Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

Weekly Round-Up #4

/ By Freya Devlin
Weekly Round-Up #4

The latest news on all things Jeeni, music and entertainment news.

The ongoing impact of Covid-19 on musicians

Like many other sectors, the music industry has been hit hard by coronavirus with live performance revenue the biggest casualty. During the lockdown, the cancellation and postponement of most live music has had a catastrophic impact on the entire industry. In addition to a reduction in physical sales from the closure of retail stores. There has even been a negative impact on synch opportunities due to less production of visual content. And while streaming revenue has increased, it is not a sustainable source of income due to unfair revenue shares.

According to National statistics even before the pandemic, a musician earned on average £23,059, well below the national average of £29,832, according to the Office for National Statistics. A report by UK Music predicted that musicians will have lost 65% of their income this year, rising to 80% for those most dependent on live performance and studio work.

Frances O’Grady TUC General Secretary sent a strong message of solidarity and support to Musician Union members at the 39th Musicians’ Union Delegate Conference. Highlighting the effects of Covid-19 on musicians.

“The pandemic has been a huge challenge to working people and musicians have been on its economic frontline, unable to work due to lockdown restrictions” she said.
“Too often this government left the self-employed high and dry. Now ministers must step up to give arts, culture, entertainment, and festivals the support we urgently need”.

Jeeni is ahead of the government in supporting musicians, the platform hosts a range of creative talent supporting them to grow an audience. On Jeeni, artists and creatives keep 100% of everything they earn, and thousands of performers are already on board, with an audience outreach that has grown to over two million.

Check out what we do at Jeeni and how we support independent creative talent

YouTubes ads business is now bigger than the entire global record business

According to revenue figures released last week from YouTube Parent company Alphabet, YouTube generated $7.205 billion in revenues from advertising in Q3 this year. Up 43%, or by over $2 billion, year-on-year versus the same quarter of 2020. The $7.205 billion figure did not include additional revenues from subscriptions which YouTube just announced it has surpassed 50 million global subscribers to YouTube Music and YouTube Premium. Meaning that the video streaming giant now has a bigger ads business than the entire global record business.

New artists face ‘massive competition’ from established acts due to streaming

New artists face massive competition from major established acts such as Queen and the Beatles due to the advent of streaming according to The Culture Committee. Peter Leathem, chief executive from the music copyright collective Phonographic Performance Ltd, told MPs that even the most talented performers were “struggling” to make a living from their music in part due to the competition they face for plays and revenue.

“They are faced with massive competition. If you look at 2019, the best-selling albums were Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, based on the film, and Abbey Road by the Beatles, on its 50-year anniversary. If you are trying to break a new artist or trying to get your own streaming going you have got the last 50 years of the music industry to compete with.”

With lots of streaming taking place, the value of the market is much less and there is so much competition. Up-and-coming artists are also competing for a share of a “smaller pie”. He added, “If you are trying to break a new artist or trying to get your own streaming going you have got the last 50 years of the music industry to compete with."

MPs are continuing to examine what economic impact music streaming is having on artists, record labels and the sustainability of the wider industry. It's clear that the music industry needs more support in terms of the value gap and allowing the spotlight to be on new artists.

This is exactly what Jeeni are doing, by supporting independent artists. Jeeni is a platform that brings together creative talents and allows them to showcase their work to a wider audience. All while keeping 100% of everything they earn, and thousands of artists are already on board, with an audience outreach that has grown to over two million. Be sure to visit Jeeni and discover how we help independent artists rise above the limitations of major streaming services at Jeeni.com

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Artist Pairing Initiative

We had our very first artist pairing meeting hosted by Jeeni’s Ella Venvell. The artist pairing is a new initiative by Jeeni where we pair up artists of a similar genre, one with more experience and the other a fledgling artist. The more experienced artist is able able to give advice and words of wisdom. While both artists can encourage and inspire each other by sharing their individual experiences. Our first meeting with Daisy Chute and Ariana May was a huge success. Daisy shared her experiences of being signed to a major label before becoming an independent self-sufficient artist, expressing the benefits and downfalls to both. Furthermore advising Ariana on the best ways to promote her music through a variety of avenues and the different revenue streams available.

If you are an artist interested in Jeeni's pairing initiative then be sure to contact our Artist Liaison Ella Venvell at ella@jeeni.com, including info about yourself and why would like to be part of the artist pairing initiative.

