For proper viewing of IMM...make sure that your browser is set to 100%.
Thank You for using our red "Read Instruction" buttons before sending us an email. It saves both of us a lot of time. You will find one on every page.
All pricing, commissions, and transactions on IMM are in USD.
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IMM offers a 100% - 1yr Moneyback Guarantee... for... Artists-Bands-Comedians, Past Artists/Bands & Businesses-Labels-Agents... see "Terms & Conditions" for details.
IMM offers an 80% 1yr Money back Guarantee... for...Fans & MVS (Musicians/Vocalists/Songwriters)... this is because we give out a 20% Referral commission to other members when you join... we cannot return this money... but you still get to keep the 15 free tracks, plus any tracks you purchased and any money in your Wallet... see "Terms & Conditions" for details.
Remember... you can use our Referral System to quickly and easily earn back your membership fee. IMM is the ONLY music site in the world where you can do this... Share in the Profits.
All transactions on IMM are in USD.
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A small poem about IMM...
I sit and I wonder, the job that we've done
Was it built for the many, or just for the one
The pain that we've suffered, to get to this day
Was it all worth it, some others might say
It's a question I ask, but no answer will come
A thought left to scholars, not just for this one
The lives that we touch, the many or few
They will decide, the thanks that are due
But for ourselves, it's not for the praise
It's the need to create, that drives us these days
We wanted to help, these Artists in pain
The life that they lead, so often in vain
The beauty they give, sacrifices they make
We don't often notice, we enjoy... and we take
So it's time to give back, to these Artists so kind
Pay for the gifts, that come from their minds
We all want to give back, we know that it's true
We just had no way, to give them their due
So now that we can, lets show them the way
We all work together, for a much brighter day.
Join us...
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IMM is not just another music site where you add your music and wait to get paid... this is the most advanced music site in the world.
This is a major tool that will give you complete control of your life and career... you need to learn how to use it.
The most important sections are... "Make Money", "How Search Works", and our "YouTube Channel" with video walk throughs and suggestions (link at the bottom of Home Page and most other pages).
IMM allows Labels, Fans, and Artists the ability to search and find each other in ways never before possible (eliminating the "Needle in a Haystack" and "Fragmentation" problems), and provides a completely new revenue stream, enabling the members to make a life changing income and pension.
Like a musical instrument, the more time you spend learning how to use IMM, the more you will get out of it..
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Below... Introduction / Who we Are / Our Mission / About IMM / Past Artist & Bands / Businesses / Profit Sharing / Memberships / Our Story
IMM belongs to it's membership... it's yours... IMM actually pays you... a lot.
Welcome to the most advanced music site in the world.
100% back to the Artists and no Transaction or Handling Fees... and you can search out unknown Artists and Music, from anywhere in the world... checkout the Super-Search.
We wanted to create something unique, a site that actually belonged to the Musicians and Fans... a site we could all share in, something that we could all call "OURS"... a site that gave back.
We wanted a site where the Fans and Artists work with each other and share in the profits of the very site that trades their Money, Music and Comedy.
We wanted a site that every Fan, Artist, Musician, and Band in the world... would have to join... and we did it... it's their own... and it pays them..
It was quite impossible to make everyone shareholders, but it was quite possible to give the membership a substantial cut of the profits of the site... thus, making them owners.
This is why we installed the "Profit Sharing Referral System". You can make a substantial permanent income on IMM... just by helping the Artists... by spreading the word about IMM. You could easily make a substantial income in less than a year... and for Artists and Bands the sky's the limit... do the math (see "Make Money" above).
How about that... a music site that not only pays for your music, Spotify account, and it's own renewal... but pays you too. I like it.
All of us working together is what allows any Artist to earn a living at their art... and a pension... the Fans can actually make a living Searching and Promoting the site and it's Artists...
SO COOL!
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For all you Spotify users... you're starting to realize it's not such a great deal after 10 years of payments and a small playlist... the answer is simple... use IMM to pay for your Spotify account... all the way back to the beginning... and let IMM pay for your new music as well... how about some groceries, or your car or mortgage payments, maybe that education you couldn't afford... that's what we are here for.
