Many musicians struggle to generate sustainable income despite having substantial fan bases. Streaming platforms pay fractions of a cent per stream, and only top-tier artists with strong merchandise and touring revenue can earn a living from their music.
Vancouver’s Holdr, a startup co-founded by Aneesh Varshney and Buk Nkosi, aims to bridge this gap by creating a new way for artists to engage and monetize their most dedicated fans through long-term communities.
Unlike traditional subscription models like Patreon, which require ongoing payments, Holdr offers an exclusive one-time membership model limited to only 1,000 members per artist.
Fans can purchase an artist’s Holdr Club membership, unlocking exclusive perks throughout the artist’s career—from unreleased music, free tickets, brand collaborations, and unique experiences like Fortnite concerts and artist-centric video games such as Not Like Us, Family Matters, and Running Man, which have amassed millions of plays worldwide.
Holdr memberships function as rare digital collectibles, verifying early fan support in the same way a platinum record recognizes an artist’s success. Instead of setting a fixed price, artists can auction memberships, letting fans determine the price they want to pay.
As an artist’s career grows, artists can sell more of their memberships at higher starting bids, creating an impactful, long-term revenue stream. Additionally, fans can sell their memberships on Holdr’s marketplace in the future, with artists receiving a percentage of every fan sale.
Holdr has attracted high-profile advisors and strategic investors, including Hootsuite co-founder Ryan Holmes, the former President of Live Nation Canada, and executives from Universal Music.
The startup has already tested its model with emerging artists like Vancouver’s Passion Mango, Ky Abe from Orange County, and Cedar Redd in Oregon, generating thousands of dollars in just hours from their top fans.
Now, Holdr is gearing up for major expansion, onboarding major artists with millions of listeners and launching innovative activations—including a large-scale Fortnite concert with a multi-diamond producer and artist.
Varshney and Nkosi are currently raising $1.5 million to scale Holdr’s platform and capitalize on growing demand from artists and industry players. The company is also exploring collaborations with legacy artists and global music brands.
With a fresh approach for artist-fan monetization, Holdr is poised to disrupt the music industry by turning passionate supporters into long-term advocates of their favorite artists’ careers.
Leave a Reply