Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

Welcome to Our Annual Round-Up of The Jeeni Project for 2021.

/ By Doug Phillips
Welcome to Our Annual Round-Up of The Jeeni Project for 2021.

The pandemic has had a devastating effect on independent musicians and performers who are the core subscribers to the Jeeni platform. 83% of our professionals have been unable to find regular work, 33% of our artists have not earned a penny since restrictions were lifted earlier this year, and 20% say they will give up the struggle for recognition permanently. In support of our existing membership, we agreed to suspend paid subscriptions during the lockdown and may do so again in light of the current situation.

Our Generation-4 platform was released on schedule, and our Generation-5 platform is scheduled for release on Amazon Web Services in the second quarter of 2022. This year, our pre-market valuation increased by 12.5% to £4.5million. Our awards and grant funding increased to £245,540 since launch and our investment funding increased to £513,734 since launch.

The number of members in our musicians and artists community increased to 9,979, of which 5,424 are often active and 4,555 are continually active. The number of artist showcases on Jeeni increased to 2,492 with a global audience outreach to 3,430,790 fans. Team Jeeni increased to 15 core members.

We launched our popular channel of Inside Story celebrity interviews, alongside Artist-of-the-Day and weekly News Roundups. Our most recent Jeeni Festival was enjoyed by 27,489 viewers, of which 7,739 were live-stream, plus another 19,750 on catch-up. Our world première of the jazz opera Spring Street topped 67,000 viewers, and for the first time, we achieved 10,000 visits to the Jeeni platform in one hour.

Four of our strategic partners have become prominent for mutually beneficial marketing and support: BIMM - Europe’s largest music institute, Gradfuel - with over 10,000 graduates on their books, SeedLegals - the UK’s Number One growth hub, and Chillblast - the UK’s most awarded PC manufacturer.

Stay safe and well,

The Jeeni team.

03
Mar

Jeeni proudly announces that Sammie Venn has joined Team Jeeni as Official Writer, Columnist and Blogger.

Sammie is an award-winning entrepreneur, a writer, columnist and blogger. We caught up with Sammie this afternoon and she told us about her Soul Warrior journey. "I began the Soul Warrior path after writing a series of poems based on my journey of self-discovery. Some were just late-night musings, others more conscious truths, but in essence they encompass the search for the strength that lies within ourselves. I love developing memorable stories and experiences through the emotional connection of words and images, and find writing a wonderful way to capture those inspiring moments and joyful experiences life has to offer. Preferring wild spaces that feel spirited and untamed, I’ve always aimed to be part of nature’s green army. I grew up in the countryside and have finally wound my way back home after decades of living in a densely populated city and feeling almost a stranger to the natural environment. Mindful of the future, we are providing for our children and generations to come, I have strived to turn my business “Soul Warriors” into an eco-friendly company: one that has an holistic approach to life, embracing support, learning, growth and inspiration by taking an alternative path to a traditional business plan. The “Business Garden” needs to be planted, nourished, weeded and watered, given air to breathe, sunshine to blossom and have roots strong enough to endure adversity. I believe that nature, love and adventure connect the mind, body and soul, the balance of each dependent on the other. Soul Warriors nurtures trust on both a personal and professional level, where positive and transparent ethics are key to its success. The vision embodies joyful soulful-entrepreneurship where positivity and emotional clarity are as important as the bottom line. I began making jewellery years ago and have loved the mindful dedication it takes to develop a bespoke product. Each collection is based on the poetry and stories I write and the collection of ethical treasures have been described as modern-day heirlooms that people can cherish, share and adore. Having been in the retail industry for over 25 years and winning the Business Woman of Excellence Award 2019 in Sussex, I endeavour to work with other award-winning partners who embody fair trade and eco-friendly standards, like Jeeni. In September 2019 I was invited to be part of Gok Wan’s Dream 8 retailers for his UK roadshow, a fun and vibrant event that has led to some interesting collaborations. From the moment I learnt to put pen to paper as a child, writing became a passion. My Grandmother was also a writer, I have many fond memories of typing her work on a battered Olivetti in her drawing room. My Grandfather was an accomplished saxophonist, so music has always been an central part of my life from a young age. My writing journey has been an integral part of my emotional well-being: it’s freeing, mindful and allows me to explore unique, exuberant and imaginative worlds. Storytelling is the skeleton of all my work, both in product development and the poetry, articles and blogs I write. My work has been published in the US literary journal The Starlight Emporium, which explores wonder-filled ideas relating to art, music, travel, storytelling, and all manner of things creative. I am also taking on the role of columnist with Town and County magazine, later this year. Blogging for Soulful Life Club, a company I founded with my business partner Sharron Goodyear 18 months ago, has been a springboard for my work, in creating a wellness community for women. Now my entrepreneurial journey has found a new niche." Welcome on board Sammie we are very excited to be working with you and know you will be a great asset to Team Jeeni. If you would like to find out more about Sammie please check out her website: www.soulwarriors.co.uk. Sammie Venn Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

13
Aug

THE ETHICAL ANSWER TO THE GREAT STREAMING RIP-OFF

For too many years, the giants who control the world's music streaming services have been ripping off the creators and performers of the content that allows these services to exist. The figures are staggering, 355 million paying subscribers to an industry worth over twenty-four billion dollars a year. But most artists who provide the content don't earn enough from their monthly streaming royalties to buy a pizza. Now there is an ethical alternative, a streaming service run by artists for artists, where creatives and supporters own a share in the company and keep 100% of what they make. It's a Portsmouth-based venture called Jeeni. Last month, the UK Government report on the major streaming services painted a picture of a broken model that fails to reward musicians fairly. Superstar Nile Rodgers calls it a huge victory for his peers. “I want to believe in my optimistic heart and soul that things will change,” he told the Financial Times, after giving evidence to the Government committee. Rogers is appearing at the Victorious Festival in Jeeni's home town of Portsmouth, alongside a raft of artists who have set up their showcases on the Jeeni platform since their campaign was launched. The founders of Jeeni have a track-record of success, and include veteran entrepreneur Mel Croucher, who founded the UK videogames industry in the 1970s. He is joined by several GRAMMY-Award-Winners and celebrities, including Roger Watson, the ex-boss of Arista Records, responsible for selling over 500,000 records. "We've all made it to the top," says Watson, and now we're giving something back to a new generation. We've got the experience, they've got the talent. Now we're giving them all the tools they need to showcase their work on Jeeni, and get properly rewarded for their efforts, as well as own a piece of the action too." Jeeni's CEO, Shena Mitchell is also no stranger to successful start-ups. She founded The Innovation Warehouse and has now taken Jeeni to the crowdfunding platform Crowdcube, where budding superstars can own a slice of the company for less than the price of that legendary pizza. More information: jeeni.com/investhttps://www.crowdcube.com/companies/jeeni/pitches/qD0WNq

06
Sep

Only 3 days left to own a part of Jeeni!

Thank you to the 4,131 independent musicians and artists who are supporting Jeeni during our crowdfunding campaign. Thank you to our 732 followers for your interest to date on the Crowdcube platform. Thank you to the 188 people who have requested access to our Investor Pack. Thank you to every one of the 174 investors for the pledges you have made to ensure the success of this raise. Thank you to all our Team Jeeni members for your hard work and dedication during this campaign. And it's not over yet!  There are now only 3 days left to join in and help us achieve our goal of an ethical alternative for musicians, artists and performers. Own your part of Jeeni from as little as £10. Check out our pitch here: https://bit.ly/3BhEeia THANK YOU!