It's time to support the Artists and build your new "OWNED" music catalogue... Personal Fortune and a whole lot more...
Spotify is fine for the top 17% and convenience... but they cannot provide access to Artists and Music that you don't already know... this is why 82% of the music on Spotify and the others doesn't get 1000 streams/yr... and more than half of that doesn't get any streams at all... here at IMM you can search it all and you can actually OWN IT... and you can own a bit of IMM too.
If you have any of our Artists on your Spotify play list... then come to IMM and buy that track directly from the Artist... it is the least you can do.
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On IMM... you buy music directly from the Artist, without having to pay Handling or Transaction Fees and 100% goes immediately into the Artists account. This is because you are both living in the same house... there is no middle man, there is only you and the Artist.
For now IMM is a music download site...you buy directly from the Artist... it goes into your Protected Music File... you download it to your comp/device... you listen to it.
IMM is NOT a streaming site until we log on enough members to turn on the streaming section... at that time you will be able to listen to music directly from your new, really cool music file on IMM... but until then... you can listen to the whole track but only 29 seconds of the Track at a time.
This is just the beginning... we have much more to add as time goes on... merchandising, streaming, advertising (for Artists & Fans), web radio, etc... this is so cool, you are going to love being a member... we are all working together to help each other in our membership owned house of Music and Comedy.
With the new Super Search, we create data that tells the industry what we want and like in any given area... changing the way Artists and Bands are selected... making you, the Fan, a very important part of the Discovery and Selecting of new Artists.
How do you search millions of unknown Artists? With millions of Fans... now you, the Fans & Musicians, decide who moves forward.
Finally a tool that tells the industry what the Fans are looking for, and brings those very Artists and Bands to the surface.
Please excuse us if we seem a little long winded and if we repeat ourselves sometimes, but... WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE ARTISTS & FANS NEW SITE!
As you can see... we are just getting started... that just means... all the more money you can make bringing in new members... you are the first to find IMM... take advantage of that.
With very little effort you could make a large permanent income.
So... GO! Spread the word.
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GO INTO BUSINESS FOR YOURSELF... IMM wants you to help market your new music site. We need "Music Industry Marketing Agents" (that's you).
FIND US... ARTISTS, BANDS, MUSICIANS, & FANS.... go, go, go... ...wait, wait, wait... you have to Join IMM first.
IMM will pay you a commission for anyone you sign up and another same commission for anyone that they signup... and again on each renewal, making the commissions both accumulative and permanent (see "Make Money" above).
FYI: Your Profile Page will send out ads for you and your "Wallet" and "Commission History" will keep track of everything... ... too easy
Tell a few people... get paid forever... sounds pretty good to me.
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The "Profit Sharing Referral System" was the only way to get enough money back to the Fans and Artists, to make a difference in their lives... how much you make, is entirely up to you.
The site is paying for itself... because the site is alive... it is only the sum of it's members... that's you and me... together, working for a common goal... Freedom.
Here it is... all you have to do is use it... Join IMM and help fill "YOUR" music site.
With IMM paying out 2 large Referral Commissions per signup and 2 on all renewals... you can make a substantial permanent income in no time... there isn't a Musician, Band or Fan that won't signup, and you know it... the site is total Freedom... 100% Back... Searches Unknown Artists... No Transaction or Handling Fees... Deal Directly With Artists... Share in the Profits... could you ask for more?... you don't need to... because we already thought of it... streaming, merchandising, advertising, web radio, insurance, mortgages, etc... it's all coming... but only with your help.
The world is your oyster... so go for it... spread the word on facebook with your embedded Referral Code (comes with membership) and make that permanent yearly income. Renewal Commissions range from $1.30 US all the way up to $25.00. (see "Make Money" above).
Remember the Rules...
1) Signup with the link or whomever told you about IMM first.
2) Try not to signup with your own band, at least 1 band member should join with whomever introduced the band to IMM, the rest ... join with other members or just join IMM and let the site choose a members code for you. It's only fair... it's how IMM works... spread your signups around.
