The virtues of competition.
Pando DailySo how worried should iTunes and Amazon be of sites like Gumroad?
“I think with iTunes, Amazon, and these players, they’ve done amazing things at pioneering digital distribution at scale,” says Ryan Delk, who does Growth for Gumroad and led this partnership. “[But] I don’t think by any means that innovation in the digital distribution space is over.”
While Gumroad is well-suited to small, unsigned artists, it’s increasingly grabbing the attention of more established acts, like Eminem, Ryan Leslie, and now Hachette, which is arguably its most significant partnership yet. But as Gumroad strikes deals with more old media gatekeepers like record labels or publishers, what’s to stop it from becoming like Spotify or Pandora — in other words, just another cog in an industry that constantly screws over creators?
Delk says Gumroad will be careful to choose partners that share its creator-first mentality — and Hachette has already proven its pro-artist bonafides by fighting one of the most powerful companies in the US to protect its authors’ livelihoods.
“In all these industries whether it’s music or publishing, [labels and publishers] all play a very vital role,” Delk says. “Part of why we’re looking at Hachette is that they’re really really excited about helping their artists make more money.”
Changing media distribution models on a large scale won’t happen overnight. There are entrenched interests — both on the platform side with iTunes and Amazon and on the production with record labels and publishing companies — that won’t back down easily.
But by striking deals like the Hachette partnership, wherein platforms, publishers, and creators can collaborate on distribution and still all get paid a fair amount, Gumroad is slowly shaping the future of creative industries. And for the first time in many years, that future looks pretty bright.
After fighting all year with Amazon, Hachette partners with Gumroad to sell books directly to readers
David Holmes
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