Frequently Asked Questions

Listeners pay $11.99/month for an ad-free subscription. BLARE plans to offer an ad-supported free tier.

BLARE uses a user-centric payout model, meaning each listener’s subscription is distributed to the artists they actually listen to.

50% of subscription revenue is allocated to artists, and 50% supports platform development, operations, payments, and infrastructure. Cooperative surplus may be shared quarterly, subject to member votes.

Fan Founders are early supporters who join the cooperative as member-owners with governance rights and community participation privileges.

Fan Founder membership includes a $89 enrollment fee for the first year and $49 in annual cooperative dues thereafter to remain an active member.

No. Fan Founder membership is a cooperative governance membership, not a financial investment. There is no guarantee of profit, liquidity, or return of funds.

BLARE has a five-member board: two founders, two artist representatives elected by artists, and one Fan Founder representative elected by Fan Founders.

Yes. Artists always retain ownership of their music.

No. Artists are free to distribute their music on other platforms. BLARE does not require exclusivity, but because of BLARE’s user-centric payout model, your fans’ subscriptions go directly to you, so the potential earnings per fan can be significantly higher than on traditional pooled streaming platforms.

Bands are welcome. Independents and labels may distribute music on BLARE, but labels do not receive cooperative voting rights.

Labels will receive the same payout mechanics (based on listening time) for the music they control, but cooperative governance and voting rights are reserved for eligible artist members (and Fan Founders) as defined in the bylaws.

Artists worldwide can upload music and earn streaming payouts. Cooperative ownership and governance rights are currently limited to U.S. residents while BLARE builds infrastructure for international cooperative membership. BLARE intends to expand international cooperative participation over time.

Yes. Artists must verify that they own or control the rights to distribute their music. BLARE does not permit music that is primarily AI-generated without meaningful human creative contribution.

BLARE allocates 50% of subscription revenue to artists and 50% to platform operations, infrastructure, and development.

Streaming payouts are issued monthly. Cooperative patronage distributions, if any, occur quarterly and only if approved by cooperative members.

Listening time is measured as the proportion of a listener’s total listening activity attributable to each artist during a billing period. Each listener’s subscription is distributed proportionally to the artists they listen to.

Yes. BLARE distributes the artist portion of each subscription regardless of usage. If an artist receives zero listening activity during a payout period, there is no listening revenue to allocate and the payout for that period would be $0.

Yes. BLARE requires a minimum payout balance of $50 before issuing payments. Balances below this threshold roll forward until the threshold is reached.

Artists are responsible for their own taxes. BLARE will issue required tax documentation such as Form 1099 for U.S. artists or W-8 forms for non-U.S. artists, as applicable. BLARE does not provide tax advice and artists should consult their own tax professional.

Yes. Artists may remove their music subject to reasonable processing timelines and contractual obligations (for example, if a dispute is under review).

BLARE uses streaming technology and security measures designed to reduce unauthorized downloading and misuse, though no platform can guarantee complete prevention. BLARE investigates credible reports of misuse and takes appropriate action.

Yes. BLARE follows applicable copyright laws and maintains a takedown process, a counter-notification process for users who believe content was removed in error, and a repeat infringer policy.

BLARE’s repeat infringer policy is described in our Terms of Service and DMCA Policy. The FAQ summarizes our approach, but the policy language in those documents controls.

Both. BLARE supports algorithmic discovery while emphasizing independent human curation.

BLARE works with third-party curators, e.g. genre experts, journalists, tastemakers, and respected community members, to build playlists and recommendations that are not driven by labels, corporate partners, or industry gatekeeping. Curator participation and standards will be documented in curator guidelines.

Yes. BLARE supports artist posts and communication tools designed to strengthen direct fan relationships.

This feature is planned for future development.

BLARE is structured as a cooperative under Colorado law and will maintain legal and operational policies intended to protect artists, listeners, and the platform. Specific coverage and protections may evolve over time.

Fan Founder membership is offered during limited enrollment periods through BLARE’s website, [here], and is subject to acceptance of cooperative bylaws and membership terms.

Yes. BLARE plans to initially limit Fan Founder membership to 1,000 active members to ensure effective governance and community participation. Additional cohorts may be opened in the future.

Fan Founder membership includes a $89 enrollment fee for the first year and $49 in annual cooperative dues thereafter to remain an active member.

Fan Founder fees are generally non-refundable except as required by law or specified in enrollment terms.

Fan Founders receive cooperative membership units rather than corporate equity. Membership units provide defined governance rights but are not publicly traded and are subject to transfer restrictions.

Yes. Fan Founders elect one board representative who participates in cooperative votes on defined matters as described in the bylaws.

Generally no. Cooperative membership units are not freely transferable and are subject to BLARE’s bylaws and applicable law.

No. Fan Founder membership is intended for governance and community participation and does not guarantee profit, liquidity, or return of funds.

