- Dune music platform landed in November 2025 and is quickly gaining momentum
- Global App Asks Fans to Buy a ‘Stake’ in Bands They Love to Get Content
- On May 1, iconic band When in Rome will release music exclusively on Dune
Have you ever felt like a significant uptake on one music streaming platform directly coincides with a big milestone on another?
That’s how it happened, because in the week that Spotify turns 20, Dune (the new music app that says it seeks to solve the industry-wide problem of music artists not earning stable income from digital streaming providers) just added a huge new artist to the books, and for an exclusive new music release.
This particular music streaming machine really is unlike any of the best music streaming services we currently rate. While it was only released last November, some pretty big names in music are already sniffing it out. The most exciting thing for me is that a British 80s synth-pop band very close to my heart has just agreed to release music exclusively on them, on May 1st.
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Dune founders Paul Knowles and Paul Bowe, based in Manchester, UK, say they recognize that the ubiquitous nature of streaming means it’s not going away, so the future of artists’ earning potential from the DSP (here meaning “digital service provider”) model must work. next to instead of trying to disturb him.
How does it all work?
So how exactly does Dune work? You sign up for free by entering some very basic credentials. Dune then asks you to buy and trade ‘stakes’ in the artists you’re most interested in (if they’re live; if not, you can request to be notified when they go on sale), with values ​​dynamically linked to the acts’ daily streaming performance on major DSPs. Yes, it’s a lot like trading stocks and shares in bands, but also with Kickstarter and Spotify, because there are exclusive music benefits for fans/interested parties.
Artists earn a percentage of both that initial stake and any subsequent activity, because bets can be traded or sold to other users for cashing out. I know what you’re thinking and no, there is no AI, blockchain or NFT involved.
Dune’s founders describe it as “owning a piece from your favorite artist and being a part of their journey like never before,” thanks to the “stakeholder benefits.” Dune is quick to double down on its promise that the platform serves first and foremost as a fan engagement hub that adequately remunerates acts, allowing artists to offer interested parties exclusive access to merchandise, pre-sales of tickets, and other content not available to the general public.
When in Rome: the promise
A moment of silence for anyone who hasn’t heard the song in my sub yet, except maybe when it appeared in the 2004 Masterpiece movie. Napoleon dynamite. Consider this your cue to go listen to the track in its entirety, right away.
My point is, when Dune, which, for the avoidance of doubt, has absolutely nothing to do with Chalamet’s film franchise, initially contacted me last November for coverage, I struggled to find a very notable hook to get behind. Now I have that… and I’m very intrigued.
For fans of the band, I should clarify that the exclusive When in Rome x Dune partnership refers to the When in Rome UK reformation (also based in Manchester, UK – coincidence? I think not), composed of Clive Farrington, Andrew Mann and Rob Juarez, not When in Rome II, aka Michael Floreale, Tony Fennell, Chris Willett and Jack Ivins.
When in Rome has had a turbulent past, with legal problems and tensions over the distribution of royalties from the original band members. But that only makes this partnership more interesting to me. Here’s a group of musicians who found fame in the late ’80s, long before streaming music took hold and changed the way bands do (or let’s do it right, No make) money, so I find it intriguing to see such established and experienced musos promising exclusive releases for Dune.
Dune co-founder Paul Knowles said: “Dune recognizes the fact that streaming revenue is simply not enough to support the majority of artists and that 99.9% of artists face a funding gap. Data shows that only 0.1% of artists generate enough streaming revenue to cover modest monthly expenses.”
Three other well-known groups who have already signed up for Dune are huge Hertfordshire rock trio The Hunna, energetic Manchester-based quartet Pyncher and American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (also based in Manchester, UK) BC Camplight.
Are you a singer-songwriter interested in learning more about Dune? Artists and their representatives can claim their page on the Dune platform, where they can begin interacting with fans. The company tells me that any artist can subscribe to Dune’s subscription-free offering.
Dune has also produced a variety of video tutorials that help users navigate all aspects of the platform.
Look, I’m not saying it’s definitely the future of music. but I’m not No saying that either, and as Clive Farrington once sang from When in Rome: “If you wait a while, I’ll make you fall in love with me (I promise).”
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