(UPDATED) Indie artist platform Hello Music has left stealth mode armed with $4 million in private equity financing from KVG Partners. Hello was conceived and incubated by Zack Zalon and Brendon Cassidy of digital music product design and development firm Wilshire Media Group.
Hello Music combines technological resources with professional A&R to identify artists and connect them with career opportunities. Initial partners providing services and opportunities include AudioMicro, Getty Images, GigMaven, LyricFind, MediaNet, Next Big Sound, Slacker, Topspin, TuneCore and Yahoo! Music.
A beta version is now online where Artists can upload music. Then an evaluation team takes over, screening the submissions and determining where they fit in the musical landscape. his filtering process – by trained human ears – is key to the Hello Music model.
The company’s scouting team is made up of songwriters, musicians and ex-A & R staffers. They give feedback and connect them with the right Hello Music partners.
Hello Music takes nothing up front, though the artist must pay any costs required by the provider. If the partnership yields revenue for the artist, it is shared with Hello Music. Terms depend on the specific opportunity, and the artist has the option to decide if they want to participate with a particular partner.
