No Bankruptcy, No Refunds, No Liability — PledgeMusic Files Wind Up Order, Absolving Executives of Any and All Wrongdoing

PledgeMusic is pulling a sneaky disappearing act. Aiming to completely disappear into the middle of the night, the crowdfunding platform’s executives shut down the website last week. This came months after PledgeMusic reportedly froze artists’ funds an…

L7 Pledges Legal Action Against PledgeMusic

In an open letter to fans, indie band L7 summarized their own experience and those of other musicians: "in a nutshell, the funds that many bands and their supporters raised through the crowdfunding platform were absconded by the company with zero accountability and unreturned legal appeals." Thanks to help from…

Miss Anything? REWIND: The New Music Industry’s Last Week In Review

In this tick back through a busy week in the music industry, we revisit the shuttering of PledgeMusic’s website, Live Nation’s acquisition of Latin concert giant OCESA, the latest milestone by ‘Old Town Road,’ and more. PledgeMusic Takes Website Offline 6 Tales From ‘Spotify Unknown’ Of Near Misses, Aborted Acquisitions…

PledgeMusic says "All data has been preserved"

PledgeMusic pulled its web site offline Thursday leaving artists without the ability to access and download previous fan and order data. The shuttered service now says that all data has been preserved and will be made available soon. Overnight this line was added to PledgeMusic’s front page: "All data has…

PledgeMusic Takes Website Offline

PledgeMusic, which suspended operations in February, has all but shut down its website. "The company continues to work with outside counsel on the most appropriate next steps, and we will update you with those specifics as we get more information," reads the home page. Hundreds of musicians were left unpaid…

Filter Cancel Reunion After PledgeMusic Fiasco

Last year, the band Filter had announced that original members Richard Patrick and Brian Liesegang were reuniting to record a new album, their first since the band’s 1995 debut, ‘Short Bus.’ The reunion has now been canceled and the band is blaming PledgeMusic. The pair were funding the record with…

A Legal View Of The Fall Of PledgeMusic and What Could Happen Next

Earlier this week, Hypebot published an important Music Biz Weekly podcast interview with Attorney Chris Castle delving into the demise of PledgeMusic and its legal ramifications for artists, vendors and the music industry. Because of the importance of this topic, we’ve had the full interview transcribed. _________________________________ This transcription of…

Attorney Chris Castle On PledgeMusic, How It Happened and What’s Next [Music Biz Weekly Podcast]

Attorney Chris Castle sits down with Micahel Brandvold and Jay Gilbert on the Music Biz Weekly Podcast to talk about Pledgemusic. Castle offers his insights into when the current debacle started, why it may have happened and what could happen next including bankruptcy and administration. There’s also advice about what…

This Week In Music Commentary

In music commentary this week, industry experts weigh in on how Spotify’s new ad campaign reinforces the need for user-centric royalties, PledgeMusic’s ongoing pursuit of a sale, why it’s time to revisit how artist marketing is done, and more. Spotify’s ‘Dance Like Nobody’s Paying’ Serves As Call For User-centric Royalties…

PledgeMusic Board Says It’s "Continuing To Pursue a Sale"

It has been a little over 5 months since PledgeMusic suspended all campaigns and payments, and two months since FRP Advisory began contacting buyers as part of Pre-Administration, the UK equivalent of bankruptcy. To date, however, no formal filing of Administration has been made. In its first public updated since…