Blog Post

Crowdfunding: How Does The Scene Stack Up?

Creatives and inventors don’t need a record label, a movie studio or a wealthy uncle any longer – now, community websites let fans be benefactors. But how do these platforms stack up? We spoke with each of the main crowdfunding sites. Here’s what they did – and didn’t – tell us…

Site

Start

Projects Submitted

Projects Financed

Projects Realised

Total Supporters

Amt Pledged

Amt Paid Out

Avg pledge

Site’s commission

Kickstarter

Apr 09

12,000

5,000+

3,500 – 4,000

400,000+

$35m+

–

$71

5% of
payout

IndieGogo

Jan 08

15,000+

4,000+ @ $500+.
367 @ goal.

“Thousands”.

–

–

“Millions of dollars”

$79

4% of payout (9%
of pledges)

Sellaband

Aug 06

–

54

38 CDs

–

€524,675 + ¥6.6k
+ $2m

€2.7m

€41

15% of
payout

Ulule

Oct 10

169

53

80%

4,818

€100k

€70k

€32

0%
for now

RocketHub

Feb 10

350

75

–

–

$400k

€300k

–

8% of
payout

Slicethepie

Jun 07

–

31

26 albums

–

–

€750k

–

–

Fundbreak

May 10

–

29

–

–

“Confidential”

–

–

7.5% of
payout

PledgeMusic

Jul 09

2,700+

77%

132

74,000

“Confidential”

–

$92

15% of
payout

FeedTheMuse

May 09

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

ArtistShare

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Apr 10

1,500

13

12

3,500

–

–

€46

0% (shares
in returns)

MyMajorCompany

Dec 07

18,000

36

15

30,000

€5m

€360k

€150

0% (shares
in returns)

Research conducted December 2010 to February 2011, including interviews with crowdfunding sites.