All hail mighty god Kickstarter, raiser of $13 million for musicians, savior of artistkind

All hail mighty god Kickstarter, raiser of $13 million for musicians, savior of artistkind

Two years ago, like a beneficent demigod to whom devoted mortals burn incense and sacrifice virgins, the heavens parted and Kickstarter peered down from the clouds, ready to help aspiring filmmakers, musicians, and other artistic souls achieve their dreams. The concept behind the Kickstarter website is simple. Artists start a project page and set a fundraising goal. Usually different incentives to contribute are available at different levels. If the goal is reached, the artists get the donations. If not, nobody’s credit card gets charged.

In the first two years of its life, Kickstarter has helped donors and musicians connect to the tune of $13.1 million dollars, two dead goats, and several hundred pounds of Nag Champa-brand incense. (Legal note: no goats were harmed in the launching of Kickstarter.) Films are the biggest recipients of Kickstarter funding, with music coming in second, and art, publishing, and theatre at the lower end of the spectrum.

Last month, 2,200 projects were launched through Kickstarter. That’s almost double the number of projects started in December. SAY WHAT? 20,371 projects have been started on Kickstarter, and 7,496 have been successful. That’s a 43% success rate — not bad! The site has helped fund projects by The Rural Alberta Advantage, Marissa Nadler, Time-Lag Records, hopefully R. Stevie Moore, the filmmakers behind a Mekons documentary, and most famously — or infamously— Detroit’s new RoboCop statue.

• Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com

[Photo: Scott Beale/Laughing Squid]

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