Independent music distributor DistroKid has acquired website hosting company Bandzoogle.
Bandzoogle offers various e-commerce tools allowing musicians to market and sell products directly to their fanbases.
Launched in Canada in 2003, Bandzoogle recently surpassed $100 million in sales generated by artists via websites powered by the company.
Over half ($52.7m) of that sales figure, according to Bandzoogle, was generated in the last five years alone.
Bandzoogle says that it has never taken a cut of those sales since launching direct-to-fan eCommerce tools in 2010.
Currently powering over 60,000 sites, Bandzoogle’s suite of direct-to-fan tools for artists includes web stores for selling music, merch and tickets, plus crowdfunding, fan subscriptions and mailing lists.
Bandzoogle members pay a fixed monthly fee, starting at $8.29 per month for the ‘Lite’ tier, to $16.63 per month for the “Pro” tier.
According to DistroKid, the Bandzoogle acquisition means that artists will now be able to power digital, physical and on-demand merch and music sales all “within the DistroKid ecosystem”.
In August 2021, DistroKid accepted an investment from Insight Partners, which valued the distribution platform at $1.3 billion.
Boston-based growth equity firm Silversmith Capital Partners, which led DistroKid’s first outside investment in 2018, retained “a meaningful ownership position” and remained on DistroKid’s board.
As reported at the time, MBW also understands that Spotify retained its minority stake in the distributor.
DistroKid estimates that it distributes “30-40% of all new music in the world”, and the platform says that it is used by more than 2 million artists.
“Bandzoogle has built incredible tools that make it super easy for every artist to set up an impactful public website & e-commerce store.”
Philip Kaplan, DistroKid
“At DistroKid, we’re always working on innovative ways to help artists,” said Philip Kaplan, Founder and CEO of DistroKid.
“Bandzoogle has built incredible tools that make it super easy for every artist to set up an impactful public website & e-commerce store.”
“DistroKid has always put artists first, just like we have, so we’re thrilled to join forces to continue to empower artists.”
Stacey Bedford, Bandzoogle
Bandzoogle CEO Stacey Bedford, added: “After 20 years of helping artists build effective websites and sell over $100 million in commission-free music, merch, and tickets, this is an exciting new chapter for Bandzoogle.
“DistroKid has always put artists first, just like we have, so we’re thrilled to join forces to continue to empower artists.”
DistroKid has recently introduced several additions to its platform. Earlier this year, the company introduced its first-ever iPhone app. Additionally, the company recently unveiled Mixea, an AI-powered mastering tool.
Late last year, DistroKid launched DistroVid, a service that lets users to upload music videos to Apple Music, Tidal and Vevo.
Music Business Worldwide