OurStage

OurStage operated as an online community and music discovery platform, founded in 2007 by Benjamin Campbell. The Boston-based company was designed to assist emerging artists in gaining exposure and reaching new audiences through a proprietary, fan-powered competition model. Listeners on the platform would judge and rank the music of unsigned artists across various genres, helping them to advance in monthly competitions.

The core of the business was its patented software that facilitated these music competitions. Winning artists received opportunities such as opening for major headlining acts and partnerships with brands. The platform formed strategic alliances with prominent media companies like MTV, Radio One, AOL Music, and ESPN to increase visibility and provide unique prizes for its artist community. The business model included revenue from sponsored competitions and, later, a subscription service called OurStage Pro, launched in 2012. This service allowed artists to earn a share of revenue based on the number of times their songs were played, with the payout pool funded by the artists' monthly subscription fees.

Financially, the company secured significant early-stage funding, raising over $30 million in its initial years, including a notable $13.4 million round in 2008. The platform demonstrated considerable user engagement, growing to over 3.5 million unique monthly visitors by 2009. In May 2014, OurStage was acquired by Amazing Media, a UK-based music company with a shared mission of supporting new and emerging musicians. The acquisition was intended to integrate OurStage's platform into Amazing Media's US operations, combining its fan-based discovery engine with Amazing Media's existing properties, Amazing Radio and amazingtunes.com.

Keywords: music discovery, artist competition, fan-powered judging, emerging artists, unsigned musicians, online music community, music promotion, A&R platform, digital music, Benjamin Campbell, Amazing Media, song contest, music licensing, talent discovery, live performance opportunities, sponsored content, artist development, social music platform, crowd-sourced filtering, music tech