The ArtistForce Blog

ArtistForce: A New Model for the Live Entertainment Business

ArtistForce’s presence at SXSW 2008 in March was part of a huge pre-launch promotion that included exhibits at the trade show, giveaways, mobile billboards and more. ArtistForce is a progressive new online system developed to provide members of the live entertainment industry a single platform through which individuals can network and generate business.

During SXSW 2008, ArtistForce signed on hundreds of new clients. “SXSW gave ArtistForce the chance to address an entirely new set of artists and talent buyers from all over the world,” said Jonathan Romley, founder and CEO of ArtistForce. “We are targeting the kinds of folks who come to SXSW — artists, agents, managers, venues, promoters and talent buyers.

ArtistForce officially launched June 1 of this year. We caught up with Jonathan recently and asked him to share some thoughts about his company and the state of the music business.

How are you marketing the company after the launch?

ArtistForce will be at the Village Voice Siren Music Festival in New York on July 19, we’re hosting Lunch 2.0 Hollywood (a tech industry event with Mixergy) in August, exhibiting at industry trade shows, signing up thousands of Venues, Promoters, and Talent Buyers all over the world, rolling out a great affiliate program and calling everyone we know! The best promotion will come from the success of people who use the platform - our goal is to drive success in the ArtistForce community.

What was the genesis of ArtistForce? This is a brand new model for working in this section of the industry.

That’s right, ArtistForce is definitely a new model, and we are really excited to be providing a solution that works for everyone involved in the live entertainment booking process. We are building a community of live entertainment professionals based on business relationships where people can work more effectively, forge new relationships and take advantage of expanded opportunities. Everybody wins.
There is a basic lack of business technology in the live entertainment industry. Many live entertainment bookings are contracted on paper – and many indie bands don’t use contracts at all, leaving the band exposed. From Offer all the way to Settlement, ArtistForce is the first comprehensive solution for live entertainment business.

How do you see ArtistForce impacting the music business?

We believe ArtistForce will drive growth in Music and Live Entertainment by increasing the opportunity for Bands to grow independently, and expand the reach of their music through live performances. Music Consumption is at an all time high. Consumers are simply changing the way they learn about and experience music. A decade ago, fans supported their favorite artists by purchasing recorded music, attending concerts, and buying merchandise. Today, concert and tour revenue are the major revenue drivers for Artists.

It’s an incredibly valuable solution for indie artists. ArtistForce is delivered “On Demand”, which means there is no software to download, no hardware to buy – all you need is a web browser and you’re all set to receive and negotiate offers, generate contracts, manage bookings, share contacts, settle shows, read industry news, research 25+ years of industry data, and network with other subscribers.

Read the article on SXSW.com

At 11:05 PM Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, June 1, 2008, ArtistForce released Charter Edition. The Entertainment Industry will never be the same…

Hello there. ArtistForce.com will open its doors later today, June 1, 2008. We will announce when our release is live here on our blog. Temporary passwords will be mailed out to pre-release Charter Subscribers this afternoon. (more…)

ArtistForce Founder and CEO, Jonathan Romley, announces the global June 1st launch date of ArtistForce. The June 1st launch will open the doors to ArtistForce in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Berlin, Nashville, Austin, and New York.

A progressive new system developed to provide members of the live entertainment industry a single platform, through which each individual can freely network and generate business; ArtistForce will bring an entirely new set of tools to the talented people working in the live entertainment industry. Starting off with a splash, ArtistForce began an aggressive product launch campaign, at the music trade show at South by Southwest on March 14th, in Austin, Texas. The launch proved to be a huge success and ArtistForce has already signed on thousands of eager clients, all of whom will enjoy three complementary months of service and all of whom are the potential winners of a brand new Smart Car, courtesy of ArtistForce.

Cognizant of the fact that the music world is in a state of technological turmoil, enabling agents and artists alike to conduct their business more efficiently, Romley created ArtistForce in recognition of the unique velocity of technology in the live entertainment industry. ArtistForce delivers streamlined efficiency, an unparalleled number of choices, connection, and control, by centralizing a user’s day-to-day business. Paving the way for new relationships and creating opportunities for industry professionals all over the globe, ArtistForce will revolutionize the way the live entertainment industry does business, by offering working professionals the tools they need to achieve the success they desire and deserve.

The ArtistForce Display @ SXSW 2008:

Come join the mobile community and listen to Industry leaders including ArtistForce CEO Jonathan Romley in an exclusive open forum to discuss Mobile Music, From Ringtones to Downloads and Who is Really Making Money.
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From SXSW.com : “ArtistForce is a revolutionary online software service for the live entertainment community. Its founder, Jonathan Romley, experienced the inefficiency of the process of booking live talent from the point of view of all parties involved: The artist, the agent, the promoter, the manager, the talent buyer. He was constantly bothered by the fact that these “fragmented relationships and redundant processes resulted in the loss of millions in revenue and hours in productivity. So he created ArtistForce. Along with a team he describes as “individuals with deep, life-long, personal passion for live entertainment,” they have created a system with professional-grade software services that provides “on-demand entertainment relationship management.” It allows all parties involved in booking to conduct business online in real time. ArtistForce will announce its public launch date during SXSW. Stop by their stand on the trade show floor at numbers 314 and 413 to meet with executives and business development representatives.
Also when you stop by, enter to win a 2008 Smart Car and get exclusive pre-launch access when you sign up for a complimentary ArtistForce charter subscription!”

VIEW THE 2008 SXSW TRADE SHOW NEWS HERE

All systems are go for ArtistForce at South by Southwest 2008. Experience Choice, Connection and Control with ArtistForce at the Austin Convention Center March 13-15. (more…)

Our CMJ Week digital media campaign kicks off today in more than 5000 New York City taxis, and features the music of ArtistForce member Vera Ostrova. Catch a cab with NY10 in Greenwich Village, and check us out - our geo-targeted ads will only appear when you’re in The Village! Also be sure to pick up the CMJ Festival Guide and check out ArtistForce: Play Live | Get Paid !

Not in NYC for CMJ? Click on “Read the rest of this entry” to view the ArtistForce NY10 digital ad now!

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Next week we’re experimenting with a new digital advertising platform in NYC during CMJ Music Marathon! ArtistForce has enlisted Clear Channel Taxi Media and NBC Universal to promote our On-Demand Entertainment Relationship Management solutions to passengers inside New York City taxis in Greenwich Village.

Taxis affiliated with Clear Channel Taxi Media air NY10, New York’s Taxi Entertainment Network, featuring exclusive content from WNBC, the news networks of NBC (NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC) and NBC Entertainment. NY10 rolled out during the first half of this year as part of the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s recent announcement to install Passenger Information Monitors in New York City cabs.

Look out for our cutting edge geo-targeted ArtistForce advertising campaign during CMJ week!

Check out the demo here…

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“The American company ArtistForce is aiming to make a big impact at Popkomm 2007. It is not only making its first appearance at this trade show but, with its online software solutions for “on-demand entertainment relationship management”, it is also bidding for the Popkomm-IMEA. Popkomm has created this award to acknowledge the creative input of new companies in the music business that is giving a fresh impetus to new media and digital technology.”
- From the POPKOMM Newsletter

We’re back. Berlin was incredible. Our trip to POPKOMM was a huge success - we made a number of great contacts that will help us expedite a localized release of AF1 in select European markets.

Visitors to our booth expressed a great level of interest in the ArtistForce solution, and we signed up more than 100 new Industry accounts (Agents, Managers, Labels). We also had the opportunity to sign up great independent Artists from all over Europe, and even a band from Australia!

Pictures of our booth at POPKOMM:

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