Moozar’s “Reward Link” Provides Artists with a Potential Means to Make Money

by Dave Mainella

As artists continue to find ways to drive sales and earn income with their music, Moozar hopes to add another tool to their workshop.  Moozar introduces the “reward link,” providing a service through which fans can financially support artists.  For the fans, it’s an altruistic way of acknowledging and appreciating someone’s creative work.  For the artist, it’s a potential source of income derived from pre-existing digital channels.

The concept is this: an artist, label, author, composer, publisher etc. registers for free with Moozar.  Once registered, creative works are imported from YouTube, SoundCloud, and other sources.  For each titled work, Moozar creates a “reward link” that can be shared as-is or attached to the source material so that, for example, each time a YouTube video is shared on FaceBook and Twitter, the “reward link” gets shared as well.

Fans that enjoy the works online click the “reward link” and are directed to a cart where they can then directly give money (as little as $0.30) to the artist.  It’s a kind of digital tipping.

The artist always receives at least 80% of the “rewards”, with the remaining 20% given to the source of the “reward link”.  If the “reward link” originated with the artist, they also get that 20%.  If a fan accessed the link and reward cart through Moozar’s own library, Moozar takes the 20% cut.  And if a subscribed Partner, those like YouTube, SoundCloud, registered blogs who broadcast and highlight the music provide the “reward link,” then they earn that 20%.

Moozar launched about a year ago and “reboot” at the end of 2012 to emphasize its “reward link” service.  According to the company, about 1500 artists are currently participating and earning income through “rewards.”

While Moozar expects growth and promises product developments, especially in regards to the Partner program, there are several digital tipping platforms also in place, including HumanFankind and StageIt.  But these services also offer exclusives and incentives, something Moozar’s “reward link” does not.  Moozar will have to find a way to stand out beyond the noisy and crowded digital music environment.