About us
Patrontape is a non profit founded in the UK by a group of developers, musicians and artists.
We’re building an independent platform with a fair revenue model where grassroots music scenes of the future can thrive, and the world’s first music streaming app for people who love music.
Subscriptions and Revenue
Our subscriptions are pay as you feel, enabling listeners to feel out a price that fits their budget and listening habits.
We require a minimum of £5/month to ensure we can pay artists fairly after covering platform costs. The rest is distrbuted on a listener-centric model based on the number of seconds spent listening to each artist.
For example, if you were to set up a £10 subscription:
- ~ £2 retained for platform costs
- ~ £1.25 (approx) distributed through PRS/MCPS to rightsholders
- ~ £3.37 to Artist A with 50% of total listening time
- ~ £1.35 to Artist B with 20% of total listening time
- ~ £2.03 divided in the same way to other artists and contributors
Listeners can also make additional one-off payments to claim releases for their collection, and artists can set up special collectors only tracks.
We built this model to give fans the agency to support independent music on their own terms, and unlock the potential for artists with dedicated followings to get a fair payout, rather than compete with fraudsters and bots in a chart-based model.
Our app
in 2025 we tested a proof of concept platform in a small network. Our uploader is now open by invite to artists and labels, in preparation for our launch for listeners of mobile and desktop apps, which will incorporate all we’ve learned from the dialogue with the independent music community so far.
Our aim is to build a meaningful alternative, which means more than just a fairer revenue model. Here are some of the things the team are working on:
- ~ In-app weekly zine for new music, curated by the community
- ~ Local space for the scene in your city / town
- ~ Community radio feeds
- ~ Secret tracks for releases in your collection
- ~ Time limited / geo locked features for IRL events and locations
Along with library organisation tools made for listeners who care, and a mindful approach to discovery to help artists find their people.