Their expertise in creating custom music, navigating licensing and executing successful hashtag challenges has enabled us to stay ahead of trends and consistently meet the evolving needs of our clients. We are proud to call them a trusted music partner."

Slip.stream founders David Carson, Jesse Korwin and Demole partnered in 2020 to launch the creator safe music platform with a "copyright strike-safe" library of more than 65,000 tracks and 60,000 sound effects. As the business partners work to eliminate concessions brands typically make around who they work with and what music they can use, Slip.stream allows artists to retain ownership and works with some of the most-respected record labels (Insomniac Records, AWAL, The Orchard and established artists in the copyright free space like Neffex, an American music project by Bryce Savage). This competitive advantage sets Slip.stream apart from other royalty-free offerings that restrict who can submit music and require musicians to sell all rights to their work.

“The community of creators that have supported my music for years has been incredible, and as I continue releasing new songs, nothing is more important to me than making sure my music is easily accessible and safe for everyone to use," says Savage."Slip.stream provides a great platform to accomplish that goal and make my catalog available to all types of creators for any mood or vibe they’re looking for, and know they’re safe to use and monetize on their channel.”

Before the launch of Slip.stream, Demole and Korwin revolutionized the production music business through advertising at Jingle Punks by creating the world’s first cloud-based search engine for stock tracks and crowdsourcing music from independent music for sync placement. Soundtracking more than 4,000 shows, Jingle Punks led brand campaigns for Pepsi, Toyota, AT&T T and the NFL, among others to become the largest independent production music company in North America (acquired by Endeavour, then by Anthem Entertainment in 2015). Carson also led award-winning creative advertising campaigns at Ogilvy and his own company, Heavy, with clients including American Express AXP , Ikea, Nike NKE and Audi.

As Slip.stream solves complex rights issues, creators will face new opportunities to capture consumer attention on social and digital media platforms.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedInCheck out my website or some of my other work here