ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on a source of funding that seeks to leverage the power of affect and emotion through the phenomena of crowdfunding which has the potential to provide the investment needed to develop new music and establish musical careers but without the need to generate market standard returns on investment as demanded by traditional funding routes. It outlines the promise and problems of the exploitation of fandom and enthusiasm within capitalism and reviews the academic literature on fans. The chapter focuses on the rise of crowd sourcing as a way of mobilizing fan enthusiasm to fund new creative projects, with a particular focus on the music industry. The chapter offers some conclusions to the argument pursued in the chapter. It discusses a relatively recent change in the contours of capitalism which has made the harnessing of fans to the interests of capitalism not just a business proposition but an integral part of generating business propositions.