Live Gig Engine NuevoStage Wins Rethink Prize

NuevoStage, a service that helps fans and bands work together to book live gigs, has won the $50,000 top prize at the Rethink Music business plan competition sponsored by Berklee College and Harvard Business School. The startup brings group buying to live music. After a band and their fans prove demand through advance ticket sales, NuevoStage works with a venue to confirm performances.

Sonicbids and OurStage also help artist get gigs, but both have mostly worked to find the best artist(s) for an existing, often high profile event or showcase. NuevoStage creates gigs from the ground up by tapping into fan demand.

Two other finalists, picked from hundreds of entries, presented at Rethink Music. Eliot Hunt, a Berklee alumnus whose BigLife Labs facilitates the online collaboration of music performances, was awarded the first runner-up prize of $5,000.  Ian Kwon's Fanatic.fm also presented his single and album publishing platform which connects bands at all levels of their career with brand sponsorships.

MORE: fanatic.fm's Platform To Monetize Music By Connecting Artists With Brands & Charities