DJs play a large selection of tracks each gig. For artists, there is no guarantee that their latest banger will be played by the club’s DJ. Sure, the artist can try to finesse their way to the booth to hand the DJ a flash-drive, but that can be intrusive and annoying to the DJ. That’s where Spinfire comes in to play. Spinfire is an app for iOS and Android that allows DJs to sell “plays” during their sets. Artists can then pay DJs a fee ($20-$500) for them to play their tracks.
Spinfire: Club Marketing for Artists and DJs
- Price: Free
- Offering: DJs Earn Money for Plays, Artists Pay for Plays
- Website: http://spinfireapp.com
Spinfire’s model is simple. Offer a platform for a DJ to earn money by playing tracks. Artists pay to have tracks played. DJ plays the tracks at some point in their set and send video proof to the artist. DJs can charge anywhere from $20 USD to $500 USD for plays. DJs set a fair price depending on the DJ’s popularity, venue size, day of the week, etc. All a DJ needs to start accepting requests is a bank account. After signing up, DJs can start posting events and artists can start browsing the listings. There is a small percentage taken out by Spinfire for a “platform usage fee” and it is not clear on their website what percentage is taken out.
Artists from all over the world can request DJs to play their songs. If an artist is dropping a new single in a foreign market, the artist can browse events in that area. Once a DJ receives a request, DJs must play that track within the time of their event. DJs have 12 hours after the event to submit video-proof through the app in order to receive payment. Artists can also give reviews for DJs who always play tracks out or for DJs who don’t honor play requests. DJs can accept 10 requests per hour of their event.
By connecting DJs directly with artists, Spinfire has the potential to build a great direct DJ-Artist community. This app allows DJs to connect with new, rising artists and network with people making it easier to be more involved in their local music scenes. On the flipside, some DJs may be worried that this turns their sets into a giant advertisement. Spinfire is available now for Android on Google Play and iOS in the App Store.
What are your thoughts on selling plays during your gigs? Let us know in the comments!