3) No negativity or abusive behavior.
See Terms & Conditions for the rest of the rules.
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They said that this could not be done... but here it is... a means for the Fans and Artists to work as one and most importantly... GET PAID!
We are all hurting (Fans and Artists alike) and don't have enough for groceries, rent, extras etc... and the government is doing nothing to aleviate the situation... with IMM we can do it ourselves... you help build IMM and IMM helps build you... fair enough?
The way we look at it... we here at IMM work for you... the membership (that's you) is the largest shareholder... IMM is not owned by some big corporation... we are a corporation unto ourselves... Independent Music Mall Inc.... we've got your back because we are you... we are all in the same clubhouse... It's about time, don't you think?
82% of all the music on streaming platforms is getting less than 1000 streams a year... 43% is not getting streamed at all... why?... Because you can't search it... if you don't already know who they are... they can't be found... game over.... Not Here!
The streaming platforms are about to dump all of these Artists and Bands... and they are going to need somewhere to go... IMM.
Streaming's convenient but you can't really search it, so access to everything is an illusion... you are renting... you don't own it... also, streaming sites don't pay the artists or you... if you leave them... you have nothing... it's just getting too expensive but your trapped... the answer is simple... join IMM... we'll pay for your Spotify (or whichever) account... along with a whole lot more.
Once IMM is loaded (or well on it's way), for the first time in the history of music... you will now have the tools (Super Search) to access it all... search by what you like, instead of just what you've heard of. You can now find any Artist or band (providing they are on IMM)... from Basement Strummers to Cover Bands to Commercial Artists... bring them forward for all to see... it's even timestamped so you can prove it was you who discovered them. How cool is that?
If you think that's cool... check this out...
That's why we call IMM "Your Direct Connection"... on IMM you are dealing directly with the Artists... if you buy a song for a dollar... the artist gets a dollar deposited into their account... there is no middle man, no fees, no charges... just a straight forward deal made between members... with our own internal system.
We are not kidding, it's not a gimmick, it's real... IMM is your home... it belongs to you, you are dealing directly with each other in-house... kind of like a club just for the Fans and Artists... a club that belongs to you.
It might take a while for you to believe it's true... after all, why would anyone do this?
Simple... To prove there is a better way than Greed... giving back and helping each other.
That's right... this site belongs to you!
We are NOT some big corporation out to take advantage of the artists... we are just some Musicians, Business people and Fans of music, that got together to make this site a reality... so we could all have a better future and a better deal.
We have been kicked around long enough... what we needed was a site of our own so we could fight back... reclaim what belongs to us. Both the Fans and the Artists have been taken advantage of by big business long enough... and it stops NOW!
The Fans have not been allowed to choose what they want to hear... they have been spoon fed what big business decides they get to hear... and the Artists have been kept locked up away from the Fans... with the Fans having no way to find them... well... that also stops here and now.
IMM is your Home... TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG... FRAGMENTED WE ARE NOT!
We have designed and built a site that gives you access to every musician in the world... not just the 1% of 1% you have had access to in the past.
This is the greatest tool the music business has ever seen... and this is just the beginning... and like any tool, you need to learn how to use it... read "Make Money", "How Search Works (search page) and check out our YouTube Channel (bottom of Home Page) for instructional videos.
This is not a dream, not a gimmick, and there are no catches.
IMM is a new way of looking at things, a new way of doing things. Join Us.
Here at IMM we wanted to Free the Artists from all constraints and provide them with multiple revenue streams to help them pursue their craft, unencumbered by restrictions and limitations.
Our mission is to allow each paying member (even the Fans and Businesses) to share in the profits.
Even though we give 100% Back to the artists... this is not enough, nor is it fast enough.
This is why we installed a permanent "Profit Sharing Commission System" to pay our members to find new members... and pay them well.
We wanted to make every member a partner in IMM. To truly be a part of something bigger than themselves.
Here at IMM... we feel that the Fans and Businesses are just as important as the Artists... After all...what's one without the other.
