Berlin-based cooperative streaming platform, Resonate, has relaunched its site and music player. The platform released a blog post giving users an overview of the changes made, including a new design, branding, embeddable players, mobile/desktops apps in addition to browser players, new upload tools for artists, and so much more. Resonate is based around a “stream to own” model, splitting the costs of a digital download into nine plays, with the first play of a track being significantly cheap, and the price rises with each play until you’ve paid about the equivalent of a regular digital download, then owning the track outright. Using blockchain technology (first invented as a transaction ledger of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin) to ensure payments to artists are transparent and properly distributed, Resonate gives artists $926 more per 100k plays than other streaming services, whilst taking a 30% commission on all income.
This revamp is the third “stage” of Resonate, marking a shift towards “scalability and sustainability”. The first stage of the platform, launched in 2015, was ‘#stream2own’, a rough demo/proof of concept, developed by volunteers and supported by community donations, while the second stage saw rebranding and creating two-thirds of the code base for the future design of the platform after substantial funding (including a $1 million investment from Reflective Ventures – a section of RChain, a blockchain cooperative from Seattle). According to their statement, this new design reflects their core philosophy: “Resonate is here to enable and nurture culture, not define it. It’s not up to us to decide how scenes and sounds grow, nor is it up to us to decide what’s “good” or what isn’t. Music communities have always formed organically, and we’re here to help that happen within an environment that privileges privacy and agency. Our brand and product design communicates our neutral stance.”
Sarah Medeiros