Africa Unsigned was created by Pim Betist, the founder of SellaBand – a European based online crowd funding label. SellaBand has already seen more than $3 million invested in unsigned talent and around 50 artists crowd funded $50,000 to record and release their first albums.
Pim Betist of Africa Unsigned said: “I wanted to move more towards music closer to my heart and I was inspired by a Jamaican taxi driver who couldn’t join Sellaband due to a lack of recording facilities and internet access. I chose to focus on the African continent because of the diversity of African music and abundance of highly talented artists.”
Going live in June 2010, Africa Unsigned has since scouted hundreds of talented artists in African regions. A music expert’s panel was set up to select five artists per African country to join the program and be part of this unique website based on their drive, authenticity, uniqueness and quality of music.
‘Fans who have signed up to the website can make a donation to become a ‘supporter’ of the artist. All artists are encouraged to set themselves targets of between $2,500 – $10,000 for crowd funding and once this is reached, they are offered an opportunity to either record tracks in a studio, record video clips, invest in a tour or even buy new equipment. Supporters then receive music and rewards, which can include items such as free gig tickets or exclusive content.’
