Ever wanted to connect with your favorite singer, but sliding into their DMs sounds like too much of a bold move? Worry no more. TRAX is an online platform aiming to bridge the gap between upcoming artists and their fanbase, building a community that allows users to not only buy and consume exclusive content from their favorite artists but also for artists to interact and get proximity from those supporting their work. “Our ultimate goal has always been to better connect music artists to their superfans. We’re creating a space where artists can promote exclusive, community-oriented content and give back to those ride-or-die followers, who in turn get to develop more direct relationships with their idols,” says Henry Wilson, TRAX Co-Founder and COO.
Made in London, the platform facilitates users to subscribe directly to artists through TRAX so that listeners across the world can access never-before-heard music content. From pre-release album drops to exclusive music videos, it aims to create a new home for premium releases that let creators go above and beyond for their top supporters — and earn more in the process. Continuing their mission to support these creators, TRAX just announced its Class of ’24 artist campaign, a group of voices that represents a diverse and innovative cross-section of the music industry, with artists who are finding new ways to connect with their followers and aligning themselves with the platform’s mission to create new lines of support between artists and fan communities. In celebration of up-and-coming talent, TRAX will be releasing ten exclusive tracks from participating artists, accessible only through the trax.so music marketplace.
Here, we caught up with Henry Wilson to get a better insight into TRAX’s mission, the future of the music industry in Web3, and what to expect from the Class of ’24 campaign.
Read the full interview…
Can you tell us about TRAX and what inspired its creation?
What first inspired us to create TRAX was the real lack of music apps aimed at up-and-coming artists, many of whom already have lively fan communities. We think the concentration of tools at the top end of the spectrum has left a lot of smaller and medium sized creators out of the picture. TRAX aims to fix this.
Our ultimate goal has always been to better connect music artists to their superfans. We’re creating a space where artists can promote exclusive, community-oriented content and give back to those ride-or-die followers, who in turn get to develop more direct relationships with their idols. As the only music app that allows artists to speak directly to their top segment of fans, subscribing to an artist on TRAX gets your contributions recognised and rewarded in a way that’s totally different to any other platform.
What gap in the music industry are you aiming to fill with TRAX?
On the one hand, listeners are becoming increasingly aware of just how difficult it is for smaller and medium sized artists to earn revenue from their work. On the other, artists’ most dedicated fans – or ‘superfans’ – are coming to expect more direct lines of access to their favourite acts. A bespoke superfan platform covers both bases and creates the kind of engagement opportunities that you don’t really see on traditional social media.
How does TRAX support emerging artists and their careers in today’s music industry landscape?
Our basic offer to artists is a simple but powerful toolkit for reaching out to their top fans. New artists often encounter difficulty building up their fan communities, but less talked about is ‘How do I retain and engage these fans once I’ve got them?’. When you’re just starting out mainstream social media can feel almost impersonal, but with TRAX we’re hoping to provide these creatives with really powerful fan incentives, earning them more revenue in the long-run.
Not to mention, as a team, how we’re getting really involved in supporting artists at a granular level. We’ve got an industry-beating grant programme already up and running on the app, and our TRAX Live events series has seen up-and-coming talent perform in venues across London. We’re expanding these initiatives every day, so any artists looking to take advantage of these opportunities should definitely get in touch!
Could you explain how both artists and fans can engage with the platform? Are there any standout features you’d like to highlight?
So it’s really simple to sign-up and start using TRAX as either an artist or fan by visiting trax.so and following the prompts. As an artist you have a wide range of options for uploading and selling content once you’ve created your profile. As a fan, it’s as simple as subscribing to your favourite artists for a monthly fee, or buying content from them directly in the trax.so marketplace.
We’re especially excited about the fan rewards system we’re building for TRAX. This allows listeners to accumulate points for buying content and otherwise supporting artists, eligible to be traded in for further perks and benefits down the line (concert tickets, limited edition merch, etc.). We want to give artists a level of visibility over their fan communities which isn’t yet possible on conventional social media.
What was the selection process for the Class of ’24 artists, and what criteria guided their selection?
We’re super lucky to be working with this year’s TRAX Class. As we look towards the next few years of innovation in music platforms, we wanted to amplify and celebrate artists who are already applying innovation and outside-the-box thinking in their work. Deijuvhs’ DIY music festival ‘Hoodfest’, Rosa Cecilia’s weaving of fashion into her music, and Scratchcard Wednesday’s inspired ‘car park’ recording sessions; all examples of artists taking their sound to the next level and creating new opportunities to engage with their fans.
Outside of this I wouldn’t say there’s a particular criteria. This is a diverse, global group of artists who are doing the most for their fans. That’s what TRAX is all about.
What exclusive content can users expect from TRAX during the Class of ’24 campaign?
We’re releasing a series of exclusive tracks – one from each artist – throughout the month of October, only available on trax.so. No spoilers but I can say the artists have been working a long time on these and they’re absolute must-listens. In addition to these we’ve seen artists upload lots of great behind the scenes content to give some background on their TRAX releases.
What unique features of TRAX make it an appealing platform for both artists and fans?
TRAX brings features that exist in some form on several different platforms – streaming, social media, merch, etc. – and brings them into a single app. This is great for artists looking more generally to start posting exclusive content, but also for fans who are looking for a less anonymised music experience. When a fan buys content on TRAX, they’re actively building a relationship with artists that supports future projects and brings everyone in the community closer together.
The TRAX Artist Grant Program is an exciting one. Could you share more about the idea behind it?
In the same vein as our Class of ‘24 campaign, the TRAX Artist Grant Program is all about empowering artists to better connect with their fan communities. We’re offering eligible artists who use the platform a no strings attached grant worth up to £4,000. This is especially targeted at artists who have an idea for a new album or live event(s) but need funds to make it happen.
Why did you choose those particular featured artists to be involved?
This is a very carefully selected group of artists. Beyond their obvious talent, each one is doing something really innovative in their genre and has a unique story to tell. We’ll be telling these stories and more in our Class of ‘24 zine releasing at the end of the month – don’t miss out!
With TRAX being a Web3 music platform, how do you envision the broader music industry evolving in the Web3 landscape, and what role does TRAX aspire to play in shaping this transformation?
Web3 is part of a wider transformation happening in the music industry right now. Reigning incumbents – streaming platforms – have been great at making music more accessible, but less good at elevating the artist-fan connection. As new technologies and platforms develop artists are finding ways to get more out of fan interactions than ever before. For our part, we’re using Web3 to give artists more robust and secure ownership over the content they share online. This includes the ability to mint and share NFTs with fans, but also more favourable control over their data, the ability to accept payments in crypto, and more.
Looking ahead, as TRAX continues to grow, what new initiatives or developments can we anticipate in the coming years?
One of things we’re most excited about going forward is our TRAX Live event series. Look out for nights in London and across the UK to support up-and-coming British talent as well as test out some new TRAX features for yourself.
Likewise, the Class of ‘24 artist campaign represents the first in a series of initiatives aiming to highlight up-and-coming global artists. We’re looking forward to future collaborations and projects, some of which are already in the pipeline. In the meantime, we can’t wait to start working with artists on grant projects and continue to release new features on TRAX into the new year.
