Indistr

We've covered indie music site Indistr before including the exclusive launch of their latest version and founder Benjamin Gott provided a variety of tips for Startup Tips Month.

Today Indistr has launched another new feature called, “Name Your Own Price”. The idea is simple - fans can pay whatever they think the music is worth from $1 to $20 per album. The NYOP isn't available for individual songs as of yet and musicians must accept this new pricing model or they can stick to pricing as they wish.

Let's be honest here... I love the idea but as we've learned today, everyone wants everything for free -- just look at my feed for a buck. Will fans want to pay more than $1 for an album? It's an interesting test and I sure hope it works because it could be a change for the better in the industry - listen to the music and decide what it's worth versus buying a cd for $17 an deciding it was only worth $2. We will check back with Benjaming in a few months to see how things are going with this new music-fan business model.

There's just no real incentive to pay more than the minimum - perhaps if Indistr looked at some sort of badge system for the site showing off fans who support the indie artists on the site, that could help influence higher payments.

Kristen has her thoughts on the offering.

We reviewed INDISTR on their initial launch in January and described INDISTR as, "a way for indie music creators to sell their music to fans." It's in the same category as Amie Street, they differ on pricing models.

INDISTR is relaunching this afternoon and I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the new features but more importantly provide a 360-degree view on the upgrade from both Founder Benjamin Gott and from the design agency he worked with, Thought & Theory.

New Features

• Considerably enhanced search feature based on tags, popularity, etc. This was much, much needed.
• New rating feature.
• An 'Other Artist You Might Like' feature powered by tags and popularity - not genre.
• Easier-to-use checkout process.
• Easier-to-use backend for artists uploading/hosting their music.
• New design and branding

Interviews continue inside »

Day #1 in the CenterNetworks Startup Tips Month comes from Benjamin Gott of Indistr.

Tip #1

Be simple. Don’t focus on anything that isn’t core to getting your startup off the ground. Be an amazing product first, then be a business.

Tip #2

Have a very clear focus. Kind of obvious, but it drives the simplicity mentioned above. Whether its traffic, users, activity, revenue, etc…drive towards that point only.

Tip #3

If you can and it makes sense – use in-house or freelance developers and designers. The big houses do amazing work, but its often hard to ‘have and idea on Monday and launch on Wednesday’ when you are dealing with larger shops. Agility is key in the start up world.

Tip #4

Have a good team. A team can be just two people. Never underestimate how much work its going to be – even the easiest stuff can eat up more time than you have, this was a mistake I made!

Tip #5

Don’t be afraid to develop both the idea as well as the actual product in a bit of a vacuum. Outside ideas and influence can be extremely distracting. That being said, its also important to have a core group of people who you can bounce ideas off of – and it helps if they are from all different user demographics if possible.

Tip #6

You don’t have to be in The Valley to have a successful tech startup. So don’t move there ‘just because it’s the valley’.

Tip #7

Have a clear definition of success, relates back to number (2) in regards a clear focus. Know when you have hit your goals and when you haven’t.

Benjamin has worked in the 'internet industry' for about 8 years, had my first 'real' gig in high school around the middle of the first bubble. My skill set focused first on classic web-design and then moved to backend development pretty much exclusively in classic ASP. Moved around to different employers, did some consulting, a lot of freelance, and then decided to settle a bit in the supply chain industry developing international suppliers portals with a focus on the furniture industry vertical.

I have no formal education/college education. I grew up in the south Chicago-land area and I now live in downtown the young thriving city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Love it. INDISTR, www.indistr.com, was launched in January 07 with a clear goal of allowing artist to distribute their music directly to the public while staying totally independent. Simplistic in its nature, we allow artist to upload as much music as they’d like, they can bundle their music into albums, price it themselves and publish it. 75% of each sale goes directly to the artist instantly upon its purchase. Our aim is to keep the artist first - big or small, and to ensure all artist have an opportunity to make a living from their art.

Last week I reviewed a new music site, Indistr. To find out more about the application and what the plans are for monetization along with some lessons about what a startup needs to be successful, I spoke with Benjamin Gott, founder of Indistr. Check out the interview.

This morning, INDISTR launched. Indistr offers a way for indie music creators to sell their music to fans. Seems pretty similar to Amie Street, they differ in their pricing models.