Pick Of The Week

Our pick of the week is Glasgow based alt-rock band Respite. The band blends elements of punk, post-hardcore and pop music, with lyrics and vocals heavily inspired by pop-punk and emo. Respite released their first single, “Chemical Sleep” on the 3rd of October. Soon after following with their debut EP “Vol. 1” on the 29th of October which features five original tracks, and is available to stream everywhere right now!

Check out Respite's showcase on Jeeni - Respite | Showcase | JEENI

New Music Friday

In our New Music Friday segment, Daisy Chute has been selected with the release of her EP Songs of Solace on Friday 12th November. A collection of six original songs which tells a story ‘through the beginning, middle and end of a relationship. Songs of Solace is available on all streaming platforms.

Check out Daisy Chutes showcase on Jeeni - Daisy Chute | Showcase | JEENI

Jeeni and Chillblast Partnership

Jeeni has partnered with Chillblast to bring customers exclusive branded PCs designed for musicians and creatives. Chillblast is the UK’s Most Awarded PC Manufacturer. Find out more about Chillblast here, and discover why Jeeni has partnered with Chillblast to bring Special Edition music PCs with exclusive Jeeni branding. As well as a year's subscription to the Jeeni Platform with each order worth £85. Chillblast Jeeni PCs are perfect for all musicians and creatives, whether you're an independent bedroom pop artist or a music producer working on the next number 1 one single. Get the best deal on music PCs with our black Friday 2021 offer.

Buy your Jeeni Music PC built and warrantied by the UK’s most awarded PC manufacturer here Jeeni PCs (chillblast.com)

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Nextfin independently rates Jeeni 77% investment opportunity.

10
Jun

Nextfin independently rates Jeeni 77% investment opportunity.

This morning Jeeni were independently rated by Nextfin and our pitch was rated 77% overall. Management rated 68%, Product 76% and Investment Opportunity 88% with 80% being their gold and highest rating. If you would like to see full report check out our pitch rating here: https://lnkd.in/ecq6xG3 Jeeni, the social music platform that brings artists closer to their fans – and shares revenue ethically – is poised to become the first Portsmouth-based start-up to go on Crowdcube for its third round. Jeeni overfunded in 6 days. If you want to see our pitch click HERE. We have 11 days left to invest. With 350million streamed music subscribers and market growth up by 39% this year, Jeeni is likely to ride the wave and be a huge success, not only with unsigned musicians and performers but with their superfans. “We’re standing by to raise £100,000 for 2.4% with a pre-market valuation£4M,” says Jeeni founder Shena Mitchell.  “And while we are already negotiating with several major investors, the beauty of Crowdcube is that the artists themselves can actually own a stake in the company for as little as £10.” Shena continues, “Jeeni’s mission is to support unsigned music and performers, by helping them build a fanbase.  We aim to fast-track careers in the music business, and make sure they take the lion’s share of the revenue that’s raised. Jeeni is needed more now than ever and we have proved that the demand is high. Currently we can only support 100,000 videos, so we must now move up a gear as we head for global roll-out.  This Round Three investment will be used to scale up again and launch our next-generation platform. It will also be used to develop our IoS and Android apps."  When the financial backing has been secured and we go live, we’ll be creating new jobs in the area, which is great for the local economy.  When you consider the wealth of music talent in Portsmouth – hosting over 2,000 music events a year with Victorious, The Guildhall, Band Stand, Wedgewood Rooms, and all the Portsmouth Festivities and pubs – we’re alive to the opportunities of our local music culture, creativity and talent. But with live venues locked down for now, the online opportunity of Jeeni is needed more than ever. It’s so cool to think someone reading this might choose to invest in Jeeni now with just £10, and then use Jeeni to build their own fanbase for fame and success!  We’re going to try hard to make sure that happens.” JEENI is currently inviting investment on Crowdcube.  To find out how to get involved please join our mailing list for updates or check out our fundraising pitch. If you want to see our pitch click HERE.

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Jeeni announces FREE Membership for all Musicians, Performers and Fans, whilst artists keep 100% of everything they earn.

05
Jun

Jeeni announces FREE Membership for all Musicians, Performers and Fans, whilst artists keep 100% of everything they earn.

