Here’s Why I Refunded 100% Of Our Revenue To Every Single Paying Customer, For Four Months
A LESSON ON CUSTOMER SERVICE DURING THE MOST DIFFICULT OF TIMES:
I’ve just spent the last several hours personally emailing (original email at the very end of this post) and refunding every TuneRegistry customer who made a subscription payment since my departure at the top of March 2018.
I’ve refunded each and every one of these wonderful music creators and rights-holders for every day that my co-founders and I were unable to oversee the operations and support of the technology that we sacrificed 3 years to build and grow.
For four months, we were unable to perform the quality service and support that we pride ourselves in providing. For four months, we were unable to deliver on our promise shaped by the value proposition that attracted our customers. For four stressful months, we were unable to push forward our mission to empower music creators and rights-holders.
And while returning over 4 months of subscription revenue is something no entrepreneur would ever volunteer to do, I do not believe that any customer who supports you, who believes in you, should have to pay the price for changes in upper management that impacts the service.
Today, hundreds of refunds were sent out. Here’s a few customer reactions:
“Hello Dae, Thanks for reaching out that was a great thing to do. The refund would be cool, however, I still want to keep the service. Thanks again.” – Dean
“Dae, Congrats on winning TuneRegistery back! Must feel good. I look forward to getting back on the platform and utilizing your updated services. Loving your work!” – Amishar
“I am glad things will be restored back to normal.” – Octavia
“Thank you for your honesty.” – Kristen
“Good afternoon Dae. I really appreciate your concern with regaining rapport with your customers and thank you for offering the refund!” – William
“Thanks Dae! I’m stoked you’re back at the helm and am looking forward to using the new platform!! Thanks!!” – Andy
“Thank you for your courtesy!” – Tiffany
“Thank you for taking over again. ” – Aleisha
“Welcome back, I’m looking forward to working with you and the renewing platform.” – Sadiq
“I am very happy that you are back hoping to continue working together as it is a great help for us independent producers and composers.” – Ricardo
“Hi , I kept my faith and you guys prove me well.” – Jabari
“Thank you SO much. I really wanted to enjoy this service, and I hope to continue to work with your program! ” – Eugene
“Thanks you for this email I was very upset with the service I am so glad you reached out to me about this.” – Wayne
“Dae, Truly grateful for your response. And look forward to moving forward with you guys. I appreciate this heartfelt message and thank you for touching bases and working to right what you feel are the wrongs. Bless. Thank you” – Allen
“I wish you all the best of luck! It’s great to hear that you’ve gotten back behind the wheel and I look forward to seeing you soar!” – Donny
“I’m glad to hear you are all back and on it. I’m praying the best for you on this endeavor.” – Jesse
“Hi Dae, I accept your apology and refund with open arms! Can’t wait to see what the new services are. Thanks.” – Sean
“Hey Dae, Appreciate this- I have been aware of your situation and completely understand. A refund would be appreciated, but I would love to give the platform another shot once you have things back to your standard. I wish you and your team the best in this, and I appreciate the insight you’ve given me in the past, thanks man!” – Tom
“I accept and would love to use your service with you back in charge again.” – Zachary
“Welcome back, Dae, Shane, and Kara!” – Jordan
Honesty is the way to begin building back rapport with frustrated customer base.
Subject: A huge apology from the co-founders of TuneRegistry
Hi Greg,
My name is Dae Bogan and I am the founder of TuneRegistry. I am contacting you in regards to your experience with TuneRegistry over the last four months.
Unfortunately, the TuneRegistry co-founders (myself, Shane and Kara) have not been apart of the TuneRegistry operations and support for the last nearly 4 months.
TuneRegistry was acquired by Haawk in November of 2017. Due to circumstances, the TuneRegistry co-founders, known for our excellent customer support, departed Haawk in early March 2018. Consequently, we have not been able to provide the great support and service that we take pride in providing. To make matters worse, the TuneRegistry platform was not properly maintained during our absence, making it impossible to complete tasks.
The good news is, we just acquired TuneRegistry back a week ago and now have the reigns once again. We will be working to restore operations and support over the next week or two and in the coming months, we will be launching a revamped platform with new features and service offerings.
I apologize for the the poor experience you’ve endured during our absence and would like to offer paid users a complete refund of the last four months. To claim your refund, simply reply to this email or contact us through the in-app messenger.
Kind regards,
Dae Bogan (CEO), Shane Zilinskas (CTO), and Kara McGehee (CPO)
Operation Song
I absolutely love this.
“In a world in which everything is subject to the passing of time, art alone is both subject to time and yet victorious over it.”
