Musicraiser is a new player on the field of music crowdfunding. Based in Milan, Italy, they support Indie musicians with their platform. First projects mostly came from Italy but they’re also open for musicians from all across the planet. I talked to Giovanni Gulino, co-founder of Musicraiser, about their first months in this business and their further plans…

50K MUSIC: You’ve started Musicraiser in August last year. How’s business so far?
Giovanni: We went online 5 months ago, and we have already funded approximately 70 projects for a total amount raised of € 180,000. As for the collection of musical projects, we are among the first European platforms in the number of projects being financed.

50K MUSIC: There are a number of music crowdfunding platforms in Europe nowadays. Why have you founded another one?
Giovanni: There are many platforms, it is true, but the majority are generic crowdfunding ones with a section devoted to music that is no different from other sections such as fashion or comics. There are few vertical platforms exclusively focused on music. Within these, there are a few record companies disguised by crowdfunding platforms. Musicraiser is a pure crowdfunding site founded by musicians and professionals of the music business. We feel that we can understand, better than others, the needs and expectations of the musicians who open a fundraising campaign.

50K MUSIC: Why should musicians join Musicraiser?
Giovanni: For several reasons:
1 – because in addition to the service of crowdfunding, they can count on personalized service that is always available 7 days a week.
2 – because we offer free tutoring services during project creation, during the online and offline promotion of the campaign, and we also offer professional advice after the financing.
3 – because Musicraiser artists can choose to set their preferred currency (euro, pound, U.S. dollar, etc.) and they’ll receive money not only with payment via credit card or Paypal, but also through bank transfer.
4 – because we invest economically in the promotion of projects that achieve the best results. We have a press office that is responsible for creating visibility around the projects before they are funded.
5 – because 70% of our projects are funded.

50K MUSIC: Do you offer any other services for musicians apart from crowdfunding?
Giovanni: We believe that there can be no standard offerings for musicians. Everyone has their own needs and their own style. We meet the multiple needs of an artist through a network of players in the music business. This network of players offers the artists of Musicraiser their capabilities and professionality at lower than average prices. Offerings may include studio recordings, live clubs, booking agencies, press offices, news sites, creation of music videos, distributors, music stores, merchandising services, and the printing of CDs, vinyl etc.

50K MUSIC: It seems like you’re focusing on Italian musicians. Is that right?
Giovanni: In fact, many Italian musicians have quickly embraced the cause of crowdfunding by opening their projects on Musicraiser. Today, on the site, we have many projects from French, British, American, Argentinian, Senegalese, German, Cuban, etc artists. The site is open to musicians from all over the world and from every musical genre. On Musicraiser, projects that do not relate to the discography, such as festivals, documentaries, books, video clips, pre-sales, and live shows can be also proposed.

50K MUSIC: What are your plans for the next few months with Musicraiser?
Giovanni: Our goal in the coming months will be to increase our notoriety in Europe, and later in the rest of the world. We have just opened the German version of the site and we are finalizing the Portuguese one.