Month-to-month for every role. Always.
No annual lock-in on any account type. Cancel anytime. The structural commitments below describe how each revenue stream actually works on the platform — every figure traces to a specific operating model.
How revenue flows
Different revenue streams have different rate cards. The table below lays out each one explicitly so there is nothing to interpret.
| Revenue stream | Artist receives | Platform receives |
|---|---|---|
Crowdfunding pledges Added to the backer’s payment (on the reward, not shipping) so the artist keeps the whole pledge. Charged only on campaign success; a campaign that doesn’t fund charges no one. | 100% 100% | 7% / 5% — paid by the backer, on top |
Direct fan support (one-time + recurring) The fan covers the Stripe processing fee (no opt-out), so the artist receives 100%. | 100% of net 100% of net (same) | 0% |
Fan tier patronage Your tier $ divides across the favorites you actually fill — fewer favorites = more per artist. Unallocated capacity concentrates more $ to those you do fan. Aggregated into a single monthly Stripe Transfer per artist; never individual transfers. | Tier $ ÷ your filled favorites Fan-controlled, concentrated | subscription floor |
Ad revenue (creator channel content, free/non-logged-in) Self-serve ads: 7% platform / 15%–46.5% artists / 46.5%–78% creator. The artists' share follows how much of the upload is their music — a short clip pays a little, a piece built on a song pays more — and never exceeds what the creator keeps. Content with no music: 83% creator / 10% Vinylaunch Foundation / 7% platform. Vinylaunch does not sell the ads. | 15%–46.5% to the artists in the piece Sized by how much of the upload is their music | 7% |
Ads between songs (free listening and radio) The other 46.5% goes to whoever carried the ad — the radio station that aired it, or the host who brought in the advertiser. Paid out with your other earnings. | 46.5% to the artists playing around the ad 46.5% (same) | 7% |
Subscription tiers
Solo Artist
Individual musicians launching projects.
- ✓Unlimited campaigns
- ✓5 GB media hosting included
- ✓$5 per additional 5 GB block
- ✓Full service-provider marketplace
- ✓Public profile at vinylaunch.com/artists/your-name
- ✓Streaming alongside campaigns (at streaming launch)
- ✓Tour builder & ticket sales
Self-attested revenue tiers
Subscription cost scales with the size of your business. Small providers pay less so they can compete with the big players on equal footing.
Counted per calendar month (UTC) on crowdfunding campaigns only — bidding on shows and tours is always free. A bid that is declined, or whose campaign does not fund, comes back as a free bid next month. Extra bids are added to your next monthly invoice.
Specialized roles, specialized rates
Pre-Launch quantity interest, wholesale tier access, in-store performance bids.
Commercially owned stations and private institutions, including private universities. Tour appearance coordination, live sessions, interview slots.
Free for publicly funded NPR affiliates and public schools — public high schools and public universities. Private institutions pay the Commercial Radio rate.
Audio, your own internet radio station, and a public channel page, with pre-cleared music use rights. Video is added in blocks: $5 per 10 hours of video.
Fan-controlled, concentrated patronage
Your tier's monthly $ divides across the favorite slots you actually fill. Fill all your slots and each artist gets a smaller cut; fill just one and that artist gets your whole tier $. You decide which artists to favorite and in what order — unallocated capacity concentrates more $ to the artists you do fan, never to the platform.
Unlimited ad-supported streaming (at streaming launch), browse and back campaigns.
Unlimited ad-free music streaming (creator content keeps its light, creator-curated ads — that revenue pays creators and artists), offline favorites, 24-hr early access to show tickets.
$0.10/mo to each artist you fan — up to 10 favorites at $4/mo, and each $1 increment unlocks 10 more slots (up to 70 at $10). Fill fewer than your cap and that capacity concentrates more $ onto those you do fan. 48-hr early access to campaigns and show tickets.
Name your price. Everything in Artist Fan (up to 70 favorites), plus every dollar above $10 follows the artists you actually listen to. For the platform’s most engaged superfans. 72-hr early access to campaigns and show tickets, a multi-date ticket cart (up to 3 shows in one checkout), digital display badge.
5% fee. $5/mo. Forever.
The first 5,000 artists and 2,000 service providers who complete paid signup lock in a 5% platform fee on crowdfunding and a $5/mo subscription, permanently. Both rates persist regardless of any future pricing change.
The 3-month free trial does not reserve founding status. Only paid signup does.
Honest about what changes later
Pricing for new (non-founding) artist and provider subscriptions is planned to rise to $7/mo once the founding-subscriber caps fill, mirroring the standard 7% platform fee. This is communicated upfront so the change is never a surprise. Founding subscribers are unaffected — that promise is unconditional.
Realistic horizon for the change: within the first two years of public operation, possibly higher ($7–$10/mo) if operational cost pressure warrants. Founding subscribers continue at $5/mo + 5% regardless of when the rate moves.
Common questions
No. Every subscription on the platform is month-to-month. You can cancel anytime; no early-termination fees, no annual lock-in, no exceptions.
0% platform fee. The fan covers the Stripe processing fee as a small itemized line at checkout, so the artist receives 100% of the intended amount.
Yes. Crowdfunding follows an all-or-nothing structure — if the goal isn’t met by the campaign end date, pledges are refunded in full. No platform fee is charged on failed campaigns.
If the show is cancelled or rebooked, you get everything back — fees included. Can't make it? Return your ticket to sale before online sales close — if it resells, you get the ticket price back. If it doesn't and you don't go, you're refunded 90% of the ticket price automatically after the show. The service fee and processing aren't refunded in either case.
5 GB included with every artist subscription. Each additional 5 GB block is $5/mo, metered as a Stripe subscription quantity. You see your usage on the dashboard and can upgrade or downgrade anytime.
Yes. Reward packages on crowdfunding campaigns deliver as the artist commits to. Digital rewards are claimable on your account; physical rewards ship from the artist or their fulfillment partner.