Our members are our greatest asset, so why shouldn't they share in the profits... it's only fair and good business.
Instead of paying millions of dollars in advertising... why not pay our members to bring in new members?
It's a better way, don't you think?
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"If you can dream it, you can do it." -- Walt Disney
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...is to invest in our membership and this site.
We are planning to some day be able to help our members with... Insurance Policys, Mortgages, and Loans for... Studio Time, New Instruments, Traveling Expenses... etc...
With our Commission system we have been able to establish a Pension Fund... so who knows what we can accomplish if we all work together.
The more of us that are here, the stronger we become.
We could even become our own bank... how's that for dreaming big?
Only together can we make this a reality... so... Join IMM.
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"When you're surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible." -- Howard Schultz
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All the independent artists and their music are basically locked in a barn... Big business can only look at a few each year, so they pick the ones that are most like what is selling at the time. Then they feed them to us, via music and streaming sites, reap all the rewards and pay the artists squat.
Sound about right?
The only choice our artists and musicians have had, is to give up everything in the hopes of getting promoted on a larger scale... a shot in the dark with very little hope of success.
The problem with conventional music sites is that...the more artists they list, the more difficult it is to find them. You can't search them adequately.
The old "needle in a haystack" problem...and the more of these sites there are, the bigger the problem... it's called "Fragmentation".
It's hard enough looking through one haystack let alone hundreds, especially with inadequate search parameters.
This is the number one reason independent artists can't get ahead on their own...UNTIL NOW!
Unlike existing music sites...with IMM's "Advanced Search Parameters"... the more of us that list on IMM, the easier it is to find us... and, all of us being in one place where we can be found, solves the "Fragmentation" problem... Getting paid doesn't hurt either.
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"Somewhere along the way, we must learn that there is nothing greater than to do something for others." -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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One of our main goals is to list "Past Artists & Bands" and recover all that great lost music that is sitting in desk drawers and boxes, before it is lost forever. Music that was written with the flavor of the times. Music that never had a chance back then.
There are so many past bands that wrote and recorded so much great original music, it would be a crime to not recover it.
This is why we allow "Non-Merchant Past Bands/Artists" (not selling just showcasing) to join IMM for a small one time fee (NO RENEWAL FEES). Once you join you are here for good.
Much like TCM recovers old movies. IMM is dedicated to recovering all of that old music for future generations (and ours).
Imagine all the fabulous original music there is to discover and share with each other.
This is "Lost Gold"...and you are the miners.
So dig through these artists and bring their music to the forefront and share it with the rest of us.
So if you know any old musicians, tell them about IMM and lets get them logged on. Even if they didn't have original music it would be great to see them.
FYI: If a past band is still selling their music, then they must buy a Commercial Membership (Artists/Bands/Comedy).
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"Any artform that is lost is a tragedy... that which is recovered is a blessing" -- IMM
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IMM is not just about giving the fans the tools to access and share unknown music never before accessable, but also giving Big Business the ability and tools to do their jobs much better than they ever dreamed possible.
IMM is about making everyones job easier and more profitable.
IMM is a Win Win all the way around.
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Although we give the Artists 100% of their sales... we felt that wasn't enough.
We needed to create a new revenue stream... a new way for them & you to make money...
We here at IMM decided that... instead of paying out millions in advertising... why not pay our members to find new members, and have the commissions go directly into their Onsite Accounts.
Here's how it works...
If you bring us in a new member (using your Referral Code... see "Make Money")... we pay you a commission... not only when they join, but everytime they renew as well.
After all you recruited them... they are your member... in essence you work for IMM... you are our sales person... and we feel that you deserve to get paid for that... and paid well... both on Signup and on Renewal.
But we wanted to take it a step further...
We felt that if you signed up a great salesperson that made themselves and us a fortune... that you deserve a piece of the action... so we came up with the idea to pay you a second commission for any members that your members sign up as well... both on Signup and on Renewal.
It's quite simple actually... this allows each member to profit from their members signups too... which greatly increases your profits.
