CASH Music
The short version: I need to talk about CASH Music more than I do. So I’ll blog at least once a week, and Twitter more openly. I’m swamped trying to keep up with the demands of CASH Music, but it’s the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. There are people ready to join the effort, but I’m still working on how to make that happen. And I’m asking for help — not just donations but belief and support in spreading the word. Thanks.
I spend a lot of time talking about artists, music that I love, and people that are involved with CASH Music. The artists, the music — they’re where the passion driving CASH lies, so I rarely talk about CASH itself. But that has to change if CASH is ever to realize it’s potential. I’m not always comfortable talking about myself, and to a degree I extend that to my organization. So today I’m making a resolution to talk more, tell the story behind CASH Music, honest for all the good and the bad.
That story needs to start with a simple, but mostly unknown truth: to this point CASH has largely been a one person effort. CASH Music and, well, me are fairly interchangeable.
That’s not at all to take away from the amazing support and help I’ve gotten from scores of people. (Scores. Really! I made a list.) A lot of people have played roles and theirs will be the stories that drive CASH going forward. I want to tell those stories, but it was suggested (strongly) that I start with the story of how we got here, lowering all defenses and talking about myself.
So hi. I’m Jesse von Doom. Nice to meet you.
I’m the Executive Director of CASH Music. I’ve also been the primary back-end developer. And the primary front-end developer. The designer behind every page except our current homepage. I talk to the artists. I talk to the managers. I talk to the labels. I talk to other companies. I write most of the copy. And you get the point.
To date there are over 30 artist projects on CASH Music using the code I’ve strung together. That spans about 18 months, with a few of those projects in constant metamorphosis. Many of them have been pre-release projects for artists or labels to bring music to the press. Others are private projects shared between artists and select groups of fans. And then there are the public projects. All of them are tailored to the need, designed from the ground up, and extend the codebase. Throwing out a list of names:
50FOOTWAVE, Adam Gnade, Apollo Sunshine, Buraka Som Sistema, Colourmusic, Creative Commons, The Dandy Warhols, Deerhoof, Donita Sparks, Fischerspooner, Kristin Hersh, Learning Music, Lushlife, Marnie Stern, Portugal. The Man, RENMINBI, The Secret Machines, The Thermals, The Vines, Throwing Muses, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Xiu Xiu
In all honesty I’m listing names because I’m proud of them. But also so you’ll know that this work has all been done with high expectations. And its a lot of work. All-in it adds up to between fifty and seventy hours a week, generally trending towards the latter. Not all that different from anyone heading a startup, except for a few points:
- CASH Music is unfunded. No angel money, no investors, nothing.
- CASH Music is a nonprofit organization in the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and we’ve got pending 501(c)3 status on the Federal level. But until that status shifts from ‘pending’ to ‘approved’ there’s no grant money and fundraising is a lot more difficult.
- I need to work side-jobs, odd-jobs, and even odder-jobs on top of those hours to make ends meet.
- And building a nonprofit doesn’t come with an exit strategy. Unlike a traditional for-profit startup I don’t hold any ownership and can’t sell the business. The goal is to create an organization that I believe needs to exist, and my personal hope is that the organization will be able to pay me a livable wage.
- And one last point about artist projects: the most CASH has ever charged for a single project is $300, and more than half have been done for free because the music was worthy, the people involved had a need, and the work would further the platform. Yes artists are contributing to ensure our costs are covered, but some simple math shows that the livable wage goal is still on the to-do pile.
I’m afraid this is going to come across as me complaining. Nothing could be further from the truth…I feel lucky to have come this far with CASH. I’m just trying to create a backdrop. To show the harsh truth so as I write more people will understand why it’s so exciting for me to see CASH go from “me” to “we” as it grows.
I also want it known that this is a labor of love. No. A labor of need. Of demand. Something that has to happen and no matter how foolish it might look to someone, the mission had to start being served now. Immediately.
The vision for CASH Music isn’t easy to take in all at once. We (yes ‘we’) picture an organization that builds open-source software that handles media, manages people, drives campaigns, assists commerce, provides statistics, helps artists release music, and helps listeners enjoy music. No single model, but tools to enable models to be built bespoke for an artist. Or by an artist. We see the organization providing hosting for these tools as a cohesive platform, open and shaped by its users. We plan on studying what’s working and what’s not, providing analysis, thinking, and guidance in a public archive. And looking longer term we hope to establish grants for emerging artists, public music, and innovative projects.
The tech development started long ago. There are proofs-of-concept — some dating back almost two years — over 30 of them. Analysis and statistics have influenced each new project as it starts. And grants? We’ll get there.
The people are starting to come into place, and I’ll introduce them all here in time. CASH has an amazing board that I’m proud to work with. We’ve got the help of some great business thinkers, a few gifted volunteer developers, and people who are increasingly generous with their time. As a team takes shape, my job is to find a way to start paying us all. We’ve got a plan for revenue once the platform launches, so it’s just about getting there.
So why am I writing all this? Well, first to simply start the story. But also to ask for help. And I’m not talking only about donations though they are an amazing help and appreciated more than I can adequately express. I’m also talking about spreading the word. Tell your friends, Tweet about @cashmusic, find the Facebook group, talk about it on your blog. I’m asking you to start listening to this story. That’s the first step in believing. And I guess I was wrong above. My job isn’t to find money. It’s to make people believe in this project as much as I do.
I’ll write progress reports here at least once a week. If you want to know more, just ask. Or wait a few days and read more. If you have something to say, please say it.
I’m here to talk. You can write me at jesse [at] cashmusic [dot] org. You can drop me a line on Twitter @jessevondoom. And I promise I’ll even read the comments on this blog.
Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. I know it’s a lot, but it was the least I could say.
