Common Music was a streaming-platform concept designed to unite ad-supported music videos and subscription-based audio under one roof—ensuring artists earn substantially more per play. Instead of pooling subscriber fees, each listener’s monthly payment is divided directly among the artists they stream (e.g., 60% of a user’s fee goes to Artist A if they spend 60% of their time on their music). Combined with high-CPM video ads, this dual-revenue model aimed to deliver up to 13× higher royalties than standalone services, while keeping subscription costs competitive.
I backed the idea with a full business plan, early pitches at Icehouse, and high-fidelity UX mockups demonstrating a dark-mode interface, seamless toggles between “Now Playing (Audio)” and “Video Premiere,” a “Continue Playing” carousel, and a transparent “Stream-to-Payout” dashboard for artists. Though Common Music didn’t launch, its per-subscriber allocation strategy and artist-first philosophy continue to guide how I approach digital and creative projects today.