What makes Lute different?

Most music streaming services only offer prerecorded music. Live streams require you to perform on a schedule and live concerts require listeners to attend at a certain time. Our players create live, exclusive content that reaches listeners in an organic way. We add convenience for players and serendipity for listeners that the other services can’t touch. Lute closes the virtual distance between musicians and patrons — if a listener sends support, it's like they’re standing right there in front of you, dropping a dollar in the jar.

Why would I want to play on Lute?

You should contribute to Lute if any of the following are true: You want to have fun, participating in an ongoing, global art installation. You want the opportunity to reach new fans around the world. You want to earn tips directly from fans for streaming live music right through your phone.

What kind of music can I perform on Lute?

Everyone has different listening preferences and our goal is to create as diverse a soundscape of styles, genres, instrumentation, and voices as we possibly can. That said, you should think about your audience, which we expect to primarily be people waking up and starting their day. Our app allows all clips to fade-in, so you don’t have to worry too much about your volume. Just be yourself and imagine your listeners waking up happy!

Can I upload prerecorded music of my own?

Nope! One of the things that makes Lute special is that all music is 100% live, 100% of the time. We want artists performing in real-time connecting with real people. We also love and respect the hard work that goes into producing a studio-quality album, whether that happens at a pro studio or in your basement. That’s why we are happy to link patrons directly to your catalog on other platforms. In that sense, you can think of using Lute as a fun way to grab new listeners with a raw, uncut performance, and then send them where it makes the most sense for you.

That said, we welcome artists who use looping or beat tracks as backing for a lead line or verse. As long as there is a significant live component taking center stage, we welcome your drum machines and synth pads.

So, what, you just want me to contribute music to Lute all day long?

No. Absolutely not. We want you: gigging, rehearsing, shedding, shredding, touring, listening, recording, mixing, noodling, and everything else that feeds your soul. We want you playing live venues (safely), pursuing a fully mixed and mastered studio quality album, shooting music videos, and literally anything else that's important (and maybe profitable) to you as an artist. There are companies who want you engaged with their apps for as many hours as possible, every single day, year after year. This allows them to convert your activity into ad dollars. We are not one of those companies. Addictive app usage is not what drives us. We want you to pick up your phone and jam for Lute when it suits you; as an addition to, and never a distraction from, the work you want to do to feel like you're living life as an artist on your own terms. Note: a lot of investors hate this part. Too bad. They're not our investors.

How much will Lute cost me?

Up front? Nothing. We take a small percentage of in-app tips to cover our expenses, pay our service and transaction fees, and keep Lute afloat. We’re artists ourselves and we don’t want to make money unless you do.

How much can I expect to earn with Lute?

As much as we can possibly send you: upwards of 90% of in-app contributions, plus a share of any and all of our ad revenue and Premium user fees. Our mission is to help artists earn directly from fans, regardless of how much music you’ve recorded, how many followers you have, or where you’re streaming from.

How is copyright protected on Lute?

We believe in crediting artists and paying them for their work. To that end, we'll be securing licenses from the major performing rights' organizations (PROs) in the markets we serve, so you'll be free to perform cover songs from artists whose work is covered by these licenses. Of course we will also welcome and encourage your original music, or music you’ve personally secured the rights to perform. Clips are delivered in real-time to listeners and are not recorded or stored beyond this delivery. It is not possible to record or share clips between listeners, and it would be a violation of our terms to even try to do so.

Will users be able to message me or add me to their favorites?

While we strive to be social, we don’t want Lute to be another social media app. For that reason, there is no messaging, no thumbs up or down, no comments, no feedback other than positive feedback in the form of tips. (If listeners want to reach out to you, and you’re into that, you can certainly direct them to your personal website or social media page and engage with them there.) Our goal is to provide a stripped down musical experience for listeners and a simple virtual performance platform for our artists.

Listeners will be able to favorite you and will receive a notification (if they want one) any time you happen to be streaming.