Freeform Development, Inc.

Freeform was founded on a simple, if audacious premise: somebody needs to fix the music business. And we're pretty sure we know how to do it.

We're building an application development platform that will enable musicians and other digital media creators to distribute their work much like free-to-play mobile games.

By offering a “compelling enough” version of their content for free, artists amass the largest possible audience for their work; Freeform’s platform then makes it fun and easy for consumers to unlock more and better content. This can be done by purchasing the content outright, or by taking actions (such as signing up for a free trial of Spotify, or watching a short Nike commercial) that earn the artist money and reward the customer with additional streams or downloads. In addition to increasing conversion rates and driving streaming and download payments higher, Freeform apps let creators own the customer relationship, so every fan becomes a potential source of recurring revenue via merchandise/ticket sales and fan club subscriptions.

The fundamental lesson of mobile game distribution is that, in the 21st century, “free” no longer means promotion – it means distribution. Wildly popular games such as Candy Crush Saga can generate revenues of over US$1.5 Billion even though the game itself is free and over 70% of players never pay a penny for upgrades, because the audience is massive and the developers are incredibly disciplined about identifying and optimizing for those customers who become engaged enough to pay.

Freeform applies that same model to other media. We’ve begun with music, as artist/album apps in this industry are basically broken, either because they try to charge for the app itself, dramatically limiting their funnel, or because they deliver content other than the music itself. There is currently no platform delivering a compelling digital liner notes experience, let alone offering customers their favorite artists’ latest music for free. Freeform will fill that gap.

Artists and labels love us because we make them money. Fans love us because we get them free music. Brands and services love us because we bring them a huge funnel of new customers. Everybody wins.