The Priceless Music Project -- Indiegogo

Pay What You Want For The Music You Love. Even $0

In today's digital music landscape, buying music has become a paradox-- we are asked to pay for a product which we can readily acquire for free.

It is common knowledge that nothing is actually free and that a lot of time and money goes into making the music we love. This thought leads most people to feeling a little pang of guilt as they're watching their free download finish. We want to eliminate that guilt.

What if you could go directly to a band or small record label and name the price that you're willing to pay for the music you want-- even if that price was $0.00? Wouldn't you be more likely to pay something if you knew that the music creators were welcoming you to contribute as much or as little as you wanted in exchange for their music? Wouldn't the music buying experience feel more worthwhile?

What is The Priceless Music Project? This Video Will Help Explain.

Choose the price that you want to pay for the music you're buying.

The Priceless Music Project is a platform that allows music fans to choose the price they pay for music. We at Tender Loving Empire (more on who we are below) are developing the Priceless Music Project as an alternative e-commerce solution for independent bands and record labels as well as a unique music purchasing experience for fans wishing for a more intimate way to engage with the artists they love. Fans will be given the knowledge of what others have paid, as well as the incentive of receiving exclusive content if they pay more than the average price.

What's the Money For?

A Revolutionary New System
We are raising funding for the development and implementation of an e-commerce platform that will enable independent record labels and bands to sell their music on a 'pay-what-you-want' basis. Your donations go towards the nuts and bolts of the digital platform development that will require constant updates, reworking and tweaking of the look, traits, and functionality of the platform based on user feedback.

Funding The First Albums
The funds we raise through this campaign will allow us to release the first five albums that will be available on the beta version of the Priceless Music Project platform-- the first being the new album by indie-mariachi-folk outfit Y LA BAMBA. Their new album, Court The Storm, comes out Feb 28th 2012. As the funding of the project progresses we will be announcing the other records that will be released in 2012.

Help an independent record label develop a new, innovative model for selling music.

A Little Background

Tender Loving Empire is an independent record label based in Portland, Oregon. We are not a traditional record label however, we are also avid music fans, artists and musicians. In 2007 we opened the Tender Loving Empire Store in downtown Portland where we now sell the music, art and crafts of over 300 local artists.

The Priceless Music Project was born out of the desire for music fans to get their music in a sustainable way. We believe it is time for a new, innovative standard for music purchasing to arise. We believe that this sustainable solution lies in the minds and hearts of music fans. It is now not only a music fan's right, but their responsibility to consciously choose which artists and record labels they will support by purchasing albums, attending concerts, buying band merchandise and spreading the word about artists through their social circles. We know these ideals will only be possible if fans are given the ability to choose exactly how much music is worth to them.

The Incentives

This section is dedicated to elaborating a bit on the details surrounding this campaign's incentives.

As a functioning record label, most of what we have to give our donors is the actual music that we've released in the past as well as the music from the five releases of 2012 (the first five releases ever using the Priceless Music Project 'Pay What You Want' platform). Each 2012 release will be available on biodegradable download card, deluxe CD wallet, 180 gram colored vinyl as well as a super limited edition laser engraved wooden vinyl enclosure. Naturally, the more you donate, the more you receive.

Tattoo + "Friends" Volume 4
Friends and Friends of Friends Vol. 4 is the latest in a series of musical compilations that TLE releases every year. This edition houses 47 bands from Portland and beyond. It is hand silk-screened in three colors in a limited edition and printed on a custom-designed template that pops up into a tent when expanded. More info here.

Limited Edition Poster
Image coming soon!

2011 & 2012 Digital Releases
With this incentive you'll be receiving digital copies of all releases from the 2011 roster and the forthcoming 2012 roster. The releases are as follows:

2011 Roster
Loch Lomond - Little Me Will Start A Storm
Typhoon - A New Kind of House
And And And - Buy You EP
Jared Mees & The Grown Children - Only Good Thoughts Can Stay
Radiation City - The Hands That Take You
Friends and Friends of Friends Vol. 4

2012 Roster
Y La Bamba - Court The Storm
??? To Be Announced
??? To Be Announced
??? To Be Announced
??? To Be Announced

Deluxe TLE Fan Pack
If you choose this option, you may choose which band you'd like this incentive to apply to. When we contact you for your shipping information, we'll ask which band it is that you've chosen. Each pack comes with a disposable camera that the band has taken with them on tour. You receive the undeveloped, original photos to do with what you please. You may not mix and match bands within one fan pack, i.e one Typhoon camera, one Radiation City CD, one Y La Bamba LP, etc.

Thank you incredibly for your time and if you choose to donate, we are forever in your debt.

Sincerely,
Tender Loving Empire

www.tenderlovingempire.com
www.pricelessmusicproject.org

Created By:

TenderLovingEmpire

0.0763542 Complete

$3,665

Raised of $48,000 Goal

0 time left

Flexible Funding campaign

This campaign received all of the funds contributed on Wed Feb 08.

Perks

for your contribution

$5 Temporary Tattoo + Beta Access

You get 1 awesome temporary tattoo to show your support for the musical revolution as well as an exclusive chance to use the priceless music project pay what you want platform before anyone else.
$15 Tattoo + "Friends" Volume 4

One temporary tattoo and a copy of our 4th annual music compilation, Friends and Friends of Friends 4, with 47 bands from Portland and beyond. Original pop-up packaging design. Read more about Friends 4 in the section on the left titled "The Incentives".
$25 2011 & 2012 Digital Releases

All of the above plus high-quality digital copies of every Tender Loving Empire Release from 2011 and digital copies of every 2012 release as they become available. Read all about the 2011 and 2012 releases on the left in the section titled "The Incentives".
$45 Hand Silk-Screeened Poster

All of the above plus an original in-house-designed one-edition-only hand silk-screened poster printed in our very own silk-screening studio at TLE headquarters.
$85 Deluxe CD of 2012 Releases

All of the above plus the deluxe physical CD version of every 2012 release as they become available. CDs will ship with album pre-orders.
$100 Signed Silkscreened Poster

All of the above plus a limited edition hand silk-screened poster signed by every member of every band on the 2012 TLE release roster.
$150 Deluxe TLE Fan Pack

Pick your favorite Tender Loving Empire band and receive all sub-$100 incentives AND 1 undeveloped camera that the band took on tour, 1 signed CD, 1 signed Vinyl, 1 spot on the guest list to a show in your city. (More details on the left under "The Incentives".)
$200 All 2012 Vinyl Releases

All sub $100 incentives + copies of every 2012 vinyl release as they become available. Records will ship with pre-orders so you'll get them one week before they're released.
$600 All 2012 Vinyl Releases Signed

All sub $100 incentives + copies of every 2012 vinyl release as they become available. Each LP will be signed by every member in that band. Records will ship with pre-orders so you'll get them one week before they're released.
$1,000 All 2012 Limted Edition Signed

All sub-$100 incentives + copies of every 2012 Limited Edition vinyl release as they become available. The Limited Edition records will be set in a laser-engraved custom wooden enclosure with a hand silk-screened jacket accompanying the vinyl. Each record will be signed by all members in that band.
$5,000 All + Select the first Charity

ALL of the above incentives (every single one!) plus you get to choose the charity/non-profit that Tender Loving Empire donates to for the first 2 months after we launch using the Priceless Music Project. During those first 60 days, we will be donating 25% of the gross income to the charity you choose! Pick one from your community!
$48,000 All Above + Name Our Child

If you're kind enough to fully fund our campaign, you'll be awarded the sole privilege of middle-naming Jared and Brianne's (Owners of Tender Loving Empire) daughter when she's born in March. This is for real.