Live venues are out, but your audience is still there. That's why we have turned our online streaming service, from subscription based membership to absolutely FREE. We are determined to support all Musicians, Performers and Pros to earn money while the COVID-19 pandemic prevents them from playing live shows. As the entertainment industry pumps out new ways of thinking to support creatives in this troubled time, we as a team are agile and committed to change the platform day to day if necessary. In the meantime we have spent the last week working hard behind the scenes to make sure Jeeni is there is help and removed membership fees and restructured the platform so you can get paid directly to your bank account or PayPal account, with no hidden fees or charges. So How Does It Work? Jeeni is an online showcase that puts your talent in front of a global audience. We do all the work and you reap all the rewards. No hype, no adverts, no scams, no rip-offs, no fakes, no charge. We give you all the tools you need to showcase your talent, and reach out to your target audience in safety. You will be able to keep 100% of everything you earn from the sale of your music, donations, live streaming and merchandise. We have responded fast to update the platform this week to reflect the changing offer, our sole purpose to support musicians and performers in such uncertain times. We are looking for members of the Independent Musicians and Performers Community Group to join us and help us beta test and develop the platform faster, so we can scale and showcase your music globally. You may not have a showcase and just love listening to your favorite bands or acts for free, but as a FAN you can also join and help us test the site. So what's the catch? There is none... you have nothing to lose, everything to gain, all in a completely free and in a safe environment. Jeeni promises to treat you ethically, honestly and with respect, so that you can stay creative and stay safe. Check us out and join us, just two easy steps entirely for FREE. www.jeeni.com

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Team Jeeni- 4 months today since Lockdown.

03
Mar

Team Jeeni- 4 months today since Lockdown.

LOCKDOWNThe impact of the pandemic crisis on the Jeeni project continues to be remarkably positive, not least because we have genuinely been able to help hard-hit artists and performers. The decision to open Jeeni for free subscriptions to all-comers in response to lockdown has seen mass sign-ups via our website and online community.  Yesterday, Jeeni returned to Crowdcube to raise more funds for helping new talent. Jeeni founding director Mel Croucher says, “We’re ahead of our original schedule, but there’s still so much more to do. We need to scale our online platform globally now and build our mass artist showcases to hit all our targets, and give our new artists the recognition they deserve.” We have already reached 90% of our target so if you want to see our pitch click HERE. Shena Mitchell, Jeeni founding director, says: "I have never worked so hard in my life, but it's actually been a welcomed distraction. I am fortunate that I have been working from home for many years, so no change there, and fortunate to be living in a house with an office and a garden. Living on my own 24/7 for 120 days has been a challenge. Working with musicians and performers in lockdown has been a massive privilege, listening to music all day and watching magical performances is a treat for me, as up until 2 years ago I was mainly working in academia and public sector fundraising for start-ups, which I loved. But working with Team Jeeni creatives is a dream come true. Most importantly, during this time of lockdown we have been able to reduce the cost of acquisition from £3 an artist to zero, and has again proved the concepts successfully pioneered in our Directors' previous marketing campaigns. We are connecting, collaborating, sharing and supporting each other, while we have fun and make a real difference, and we are delivering well. We now have over 27,000 unsigned artists waiting to be uploaded, with over a 1,000 new artists joining every day. As predicted, once the flood gates opened we would have plenty of content and could easily reach 100,000 videos relatively fast at no cost. However, we need to carefully balance our success against storage and streaming costs and that is why we have decided to relaunch Jeeni as a paid subscription service."  Jeeni aim to raise £100k for 2.4% equity with a pre-money valuation of £4million. Jeeni is needed more now than ever and we have proven that the demand is high. Jeeni Generation-4 will only support 100,000 videos, so we must now embrace Generation-5 as we head for global roll-out. TEAM  We are pleased to welcome five new members to Team Jeeni. Andrea Harding: Social Media. Dedicated to reaching out to new audiences, spreading the word about Jeeni artists, and helping build their fanbases. Sharron Goodyear: Image Maker. Photographer of the Year Winner, Jeeni official photographer for artists, performers, promotions and events, specialising in online virtual shoots.  Sammie Venn: Writer, Columnist and Blogger. Syndicating Jeeni news, interviewing and promoting our members, and spearheading our poetry and drama channels. Louis Mitchell: Video Wrangler. Identifying up-and-coming unsigned musicians, performers and dancers focused on Asian Hip Hop, Grunge and Rap. Lizzie Crow. Popular presenter for the BBC and top commercial broadcasters, and our go-to expert for voice-overs, podcasts, jingles and spoken word channels.  Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

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