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Dutch artist booking platform Plugify is off to a flying start after smashing its target as soon as its crowdfunding campaign kicked off. As Plugify’s Oneplanetcrowd campaign went live on Tuesday morning, it already surpassed its target of €200.000 by more than €37.000. The swinging startup has now set its sights on reaching its €650.000 stretch goal over the course of the coming month.
Artists in Control
Plugify is fronted by Eline Leijten, who is a singer of the Hermes House Band. This Dutch group is famous for the massive number 1-hit they had in 1994 with their cover version of Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’. During her time with the band, Leijten spent so many nights thinking how big margin booking agencies did her wrong. Leijten grew strong, and learned how to get along with musicians. With Plugify, Leijten intends to give artists more control. The platform aims to connect musicians with people looking to book live music. Through Plugify, people can book musicians for gigs without having to go through expensive booking agencies. The platform also gives musicians – bands, solo artists, ensembles – the option to present themselves to a large online audience.
Booking agencies not welcome anymore
Leijten’s company still collects a booking fee, but it should sound like music to artists’ ears that Plugify’s margin is only 12%. As far as the frontwoman is concerned, booking agencies can turn around now and walk out the door:
“With Plugify we want to make the process of booking bands more accessible, so that more people get to enjoy live music. You will have direct contact with artists and as no middle-men are involved, you will find musicians for a fair price”.
Somebody New On The Startup Scene
So far more than 400 artists have signed up to Plugify. The company kicked off in March of 2016 and has had over €50.000 in booking transactions since then. Although Plugify has only been around for a few months, Leijten has already started to make a name for herself and her company in the Dutch startup scene. First she was afraid, she was petrified, but soon she held her head up high as she has already won TheNextWomen Pitch competition and made the finals of the Philips Innovation Awards.
European Expansion
Plugify aims to eventually become the Booking.com for artists, also due to its lowest price guarantee due to which artists on Plugify can’t be booked for a lower price elsewhere. Plugify will use the investments for marketing and sales, expansion of the team and further product development. Just like the Hermes House Band had a hit record in Germany and France in 1998, Plugify hopes to expand throughout Europe once it has conquered the Dutch live music market.
Photo by Madeleine Bolle
[Disclosure: The consultancy branche of our parent company Proudly Media has consulted for Plugify. The article is independently written by one of our editors, with a bit of inspiration from Gloria Gaynor].
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