Fan club platform opens to independent artists

A free fan club service says it wants to give independent musicians the chance to "earn more" by opening up its platform to all artists.

Banbury-based Hootenanny, which previously only worked with hand-picked acts like Oxford indie-folk band Stornoway, has scrapped its waiting list.

Independent artists would now be able to use its services to give fans exclusive music, tickets and merchandise, its founders said.

The company said "dozens of artists are signing up each week" as many struggle to make money from streaming and touring.

Co-founder Chris Peabody said: "Every artist deserves to earn properly from their fans.

"I spent a decade running a label from Banbury and watched too many talented musicians give up because the money didn't work."

The company said the change came as more than three-quarters of tours lost money and most independent artists earned less than £10 a month from streaming.

Fans pay a yearly subscription to Hootenanny for unreleased music, early ticket access, exclusive merchandise and behind-the scenes content, and artists keep 90% of the revenue.

Most artists had earned more in their first week on Hootenanny than they would in a year of streaming, the company said.

Peabody said: "For fans, it means no more anxiety about getting a ticket, and being part of a proper community with access to music, merch and behind-the-scenes content no-one else gets."