Jayce Varden is a seasoned professional in the music industry, known for his pivotal role as co-founder at PledgeMusic, where he helped artists engage with fans through the innovative direct-to-fan platform.
With a background in music performance from Berklee College of Music and a degree in Corporate Systems from Boston College, Jayce has leveraged his expertise to drive engagement and revenue growth across various music ventures, including his work as CSO at SongVest, where he successfully brought the revolutionary SongShares® concept to market, infusing a vibrant new dimension into music ownership.
His newest venture, Channl.com, is an easy to use, mobile friendly web based platform that centralizes fan communication, engagement, and monetization tools through a reimagined link-in-bio. Channl was built to support artist and creators in building their own sustainable businesses.
Tell us about what inspired you to work in the music industry, and how did it lead to the work you do today?
I was in a band in LA at the end of the 90's, and we collected email and phone numbers - it truly was the beginning of direct to fan and data ownership. Having seen the power of that, and the eventual rise of MySpace, is what eventually led to the idea for the founding of PledgeMusic.
Is there a success story or career milestone that you are most proud of?
Having supported artists in raising over $100m for their various projects.
Are there any projects you're working on or company updates that you're most excited about?
The potential that Channl has to impact the middle class of artists as well as the impact that SongShares® can have on shaping the concept of the value of music.
What's a lesson that you learned early on in the music biz?
Fans are willing to support and spend far more than they are given the opportunity to
What's your favorite part of your job and/or company?
Discovering new artists
What does being independent mean to you/your label?
Independent means that you are directing the trajectory of your business as an artist and implies that you have majority ownership of your IP.
Favorite song at the moment? Please list artist and song or link to a song below.
Dave's TV by The Thing: Listen here!
Outside of your work in music, do you have any other hobbies or particular areas interest/expertise?
Sometimes touring drummer, making beats, cooking and cocktails
Any words of advise for rising music industry professionals?
Be kind along the way.