― André Malraux
I wanted to call your attention to Operation Song, a nonprofit run by our friend Bob Regan the songwriter. It’s a wonderful organization that describes itself:
Operation Song™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Nashville Tennessee founded in 2012. We pair professional songwriters with veterans, active military and their families to help them tell their stories through song. We hold weekly workshops in Middle Tennessee and sponsor events and group retreats throughout the U.S. Those we serve need no musical background, only the desire to tell their story. In a typical session, the songwriter listens and encourages the participant to lay out the “puzzle pieces” of his or her experience. Together, they arrange those pieces into verses and choruses. The result…
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Coexisting Music Ecosystems
ICYMI, here’s a wonderful piece by Vickie Nauman on the notion of coexisting music ecosystems. I think it offers a fresh and nuanced look at how elements and traces of overlapping music industries — what Nauman calls Music Industry 1.0, Music Industry 2.0, and Music Industry 3.0 — shape our experiences as music industry professionals and consumers.
Have a read and lets discuss in the comments.
The music industry careens fast down the highway, stacked high with cargo and shiny objects. Think of the old CD business as the flat bed, the current digital industry as its loosely tethered, bulky freight, and artist-driven initiatives as sparkly crates hitched on top. Failed startups litter the rearview mirror. Yet all are tied together in a zigzag of relationships and common building blocks.
In practical terms, we’ve got three different music industries operating simultaneously.
Continue reading here.
Is Michael Beckerman Wearing Your Safe Harbor?
As MTP readers will recall, I prefer to think of Big Tech’s various safe harbors like the CDA, DMCA and now the MMA as an income transfer. It’s not that the money isn’t getting made, it’s just not getting made by the people who created the value.
For example, when Google profits from selling ads against infringing videos, that money doesn’t disappear, it just doesn’t go to the artist. So where does it go?
Well…according to a recent article in Modern Luxury “Men of Style,” it appears to go into Michael Beckerman’s shoes. Michael Beckerman is the CEO of the Internet Association, Google’s main lobbying shillery in DC.
That’s right–$4,950 shoes. But no socks. Now that’s what I call an income transfer. Looks like DMCA safe harbor on his feet, CDA for his watch–what will he buy himself as a reward for the MMA reachback? Maybe a little poker in…
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My Statement On TuneRegistry
I have received several messages regarding poor customer support and unresolved technical issues from TuneRegistry users who’ve signed up as a result of my evangelism over the platform that I co-founded to empower indie rights-holders, especially DIY musicians, with a tool to be their own publisher.
I am making this brief statement because I feel it is necessary.
I founded TuneRegistry in 2015 and the 1.0 platform launched March 2017 at SXSW. It was acquired by HAAWK in November 2017. The original co-founders, including myself, were hired into HAAWK as employees (we also brought over some of our dev contractors) as part of the deal. Long story short, things did not work out and all of us departed Haawk the first week of March 2018.
Over the last nearly 3 months, TuneRegistry has had no maintenance nor sufficient customer support and it breaks my heart because my co-founders and I sacrificed years of our time, energy, effort and our own money (we completely bootstrapped it) to bring TuneRegistry to market.
The good news is, I am in the process of acquiring TuneRegistry back from Haawk and running it independently once again.
We have many industry partners and initiatives lined up to make TuneRegistry bigger and better. The deal should be closed in the coming weeks and I will have TuneRegistry under my control once again.
TuneRegistry will continue to enable artists to be their own publisher in the United States, enable artists to collect 100% of their US publishing royalties and retain 100% of their copyrights until such time as you choose to share your legacy with a worthy publisher.
— Dae Bogan
Co-founder, TuneRegistry
P.S. Learn about being your own publisher. Download my free ebook “The DIY Musician’s Starter Guide To Being Your Own Label & Publisher” at http://www.daeboganmusic.com
[Photos] ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo
I had a wonderful time speaking at this year’s ASCAP “I Create Music Expo”.
May 8, 2018 – Source: Maury Phillips/Getty Images North America via Zimbio
May 8, 2018 – Source: Maury Phillips/Getty Images North America via Zimbio
May 8, 2018 – Source: Maury Phillips/Getty Images North America via Zimbio
May 8, 2018 – Source: Maury Phillips/Getty Images North America via Zimbio
May 6, 2018 – Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images North America via Zimbio
May 6, 2018 – Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images North America via Zimbio
Dae Bogan To Join Panel On The Future Of Rights Technology At A2IM Indie Week In New York
Dae Bogan will join Shanna Jade (Director of Brand Strategy, Stem) and Rob Weitzner (Head of North America, The state51 Music Group) on the panel “Future of Rights Technology” on Wednesday, June 20th at A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) Indie Week conference taking place at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center in New York. The panel will be moderated by Anna Siegal, SVP FUGA North America.
For more details, visit https://a2im.org/event/a2im-indie-week-2018/
Congress Is Giving Musicians First Chance of Fair Pay in Decades
“‘The MMA gives a digital service like Spotify or Amazon a more convenient way of licensing songs,’ Dae Bogan, founder of music management platform TuneRegistry and a longtime music rights advocate and executive, explains. ‘And it opens a potential windfall of income to legacy artists who were left out of the digital boom.’ But Bogan adds that the legislation doesn’t come close to fixing all, or even most, of the problems in music royalties for labels, publishers and musicians; the simplified processes just make it more likely they’ll get the money they’re due.” via RollingStone
Read the full piece here: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/congress-is-giving-musicians-first-chance-of-fair-pay-in-decades-w520301
Black Box Royalties Myths, Common Misconceptions Debunked at Music Biz 2018
“‘When those on the panel talk about black box we are talking about the aggregate of unclaimed royalties that occur because of any number of factors,’ and not just limited to one service or one collection society, explained moderator Dae Bogan, CEO of TuneRegistry.” via Billboard.
