Trinity Start Up Applaud.live, the live-music booking enterprise that empowers musicians to make a living from performing, has launched their new platform with the announcement of the Artist Tier. The Artist Tier will help independent artists compete for bookings with larger management companies and record labels with big marketing budgets.

The Applaud.live platform levels the playing field by allowing unsigned musicians to set up customisable profiles that can be used as an affordable, low maintenance alternative to setting up individual websites. Musicians can also link their social media pages to their profile and display their audio and video content from SoundCloud, Spotify and YouTube allowing potential clients to easily find and listen to the musicians they want to hire for an event.

Applaud.live disrupts the traditional live music business model by enabling independent musicians easy access to their target market without expensive management fees or high commission rates. 

The platform charges €12 per month or €100 annually for a customisable profile that independent musicians can use as a tool to market themselves. Musicians that sign up can select what type of events they wish to perform at as well as define the genres that they most closely align themselves to. The profile serves as an online electronic press kit/music résumé that they can use to send to booking agents and event organisers independently. 

A member of TU Dublin’s Hothouse New Frontiers programme, Applaud.live is led by founder Luke Rynne Cullen. A freelance classical musician, Luke has performed at weddings and festivals and learnt first hand how challenging it is to secure bookings and get paid for these gigs. 

“I was inspired by my own experiences to create this platform for musicians who find it hard to market themselves to event organisers. It enables potential clients to find the perfect musicians for their event. Independent music artists, without professional management, have all had issues both in marketing themselves and getting paid for bookings.”

“Applaud.live has really had a chance to grow as part of the New Frontiers programme and build a platform that can help independent musicians market themselves to a wider audience. This is only the beginning as we are currently building features to help musicians manage their bookings and receive payments securely” he added.

Applaud.live currently has over 400 musicians signed up to their pre launch website and has secured musicians on the prototype platform bookings from the Castleknock Hotel, The Grand Social and ThinkHouse Marketing Agency. Applaud is looking to double the number of musicians signed up to use the service and increase the number of bookings made via the platform with the release of the Artist Tier.