Reverbnation is an online platform offering artists a place to list shows, present audio tracks and host EPKs. Under the radar, it was purchased from its parent company eMinor, by BandLab, a company headquartered in Singapore, in 2021. On its homepage, Bandlab makes the offer: “Make music anytime, anywhere. Connect with millions. Release your tracks and engage with fans — keep 100% of your earnings.”
Reverberation’s platform is very artist focused (each artist has their own page with their own content), with some promo tools and distribution features. Importantly, its roots are in a music-making model where bands played instruments. It was started in 2006 by several founders and is based in North Carolina. One of the coolest features on Reverbnation is “Reverb Radio” which is a music player on the site that allows you to search the Reverbnation catalog by genre and discover new artists if you poke around a bit.
Meanwhile, Bandlab’s website offers a truly wide range of services, from mastering and distribution, to a library of sounds and samples. Bandlab is centered on music production in the digital age, where music is made within software. It’s definitely got a clean Apple-type vibe to the layout, with lots of white space, pristine graphics and an array of services that require a whole dashboard rather than just a menu.
I like the artist profiles on Reverbnation quite a bit. It’s functional and hands-on compared to the sleek feel of Bandlab. At the same time, I look forward to see how Bandlab will steward Reverbnation, and if any new features will be added. I do hope that Bandlab recognizes Reverberation’s strengths in the old school digital age (that's an oxymoron but twenty years ago is OG for the digital age), where the music was about fervor and not convenience. There’s an artistic satisfaction in making something with effort. I am curious about the long-term success of a marketing angle of making music-making easy (Bandlab isn’t the only company that uses this angle, it’s just very front of mind), as it removes the power and satisfaction of self expression that is hard won.