EG: If a member that you signed up recruits 10 other members... you get a commission from each of them... both when they signup and every time they renew... this can really add up to a permanent income that you can use to pay for your music, recording, instruments or anything you might need... (see "Make Money" for a full commission breakdown)
You can make this a home based business... you can even write your membership off on your taxes as a business expense.
This is how we help our members to succeed... better yet... this is how we help each other to succeed.
Less stress and a better outlook...A happy Artist is a better Artist and the same holds true for the Fans and Businesses.
The commission money is filling the accounts of the very people that will be buying your music or comedy.
As a Fan... it will pay for your music or anything else for that matter.
As an Artist... it can pay for recording or new equipment or travel expenses... etc.
As a Business... it's another regular income.
Tell me this is not a better way of doing business.
Click "Make Money" in the menu bar above to see the full commission breakdown.
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"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination". -- Oscar Wilde
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The short version.
The idea of IMM and the first blueprints were developed in the late 90's.
Knowing so many artists... some famous and some not so much, and hearing their mutual story of woe of how they were broke... and how it was so hard to get ahead... it seemed to me that there had to be a better way.
Suffering from a major back injury and laying flat on my back for month after month, I obviously had some time to reflect, and I'm not talking about the mirror (actually that's quite depressing... I'm certainly not the prettiest flower in the garden)... anyway... it came to me that the problem was not doing business poorly... it was "not being able to be found", that was the root of the problem. If you can't find them (especially the unknown ones), you can't buy from them.
Finding artists that you have never heard of, posed a rather complex problem... and that's when I came up with the Super Search idea. With the help of a friend of mine... Ian, a graphic artist... we spent the next 2 years designing a website that could do the job. The one we designed doesn't look like the one you see here, but the outline and how it works is the same.
After discussing the project (under a nondisclosure agreement) with several professors of computer sciences at the University of Waterloo (world renouned for their computer sciences programs)... we were told that the technology needed to do the job was still years away. At that time, their estimates were at least 10 years.
They called the idea "Brilliant" and said...and I quote..."If you build it, we'll use it".
Unfortunately, they were wrong about the 10 years, it took almost 20 years before technology was where we needed it to be. But, believe it or not, that was not our biggest challenge. Raising the money to build IMM was far more daunting.
We were looking at estimates of half a million or so... Holy Crap...
It was obvious I was going to need some business advice, so I went to talk with my business lawyer... this man owns a 200 year old firm that has the reputation of being the biggest and baddest boys out there. I know what you are thinking... if I have no money... how could I afford these guys...
Funny story... some time ago I knew I'd need a business lawyer, so I did some research and found the most expensive firm I could... these guys worked for billionaires and had the reputation of being the best... I knew I couldn't afford them but nothing ventured nothing gained... so I made an appointment.
I walked into the owners office with nothing more than a Loonie in my pocket (this was not by accident)... I liked him right away... we talked, getting to know each other... I found out that... like me... he had started in the steel mills as a working stiff and wanted better things for himself and went on to law school. I on the other hand, had left my blue collar bonds and went into flying helicopters for a short while, worked as a self employed contractor, and was now trying my hand in business... we had a connection of sorts. I like to think he saw a little bit of himself in me.
We talked for a while about my business aspirations and plans and then came the all important question... How much money do you have? I was waiting for this question... that is why I brought my entire fortune... a Loonie (for those of you who don't know... a Loonie is a Canadian 1 dollar coin).
Anyway... I reached into my pants pocket, pulled out my Loonie and placed it on his desk and slid it towards him. The look on his face was the look of complete and utter disbelief. He looked down at the Loonie and looked up at me and said... "F*** Off, how much money do you really have?"... I reached out, put my index finger on the Loonie and slid it further towards him... then I sat back and said... "I don't have enough to mail an envelope!".
He couldn't believe it... I thought for sure he was going to say... Get the F*** out of my office! ... But instead... he just looked down at the Loonie, looked back up at me and spun around in his chair... put both hands behind his head and looked out the window at his spectacular view of the city.