Fan Founders vote on the election of their board representative and may vote on certain cooperative matters such as whether cooperative surplus should be distributed or reinvested, and other items defined in the bylaws.

Yes. Fan Founders may submit proposals. Depending on the topic, proposals may be reviewed by the board, brought to a member vote, or implemented as policy updates.

If membership ends, governance rights and cooperative benefits (including subscription access) end according to the bylaws and platform policies.

Governance rights and cooperative benefits, including subscription access, may be suspended until requirements are met. Continued non-compliance may result in membership termination according to the bylaws.

Distributions depend on BLARE’s revenues, expenses, reserves, reinvestment plans, and member votes. There is no fixed payout amount.

No. There is no guarantee of profit or distributions. Members may also vote to reinvest surplus into platform growth such as marketing, development, or infrastructure.

If BLARE does not generate surplus, no patronage distributions will be made.

Active Fan Founders receive complementary subscription access while they remain active cooperative members in good standing, including payment of dues and meeting participation requirements.

Yes, while a Fan Founder remains an active member in good standing. If membership ends or is suspended, subscription access ends and standard subscription pricing applies.

Yes. Cooperative benefits (including Fan Founder perks and subscription access) are subject to BLARE’s bylaws and platform policies and may evolve over time based on member votes, operational needs, and platform sustainability.

No. Fan Founder membership does not guarantee profit, liquidity, or return of funds.

BLARE is designed around cooperative ownership and a user-centric payout model. Instead of pooling subscription revenue across the entire platform, BLARE allocates each listener’s artist pool to the artists that listener actually listens to.

Independent artists are often underserved by traditional streaming economics and discovery systems. BLARE is focused on building a sustainable, artist-first ecosystem that rewards genuine fan engagement.

Yes. BLARE plans to offer an ad-supported free tier. Availability at initial launch may vary as the platform scales.

Yes. Subscriptions can be canceled through account settings, and remain active through the end of the current billing period.

Not at this time. BLARE may introduce additional pricing options in the future.

Your artist pool is distributed proportionally based on your listening time—only among the artists you actually listen to during the billing period.

No. BLARE does not retain unused artist revenue. If you listen to fewer artists, your artist pool is still allocated based on your listening activity.

Most platforms pool revenue and distribute based on global listening share, which can disadvantage independent artists. BLARE’s user-centric model aims to make payouts reflect real fan behavior.

Yes. These can be private or shared.

Yes. BLARE supports following artists and commenting on threads under songs and artist profiles. Artists can respond to comments.

BLARE supports artist-to-fan communication tools (such as posts and newsletters) designed to build direct relationships, subject to platform rules and anti-spam safeguards.

No. BLARE does not sell personal data. BLARE may share limited data with service providers (such as payment processors) strictly to operate the service, under contractual protections.

Yes. You can request deletion of your account and associated personal data, subject to legal and operational retention requirements (for example, payment records). To do so, please contact BLARE Support, [here].

BLARE provides a process for reporting copyright infringement and other disputes, including a takedown procedure and a counter-notification process for users who believe content was removed in error. BLARE maintains a repeat infringer policy.

BLARE provides tools to report content and users, block users, and enforce community standards. Accounts that violate policies may face removal of content, suspension, or termination.

Artists receive cooperative membership interests rather than corporate stock. The cooperative structure and membership classes are defined in the bylaws.

Yes. Artist owners vote on defined cooperative matters such as board elections (for artist seats), surplus distribution vs reinvestment, and certain major policy changes as defined in the bylaws.

Examples include: whether to distribute cooperative surplus or reinvest it, election of artist board representatives, and major governance or policy changes. Specific scopes and procedures are defined in the bylaws and governance charter.

Generally no. Cooperative membership interests are not traditional stock and are subject to transfer restrictions under the bylaws and applicable law.

Membership status may change according to the bylaws. In general, cooperative rights depend on maintaining membership eligibility and good standing.

Board decisions are made by vote among the five board members, with each board seat carrying one vote.

BLARE’s leadership team runs the day-to-day operations. The Board sets high-level direction and approves major decisions. Members vote on key cooperative matters, like board elections and whether profits should be paid out or reinvested, according to the bylaws.

BLARE is designed so artists remain primary stakeholders in governance. Disputes are handled through policies, moderation, and, where appropriate, board oversight and defined dispute-resolution processes.

In early stages, founders may retain limited emergency powers to protect the platform and comply with law (for example, security incidents or legal obligations). These powers are defined and limited by the bylaws and governance policies.

Transparency is a core principle. BLARE aims to provide members with clear payout calculations and high-level financial reporting sufficient to inform governance decisions, while protecting personal data and sensitive business information.

At launch, aggregate information will be accessible to member-owners. BLARE is committed to transparency and plans to expand public sharing of basic aggregated metrics over time, while protecting privacy and sensitive business information.

The Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and (where applicable) DMCA Policy and cooperative governing documents control if there is any conflict with the FAQ summary.