Kickstarter has relaunched Drip, the independent music subscription service it purchased from Ghostly, to help individual artists and creators to amass funding and build a community of their own.
If that sounds a lot like Patreon — which also let individual creators seek funding — that’s because it is, and Drip pages also feature multiple subscription tiers and rewards.
The difference here, says Kickstarter, is that Drip is focused on “creator independence,” with the company explaining creators will be able to export their data and content to other subscription platforms if they wish.
Every Drip also begins with a ‘founding membership’ period to help creators build momentum. It’s pitched as an opportunity for Drip users to entice their fans, friends, and new audiences by offering special rewards and statuses by jumping in early.
Right now Drip is invite only, but some games industry figures, including Feminist Frequency founder Anita Sarkeesian and Lost Ember developer Mooneye Studios, are already using the platform.
“The work and relationships that creators build online should belong to them. They shouldn’t feel stuck to a platform because those things aren’t easy to move,” reads a Kickstarter blog post explaining how Drip champions creator freedom.
“With that in mind, creators will be able to export their data and content, and we’ll even help creators securely transfer subscription and payments information to other subscription platforms. We believe creator independence means not being locked into a platform by design.”
The tool will apparently be opened up to other creators early next year. To find out more, be sure to check out the Kickstarter blog.