It seemed like an eternity (probably about 30 seconds or more) then he spun back around and looked at me for a few seconds and then spun back around to look out the window again. I had the urge to say something but bit my tongue, telling myself to shut up and let him think.
Finally (again seeming like an eternity) he spun back around, looked down at the Loonie, picked it up and started playing with it between his fingers... I couldn't take it any longer and I finally said... "Well, are you my lawyer?"
He played with the Loonie for a second or two more and then slowly put it in his shirt pocket and said... "Yeah, I'm your lawyer". I couldn't believe it... here's this man, damn near $1000.00/hr just to talk to him (he once told me that he was so expensive that he could'nt afford to talk to himself in the shower) taking me on for a buck.
Truth be told... he was no fool, he believed in what I was trying to accomplish, and believed (at least I like to think he did) I could get it done... and because he believed... I believed. How can you go wrong when men like this are standing behind you.
Sometimes in life... all it takes is someone to believe in you for you to rise to the occasion. This is why we do not tolerate negativity on IMM.
As John foresaw (we'll call him John... mainly because that is his name) ... raising the money would not be easy.
The concept of giving the artists back 100% was not well received... and neither was the plan for our members to share in the profits. Investment group after investment group called the plan crazy. Bank after bank called it insane.
John once told me... "There is no place in business for philosophers" and "Shoot the inventor" ...I'm quite sure he was being facetious.
I sure didn't like the second one.
Luckily I didn't listen...
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A man who needs legal help goes to a lawyer’s office. After being escorted inside, he sits across the desk from the lawyer. The man needs legal help, but he wants to make sure he can afford it first... Can you tell me how much you charge? he asks... Of course, the lawyer replies, I charge $800 to answer three questions... Don’t you think that’s an awful lot of money to answer three questions? Yes it is, answers the lawyer, “What’s your third question?”
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The cost of code writing for a site of this size was astronomical, and nobody was willing to put up the money without taking control and wanting huge profits from the Artists and members. This is something we wanted to avoid. The whole idea was to NOT take from the Artists.
We realized early on that this platform could be used to take advantage of the artists, just as easily as it could be used to help them, so we didn't want it falling into the wrong hands.
Next we tried crowdfunding the site, but to no avail, we were throwing good money after bad.
Just when I thought we would never get IMM built, I did the unthinkable... I entertained the notion of selling the platform... I thought... better built, than not built... I even gave John permission to look for a buyer... but then, incredibly, an opportunity presented itself. I read an article where it said... The best code writers in the world were in India and they will work for a fraction of the cost.
Talk about dodging a bullet... NOT FOR SALE!
After talking to some code writers and getting a few estimates... the cost of the project seemed within our grasp, and after finding a few friends that seemed as crazy as I was... we managed to put enough money together to get things at least started. We were still a far cry from having enough to actually build it... but you've got to start somewhere. Don't you?
It was late 2019 (2 years since technology had caught up to us) and we had finally found our team of code writers... and we felt that we had enough money put together to at least get things started. So off we went into the abiss.
It was a huge risk, even though they sounded good (our new codewriting team), there are a lot of scammers out there, and you can never be sure, especially when doing business overseas. But, IMM would never get built if we did not take a chance. So I took what little money we did have and jumped off the cliff.
Having no idea how long it would take... how much it was going to cost... or even where I would get the rest of the funding... I was now committed (or maybe I should have been)... this is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!
We didn't even have a business plan (not that I ever believed in them anyway). I guarantee you... if you bother to write a business plan... you'll be throwing it in the waste basket before you know it.
Nothing ever goes as planned, so why waste the time. Business plans are for school kids and bankers, if you "are" going to write one for the bankers... just tell them what they want to hear to get them to give you the money.
Like my old man used to say... Bullshit Baffles Brains!
He'd also say... If you are going to get anything done... just get started and get to it... so that is exactly what I did.
We had the basic blueprints to the site... what more did we need? Money, that's what... but there is lots of that out there... but only one idea.
