Caption: Pictured (L-R) VNUE CEO Zach Bair, StageIt Founder, Evan Lowenstein, and VNUE’s Jock Weaver.VNUE has completed its acquisition of StageIt, first announced last year. Here’s what this acquisition means.
VNUE will marry the live stream platform StageIt offers into its existing artist-centric products and services. “Although it took longer for the related due diligence work and audit process to be completed, this is a match made in heaven, and it was finally time to make our mutual admiration a true union,” says VNUE CEO Zach Bair.
“StageIt is a powerhouse platform, and is the perfect companion for VNUE’s artist-centric products and services,” Bair continues. “The value of the StageIt database with over one million subscribers, and the tremendous opportunity to leverage and monetize that database for future VNUE and StageIt business, is huge given the damage done to the music business by COVID.”
VNUE says it is perfectly positioned with a unique suite of products that includes Set.fm and DiscLive. Bair has tapped VNUE’s Lou Mann to lead StageIt under the VNUE umbrella. Mr. Mann also serves as EVP at VNUE, is a board member, and a former GM and EVP at Capitol Records.
“I am beyond excited to be part of the StageIt reset,” Mr. Mann. “This opportunity that StageIt represents to the artist community is truly amazing and an important one for all levels of artist development. Artists ALWAYS come first with StageIt and VNUE, and I’m proud to be part of Evan and Zach’s vision.”
StageIt Founder Evan Lowenstein says the VNUE acquisition of StageIt was part of its vision.
“The vision for StageIt was always to give artists a platform that would allow them to connect with their fans directly and earn a living,” says Lowenstein. “Combining efforts with VNUE will now give artists even more revenue streams and better ways to connect with fans.”
VNUE says to expect more announcements in the coming days as the company takes over the reins at StageIt. The company itself is dedicated to monetizing the live music experience for artists, labels, writers, and publishers. VNUE products include set.fm, an instant content distribution platform, exclusive license partner pioneer DiscLive, and protecting the rights of artists and writers with its Soundstr music recognition technology.
StageIt now joins that family after it was founded in 2009 by artists as a way to help performers navigate the online live streaming space. StageIt was one of the first platforms to give artists a way to perform live, interact with fans, and monetize their live streams.