Read the full piece here: https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8456271/black-box-royalties-myths-panel-music-biz-2018
UCLA To Offer Dae Bogan’s Music Industry Entrepreneurship Class This Summer, Open To General Public
For the second time, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music plans to offer Dae Bogan’s Music Industry Entrepreneurship class this summer. The non-theory workshop-style class will be offered under the college’s Special Courses in Music Industry designation MUS IND 188 and will be open to UCLA students as well as the general public.
About the course:
Learn and apply real-world business strategies and entrepreneurship principles to the music industry from a serial entrepreneur who has founded six and successfully sold three music industry companies. Meet and network with music industry entrepreneurs and professionals during an in-class speaker series. Whether you’re interested in founding a music industry company or working your way up to management of an existing company, learn skills from professionals who’ve taken music industry companies to the next level in recorded music, music publishing, live/touring, artist management, marketing/branding, and tech.
Enrollment:
- Open to UCLA students and the general public.
- Financial aid is available.
- UCLA Summer Sessions website
- Course Details page: click here
Previous students’ testimonials:
Without a doubt one of the most useful classes I have taken in my undergraduate career at UCLA. Professor Bogan has so much real world knowledge and knows how to convey that knowledge in a classroom setting immensely well. All the course material was invaluable to my progression and aspirations of being in the music industry. Every lecture was extremely well-prepared, with amazing guest speakers and information that I will be using for the rest of my life. Professor Bogan did a phenomenal job and I will be recommending this class to all my friends interested in music or starting their own company. Can’t say enough good things about this class. – Anonymous, Student Course Evaluation
Very strong thought person allows him to be a very quality, natural teacher and mentor. Very cool to learn from a self made millionaire. Very humble and engaging. Understands the value on unorthodox education. – Anonymous, Student Course Evaluation
Hello Dae,
Hope your week has been going well! I just wanted to thank you for an amazing quarter. I really learned a lot from you and would love to keep in touch in the future. The information I gained from your class will help me in developing my professional career in the music industry and I just wanted to let you know how much of an impact you’ve had on me. Thank you!
Best,
R.
Hello Professor,
Thank you so much for all the knowledge you have provided this year, I have profoundly enjoyed your class.-M.
Hi Dae,
Thank you for everything this quarter.
Not only have I learned so much about the music industry and entrepreneurship skills from your class, but you also taught me how to value my time and sense of self highly. With these valuable tools and mindsets, I have started to believe in myself so much more and I have also set higher standards for my life with purpose, thanks to you.
I appreciate the active investment you put in our actual learning through outside resources and guests. This class was a special experience, which has honestly been very hard to find in many of my professors these four years.
[Omitted]
I wish you enormous success in your future! I hope to be there one day as well 🙂
Best Regards,
E.
Dear Professor Bogan,
Hope this email finds you well! [Omitted]
I was truly inspired by your entrepreneurship and knowledge. It is great to see someone that looks like me be passionate, knowledgeable, and successful in the music industry. I also am grateful for all of the tools you gave us to create our own businesses. The things we learned are truly priceless and will help us structure our ideas and concepts for a lifetime. Moreover, thank you for the diverse array of music industry professionals you brought into the class, because of the depth of your network, you connected us with someone from just about every aspect of the industry, which gave me personal accounts of what is needed to get into this industry. I can tell that you carefully craft every aspect of your class, and I truly appreciate the effort and dedication to student learning.
[Omitted]
Not a goodbye, but definitely see you later! Thanks for a great quarter!
Best,
S.
Hi Dae,
Just wanted to thank you for an awesome class. This was one of the few classes at UCLA where I felt I was taught skills, not just about the subject matter but in how to go about achieving my career goals, that were applicable to my endeavors and will be used for the rest of my life.
I got more out of it than I had with any other course here and I would highly recommend your class to to anyone interested in a music industry career.See you around hopefully,
A.
From the syllabus (subject to change):
About this course
From recorded music and music publishing to live music and merchandise, entrepreneurs have been disrupting and innovating across the music industry for decades. In this course, students will learn and apply fundamental principles of entrepreneurship to the music industry. Students will analyze case studies and current events and participate in critical discussions around alternative business strategies in music industry entrepreneurship. Course work will consist of group assignments, workgroup labs, and strategic planning; all culminating in the presentation of a fictitious music industry company at the end of the session.
Learning goals
Students will finish the program understanding:
- Fundamental principles of entrepreneurship.
- The nature and function of strategic business planning.
- Business tools and concepts around market research and ideation.
- Forces affecting the music industry that shape how businesses operate.
- How to develop and execute a lean go-to-market strategy.
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