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"Don't let anyone ever tell you it can't be done... there is no such word as can't"
"What do you mean... I can't get another credit card?" -- IMM
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By maxing out my credit cards and bank accounts, mortgaging the house, and with the help of some very good, and very old friends, we got started in mid December 2019... perfect... right at Christmas time... what was I thinking? Timing was never my strong suit.
In order to build and launch this site in a reasonable amount of time, and to afford it... we had to strip it down to it's basics. This puppy was coming off the line with standard brakes, standard steering and crank windows... Just the essentials. We had to give up some pretty awesome features to keep it affordable, but (with your help) we will be adding them back as soon as we get the site launched and start to bring in some money.
A year into the job and a lot of money... I still wasn't sure what was going on... was I being scammed?... were these guys on the level?... there was really no way of knowing... but then they put all the pieces together and uploaded the site to my servers and there it was... the skeleton of IMM in all it's glory. These guys were on the level... I knew it all along... I think. But because this site had to be built from scratch, the original quote was out the window.
Unfortunately the job got bigger and bigger, unforseen costs and added time, out stripped our funds, personal problems both with us and the design team wreaked havoc... a pandemic hit (you know the one)... the help I had (here at home), just up and quit... leaving me to work alone with a rather serious concussion (a ton of ice came off a roof and hit me in the head, knocking me out and damn near killing me) it really did seem like the end of things. My doctors warned me about pushing a concussion, but what choice did I have... we were too far along to quit or even stop for a while... and there was no one else who knew the platform. I can tell you first hand... the Doctors were right... pushing a concussion is not a good idea, I do not recommend it.
Luckily, one of my business partners Paul stepped in to help, and thank God he did... he really didn't know that much about computers but he handled the job like a champ. There was so much computer work, trouble shooting, and testing to do and I couldn't sit at the screen for too long without having to lay down and sleep for a while. I really don't think that I could have gotten through this without his help... he even chipped in more money and brought in a couple of investors, then the Canadian Government gave us CERB... (Thanks Justin) I put it all into the job. Who would have thought in their wildest dreams, that the Pandemic would help us to get the job done?
Then believe it or not... our head code writer ended up in the hospital with a brain anyourism... I'm not kidding... a brain anyourism! I was scared shitless... not for the job, but for him. I had gotten to know these guys quite well, they were not only my code writing team but my friends.... this delayed us in a big way, but so what...Sanjay's life was in the balance...luckily he came through it ok...at times it seemed like God him/herself was against us... and then he wasn't... Go Figure... thanks God.
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“If you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain.” -- Dolly Parton
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I managed to get a couple more Credit Cards (which I maxed out)...and sold a few more shares. Things were actually starting to look like we might actually get this thing done... it was about half way through 2022... we were 2 and a half years into the build and then... Nothing!... not a word from our design team... Nothing!... more than a month went by and still Nothing!... no returned emails no calls... No Nothing!... What the *@???//!!! (lets keep it clean).
I had an email address for one of our team members that had quit to open his own company six months prior, so I reached out to him, asking him if he knew what happened to our team... the answer floored me... They'd been BUSTED!
The police had raided the building and arrested all management personel and confiscated all of the computers. WHAT! ...ARE YOU KIDDING ME!
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“Let me be clear about this: I don’t have a drug problem, I have a police problem." -- Keith Richards
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Back to square one... no design team... Luckily I had had them download the work onto my servers, so I had the site... or at least half of it. But what to do now? Hire a new team... but who? Finding the first one was tough enough... and you never know if a new team can get the job done... it's another big risk. Now we had to do it all over again... vet new companies and find a new team.
After interviewing several companies, I found one that gave me the warm and fuzzies so I decided to give them a try. They were almost double the cost of the previous team but they were centered out of England (which we liked being Canadian and all eh!), they ran their design team out of India (helping to keep the cost down) and the head designer answered all of my questions with knowledge and confidence.
Time was running out and I had to make a decision... so we went with them (II H Global)... and am I glad we did.
I was terrified that they'd mess things up... but they did an amazing job of putting the pieces together and every job I gave them was done to perfection. Boy did I luck out when I hired these people.
Anyway... let me get back to the Bust! ... I bet you are wondering what happend there... aren't you?
