Kansas City Startup AudioAnywhere Launches Indiegogo Crowdfunding Initiative with $10,000 Goal

After successful beta testing in early 2012, AudioAnywhere, a Kansas City-based startup that simplifies the streaming music experience, has launched a crowdfunding campaign through one of the world’s largest global funding platforms, Indiegogo.

AudioAnywhere, a client of Kansas City-based technology startup accelerator Think Big Partners, is working to prove that listeners can enjoy a free music streaming experience while artists get adequately compensated through advertising-based royalties. Despite the popularity of sites like Pandora and Spotify, monetization of streaming music has been underwhelming. Streaming services are losing money and record labels are dissatisfied with meager royalty payments.

Kyle Johnson, Scott Johnson and Ryan Luckie have developed this innovative music platform and the revenue engine behind the scenes known as Bixy. By combining the two products, the team expects to revive the online music industry. AudioAnywhere plans to pay artists five times more than what they earn today through revenues generated by Bixy’s more effective audio and banner ads. Bixy will prove that streaming music can be a win-win-win for listeners, artists and advertisers.

 

“AudioAnywhere has a real opportunity to solve a big problem for the entire music industry, and ultimately the listening consumer,” said Herb Sih, co-founder of Think Big Partners. “By combining an easy-to-use, streaming music platform in a social environment with the ability to give consumers highly relevant advertising offers that make sense, AudioAnywhere may crack the code on making online music viable for everyone. Without figuring out how to pay artists and labels in a way that doesn’t hurt the consumer, eventually free online music may die and then everyone loses.” 

Increasingly, crowdfunding is becoming a mainstream method for financing and marketing a variety of new ventures. Confident in the crowdfunding trend, AudioAnywhere is excited to engage the Indiegogo community and hopes to raise $10,000 by October 6, 2012. With these funds, AudioAnywhere plans to first offer a radio feature that uses social data to decide what type of music a listener likes.  With the remainder of the $10,000 raise, AudioAnywhere will implement the system that automatically pays artists when people listen to their music.

“We felt that Indiegogo would be an excellent launch vehicle for AudioAnywhere,” said Kyle Johnson, CEO of AudioAnywhere. “We’re able to tell our story to an audience interested in music and technology and we’ll raise some money too.”

To express its gratitude to early supporters, AudioAnywhere is granting donors access to its streaming music platform before the general public. To view AudioAnywhere’s Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign and to donate to the startup’s $10,000 goal, please visit www.indiegogo.com/audioanywhere.  To learn more about AudioAnywhere, please visit www.audioanywhere.com.

Follow AudioAnywhere! @AudioAnywhere
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Sometimes, All You Need is Opportunity

“Ability is nothing without opportunity.”

This famous quote from Napoleon Bonaparte reveals that sometimes, you just need a little opportunity to get where you want to be.  This is true for every aspect of life: making a new best friend, landing your first job, making it on the high school basketball team, starting a new business—it all begins with opportunity.  Opportunity is the first stepping stone in creating a successful life.

Which is why Jessica Garand started the Opportunity Music Project.

The Opportunity Music Project, based out of New York City, is a movement that provides underprivileged children the chance to find passion, hard work and opportunity through music.  Children involved in the Opportunity Music Project are taught an instrument and then perform for the homeless, the elderly or for hospital patients.  The project offers children interested in music with the opportunity to take private music lessons and learn the value of service within the community.

“The Opportunity Music Project came from the accumulation of all of my experiences,” says Jessica Garand, the founder of the Opportunity Music Project. “I performed for the elderly and in hospitals when I was young.  I want these students to have this same experience and develop the same leadership skills that I did.”

The Opportunity Music Project provides students with weekly half-hour lessons on the viola or violin.  Students and their families are then encouraged to attend classical music concerts around New York City, participate in meetings within the project, and perform in a final concert.

“My favorite part of this experience has been seeing the kids inspired about music,” says Garand.  “When I saw the kids’ faces after their final concert, it was amazing.  Also, seeing the support from their families is incredible.”

The Opportunity Music Project recently partnered up with RentMyInstrument.com, a company based out of Kansas City, Missouri.  With RentMyInstrument.com, OMP now has even more of an opportunity to improve children's lives through the magic of music.

In addition, a documentary is being filmed about the Opportunity Music Project which will be completed in the weeks to come.  In the inspirational documentary, viewers can see how the Opportunity Music Project has transformed the lives of every underprivileged child involved.  The documentary proves that anybody can achieve their dreams—no matter how out-of-reach they may seem at first.

Because after all, it all begins with opportunity. 

Written by Allison Way

@AllisonThinkBig

My Top 5 Songs That Get Me Fired Up - What's Yours?

"There ain't no mountain high enough..." - Marvin Gaye

Music has the power to uplift and motivate the human spirit to unknown heights and powers. Yet less than 4% of the world's population can play an instrument.

Yamaha, a leader in musical instruments, conducted a study in 2001 that found playing the drum had a positive effect on immune response. The idea that music can affect health and behavior is at least as old as the writings of Plato and Aristotle. In fact, the first music therapy program was founded in 1944 at Michigan State and is so well respected today that even the federal government identifies it as a Medicare reimbursable expense.

And while most people's music downloads are not covered by Medicare, almost everyone has a favorite song list that can get them fired up and ready to take on the world!

My Top 5 Favorite Songs That Get Me Fired Up are:

• Your Life Is Now - John Mellencamp

• If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback

• Lose Yourself - Eminem

• Beautiful Day - U2

• Zimbabwe - Toni Child

"Most of us go to our graves with our music still inside of us." -unknown

What are YOUR songs that make up the sound track of your life that get you fired up?