Teenage Engineering, the Swedish electronics hardware brand behind the famous OP-1 synthesizer, has announced a new revenue share model that they will be launching on September 1, 2020, for black artists and artists of color.
The “artist fellowship” will allow selected acts to share special links with fans that will redirect 15 percent of the company’s revenue generated through those links back to the artists. The first artists to participate in the fellowship will be Underground Resistance, Suzi Analogue, VoltageCtrlR, and Baseck, all of which are US-based black artists or artists of color. Teenage Engineering’s chief brand officer, Emmy Parker, made mention to the New York Times that the company estimates this immediate economic model shift will provide anywhere’s from $100,000 to $1 million a year in financial support to the artists.
H/T: New York Times
Make no mistake—dance music is born from black culture. Without black creators, innovators, selectors, and communities, the electronic dance music we hold so dear would simply not exist. In short, dance music is deeply indebted to the global black community and we need to be doing more. Black artists and artists of color have played a profound role in shaping the sound and culture of dance music and now more than ever, it is necessary for everyone in the music community to stand up for the people that have given us so much. Dancing Astronaut pledges to make every effort to be a better ally, a stronger resource, and a more accountable member of the global dance music community. Black Lives Matter—get involved here:
National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Program
Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Legal Defense Initiative