Creators' Freedom Project

HELPING ARTISTS MAKE A LIVING USING TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY

The Creators’ Freedom Project aims to understand the needs of artists, and highlight and experiment with replicate-able models that help independent artists make a living from their creativity. The project focuses on helping creators through the strategic combination of: hard work + offering scarce goods and experiences + leveraging online tools to cultivate paying fans.

The Creators’ Freedom Project is based in Nashville, Tennessee. CFP hosting regular tutorials and workshops in the local area with Rock Your Net to discuss the project and talk about strategies and results that others use. The Rock Your Net workshops are produced in partnership with Charles Alexander and Michael Lovett of Outside the Box Music.

Whether artists want to be completely do-it-yourself (“DIY”) or are vying for a “label deal”, CFP helps artists understand what they can do today to have their music discovered, to engage with their fans, and eventually sell precious merchandise and experiences to those rabid superfans. Even if an artist’s goal is to sign a record label deal, what CFP teaches will put the artist in a place of better leverage when negotiating time comes.

The project works directly with a group of five artists to highlight and prescribe new techniques and strategies they can use to further their careers. The Creators’ Freedom Project blog documents the narrative of those artists as they work with the project and consult with experts associated with the project.

CREATORS’ FREEDOM PROJECT IS:

• Working directly with artists and telling their story

• Partnering with experts, and providers of online tools and services

• Hosting local workshops, tutorials & discussions

CREATORSFREEDOM.ORG BLOG

• Follow along and interact on the Tumblog as these artists’ stories unfold

• Read periodic progress updates from the project participants

• Watch interviews with artists and experts

• Learn about the strategies other creatives are exploring

• Give your input on strategies and suggest new ones using comments

HELPING ARTISTS WITH:

• Fans: focus on strategies for finding, connecting with, and engaging fans.

• Scarce Goods and Experiences: develop ways make copyable goods easily available and offer true fans goods and experiences of added value, that are exclusive, personalized, and honest to give them reasons to patronize you.

• Performance Strategies: discover ways to increase traditional concert performances, develop new ways to tour, and increase ticket sales margins and tour take home.

ADVISORY PANEL MEMBERS:

(Full Bios coming soon)

• Brad Barrish, Topspin

• Josh Bonnain, Grooveshark

• Maura Corbett, Managing Partner, Glen Echo Group, LLC

• E. Michael Harrington, Professor of Music, Music Business and Intellectual Property and Member of Advisory Board at Nashville Composers Association

• Bill Ivey, Director, The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, & Public Policy at Vanderbilt University

• Chris MacDonald, Indiefeed

• Mike Masnick, CEO and Founder of Floor64, TechDirt.com

• Jo-Ann Nina, General Manager, Shocklee Entertainment

• Michael Petricone, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Consumer Electronics Association

HISTORY:

CFP began as a project of Public Knowledge, a public interest group that advocates for consumers, creators and innovators in Washington, DC. The project was conceived as a new way to tout the benefits of innovation and good public policy, by putting ideals and strategic use of new technology into practice with artists.

The project is managed by Alex Curtis.