1. Describe the problem:
I'm a musician. Making money from music today is pain and frustration. Streaming platforms (Spotify) pay pennies. To sell on my own site, I need a huge audience, which I don't have. My music is stolen on YouTube, where people listen and download it for free, even though creation costs a lot of money and time. Music should be heard by ear, not watched. And now AI is emerging, copying real creators.
The most cynical part: I'm from Lebanon. Even direct sales platforms like Bandcamp don't work for us — no payment support in my country.
The most cynical part: I'm from Lebanon. Even direct sales platforms like Bandcamp don't work for us — no payment support in my country.
2. How often does the problem occur?
This is a constant, daily problem throughout my entire career. Every new release hits these barriers.
3. What attempts have you made to solve the problem?
I tried Bandcamp. But there's no discoverability (no one finds me), and, critically, no payments for Lebanon and similar countries. It's a dead end. My "solution" was to abandon my passion. I gave up. But I want to come back.
Specific Request: I need a platform that works like a fair online radio station. It must:
Specific Request: I need a platform that works like a fair online radio station. It must:
- Provide an equal chance: rotate song snippets (by genre) so any new artist can be heard.
- Allow fair sales: a listener can buy a track (for $1-3) to add it to their playlist only within the app, without downloading (so it can't be stolen).
- Work everywhere: have a payment system that works in countries like mine.
4. How much are you willing to pay for the solution?
As an independent artist, I can't pay a subscription. I am ready to give 20-30% commission from each sale to the platform that solves these three problems. That's fair.
5. Problem author:
The author of this problem has indicated that they are ready to provide feedback to the developers and want to receive 1% equity in the startup that will build a ready-made solution. You can contact the author directly via the contacts above.