Jill Sobule wrote the moderate hit “I Kissed a Girl”. She also has been on two major labels that have dumped her and on two Indies that have gone under. Now she is going to the web and her fans to finance her next CD. I find this story interesting not from the stand point of that she is doing it and how she is doing it but what she is giving in exchange for donations. She has set a goal to raise $75,000 to cover recording, production and promotions costs for the CDs. As of March 10, she has reached $80,782 – congrats! A chunk of change, but relatively modest. The cool thing is that by “investing” in the CD you get stuff in exchange:

She has 12 levels total ranging from “Friend” for $5 to “Plutonium” for $10,000. Here are some examples of what you get:
Unpolished Rock – $10 – Free digital download of the CD (like pre-paying for it)
Polished Rock – $25 – Free pre-release copy of CD
Gold Level – $500 – You get your name in a song, might even rhyme to it.
Diamond Level – $5,000 – She will play a concert at your house.
Plutonium – $10,000 – You get to go and SING on the CD!

I like how interactive this model is, the give and take and the fact that Jill is solidifying her fan base. People feel involved and invested. Therefor, she is building a team of evangelists that is crucial in any viral marketing campaign.

Check out www.JillsNewRecord.com for more information on the project and a chart of how many donations she received at each level. Also, listen to some of Jill’s music on Rhapsody at http://www.rhapsody.com/jillsobule.