An innovative startup in Austin, Prosper XO, is set to disrupt the traditional streaming model by prioritizing the needs of musicians and connecting them with potential sponsors.
Lauren Bruno, the founder of Prosper XO, expressed her deep concern for artists struggling in a system that underpays them, stating, “I’ve consistently seen how artists are underpaid, unprotected, and overlooked, even as they build the very culture that others profit from.”
With streaming platforms like Spotify often paying less than a penny per stream, the path to financial viability for musicians appears daunting.
Bruno highlighted the harsh reality, noting that an artist would need a staggering 800,000 streams every month just to earn minimum wage.
Recognizing these challenges, she launched Prosper XO to offer a supportive solution for musicians in today’s challenging digital music landscape.
Bruno’s commitment to assisting musicians has deep roots in her personal experiences and community efforts.
After relocating to Austin in 2009, a tragic event sparked her dedication to helping others in the music community when a friend died in a house fire.
She organized backyard shows, dubbed $3 Shows, to generate funds for the funeral and has since continued this philanthropic spirit by raising money for various nonprofits, including the SIMS Foundation, which offers mental health services to artists.
Despite her success in music placement within films and video games, Bruno found that a sustainable living solely off her music remained out of reach.
She shared her plight, stating, “I did reach a point where it was not sustainable.”
The statistics concerning musicians’ financial struggles drove her to take action, as 61% of artists in America reportedly live below the poverty line.
Bruno expressed, “I knew enough where it was just like, ‘I can’t not do anything.’”
Prosper XO is currently in its nascent development phase, with Bruno outlining several goals for the company.
A primary focus will be facilitating direct financial support for artists through sponsorship, an area Bruno previously explored with local businesses while managing her $3 Shows.
She noted the strong support of Austin’s businesses for local artists, which she aims to harness through the platform.
Additionally, Prosper XO plans to empower musicians with better access to listener data, an area largely dominated by platforms like Spotify, which controls about 95% of listener information.
Bruno critiqued how companies utilize this data predominantly for their own revenue growth through sponsorships and ad placements.
Furthermore, Prosper XO intends to offer legal support to artists navigating the complexities of the music industry.
In her vision, Bruno hopes that Prosper XO may eventually evolve into a viable alternative to Spotify, stating her openness to collaboration with existing music services to realize this ambition.
For those interested in supporting or learning more about Prosper XO, Bruno encourages participation in surveys and attendance at monthly meetups at Capital Factory.
She emphasized the importance of education and genuine listening as pivotal.
“First and foremost, what I feel is most important is education and listening,” Bruno concluded, highlighting the necessity of moving towards practical solutions.
“We need to go toward solutions because we could talk about this all day long, but if we’re not going toward solution … where are we gonna be left at?”
image source from：kut
