Kid Cudi has co-founded Encore, an interactive live music app designed to benefit artists. The multi-platinum selling rapper teamed up with Ian Edelman, who worked with Cudi on HBO’s How To Make It In America, and former Facebook software engineer Jonathan Gray to create the mobile-first experience aimed at helping people make a living off music.
Encore seeks to provide artists with a way to directly monetize and interact with their supporters. The app allows them to share music, chat with fans and host live shows on a mobile platform at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has halted touring.
“The energy from a concert is undeniable, both for the fans and artists,” Cudi said in a press release. “I am excited to launch Encore to help bring the live music experience back to our fans. Encore is committed to empowering both established and new artists and delivering the best mobile music experience out there.”
The team behind Encore suggests current streaming models only benefit the top one percent of artists, allowing them to reap 90 percent of the profits. Cudi and company claim their app fosters more collaboration between artists, allowing both up-and-coming and veteran acts to expand their audiences.
“Encore puts a studio into the hands of every artist and gives a front row seat to every fan,” Gray stated. “Music merges with our future-facing technology in entirely new ways to create authentic connections between artists and their fans.”
Cudi will serve as Encore’s Chief Creative Officer. Edelman has taken on the role of company president while Gray is its Chief Executive Officer.
The app has already received $2 million in seed funding from the investment firm Battery Ventures. Encore is currently in the private beta phase of its launch.
Artists and fans can sign up for the beta here.
