A nonprofit for musicians, founded 2022

Music streaming can be fair.

Campfire is a 501(c)(3) building a public-benefit streaming platform where the money you pay flows directly to the artists you actually listen to. Not pooled across a major-label catalog. Not skimmed by a profit incentive. Just paid.

For Fans For Artists

By the numbers

1,500+

Artists and fans on the waitlist

10,000+

Volunteer hours since founding

30+

Working partnerships

$1M

NEXT fundraising CHECKPOINT

10+

In-person events supporting local music economies

400+

Research interviews conducted

Partners & Supporters

Our mission

Born from frustration. Built with purpose.

Campfire started in 2022 at Georgetown University, when a group of student musicians, advocates, and technologists looked at a streaming economy that rewards major labels while independent artists struggle to survive. Our mission: lower the technological, financial, and educational barriers between musicians and a sustainable career.

Joined by students from Amherst, Grinnell, Northeastern, and Boston University, we incorporated as a Minnesota 501(c)(3) and have logged over 10,000 volunteer hours building a platform structured to pay artists fairly. The app is built and in active testing, and we're now raising the funds to launch publicly and bring on our first paid staff.

Campfire's story Read the FAQs

Donate

Pay artists fairly. Help us prove streaming can be public.

Your gift funds the platform build and the programs behind it. Campfire Music Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3); donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

How it works

Streaming made simple.

User-centric royalties

Your subscription will be split proportionally across the artists you actually listen to. 80% of your contribution flows to rights holders. The other 20% goes to the foundation to operate and improve the product. We're launching privately and non-commercially first, building toward sustainability before scaling.

Local discovery

Search by city, state, or campus. Connect with artists in your scene. Discovery is curated by community and context, not by whoever paid to promote this week.

Independent only

No major-label catalogs. No AI-generated music. At first, no covers. The platform accepts music from independent artists who own their music, or from ethical independent labels case-by-case.

Name your price

Subscriptions start at $5 a month and scale up to however much you want to support the artists you listen to. As a 501(c)(3), our finances are public and our payouts are auditable.

Our values

Equity. Transparency. Philanthropy.

Equity

Equitable access and fair treatment across every dimension of our work. Artists, staff, and community partners get the same respect regardless of identity, geography, or cultural background.

Transparency

From royalty payouts to internal communications, our systems are clear, open, and accountable. Artists and rights holders have full visibility into the data and payments that affect them.

Philanthropy

Philanthropy is the structural pillar of our alternative to extractive streaming. All proceeds are reinvested into the platform and the artists who depend on it.

Endorsement

“The emerging generation of music stakeholders has an opportunity as well as an obligation to address the structural challenges facing musicians and the broader music community. Campfire Music Foundation is stepping up to assert leadership with curiosity, imagination, and a dogged determination to build a better future of music.”

Michael Bracy

Founder, Music Policy Forum, Founder Emeritus, Future of Music Coalition

Track record

Not pitching a concept.

JAM Duluth

Sponsored and co-produced by Campfire each year, putting working jazz musicians on stage in the Twin Ports and Iron Range communities of Minnesota.

Nearly 400

Structured research conversations with artists, fans, and industry professionals to validate the model.

Over ten events

Co-produced and hosted, including national music advocacy conferences with Music Policy Forum, Georgetown University, KEXP, Treefort Music Fest, and King County.

5+ years in the making

Research, network and visibility building, and artist engagements since the project began, all of it while operating as a volunteer-run organization.

Accountability

Who runs Campfire, and how the money is handled.

We are a 501(c)(3). The board, the filings, the policies, and the financial position are all published.

Board and Mentors Financials 501(c)(3) Documents Donor Commitments

Melvin Gibbs speaking at Campfire's benefit concert at Icehouse in Minneapolis, September 12, 2025.

Get in touch

Questions about the model, partnerships, press, or volunteering? Send us a note and we will get back to you.

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