Apparently what happend is... there were three different companies working on three different floors of the same building... my guys being on the top floor and another design company on the first floor. As it turned out... the company on the second floor was running an illegal call centre and a couple of guys from the USA got wind of what they were doing and reported them to the police... but all the cops had was the IP address that pointed to the building, not any one floor.
So the police in their infinite wisdom... decided to cast a wide net and bust the whole building. I guess that cops are the same world wide. The offending company had packed up and moved out a few days before the bust. I personally think it was a tip off, (probably from the cops themsleves), because I don't believe in an exit that well timed...
As it turned out, my team was caught up in the net and not allowed to contact any clients until the police finished their investigation (which I think should have been internal) which took a couple of months. Unfortunately for my team... we had moved on and there was no going back. They did such a great job, I gave each of them a small share in IMM to thank them for their contribution... so it worked out for all... or at least we hope it will.
Business is business.
Kind of exciting, don't you think?
Funny how a nightmare can seem exciting after the fact. But I sure could have done without all the drama.
Back to IMM...
The drama continues... as Global worked on finishing the site, more unforseen work needed to be done and the job kept getting bigger and more expensive. We burned through our launch funds and we still needed more.
We had a working site that you could see, so we thought raising more capital would be easier... think again... the pandemic was winding down, people were getting back to work and there was no more CERB money coming from the government. We were so close to finishing it we could taste it, but we were broker than broke... again things weren't looking too good. We had approached just about everyone we knew so the only thing we could do was approach everyone we didn't know (there are a lot more of them).
We decided that our best option was people in the music industry... but we found that money was tight everywhere especially in the music industry... we actually found that most of them were quite cynical about the situation, saying things like... "Fans don't care about helping the artists, they just want the music for free", and... it's all streaming now". Who could blame them? Years of having your teeth kicked in can take it's toll.
We knew better... the Fans do care and want to help... they just needed a way.
It's funny how people shut off their ears and brains when they find out you are looking for money. You can talk but they are not listening... even the very people you are trying to help. Most didn't even want to look at what we were doing, and the ones that did, were impressed but didn't have the money to help.
We finally found some visionaries... or at least some people that were willing to take a chance... and in the most least likely of places too.
All we needed was enough to get this thing launched and we knew that the Artists and Fans would start to join the site and slowly help finance the rest of IMM... or at least we hope they will... we'll see.
At the time of this writing we are still working on the site but we are so close to launching now, that we have no worries as to if we will launch IMM. It's just a matter of time now. A few more small fixes and we are ready to go. I'm still pinching myself... it's hard to believe we acutally pulled it off.
This was a team effort by a lot of good people that care a lot about the Artists... and a lot of money was invested without ever knowing if the project would succeed. It took years of hard work, and tens of thousands of dollars and tens of thousands of hours before getting to the point of actually being able to launch IMM.
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“Sometimes we face potential failure, and we have to remember to try anyway to find a way to reach our goal. We can overcome many global problems and build a better world if we all work together as a community”— Jimmy Carter
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So, hats off to all who had a part. I haven't the words to thank them properly. It's been a hell of a ride so far... and we still have a long way to go.
Like I said at the top of the page, we are NOT some big corporation out to make money off the artists.
We are you, we are just some Musicians, Business Owners and Fans of music that wanted a better deal for our Artists, and ourselves, and we have put our money (and so much more) where our mouths are.
NOW WE NEED YOU !... and WE'LL PAY YOU!
Without you, this site is nothing. We need you to sign on and help us load it.
After all...YOU are IMM, not us.
Now it is your turn... using your IMM imbedded referral links, tell your friends on social media and anyone else you can think of and lets get this site loaded.
So, without further ado...Welcome to The Independent Music Mall.
Your Site...Your Freedom...Your Welcome.
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A Musical Story...
So a C, an E-flat and a G walk into a bar. The bartender says, "sorry, but we don't serve minors." So E-flat leaves, and C and G have an open fifth between them. After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished and G is out flat. F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough.
A D comes in and heads for the bathroom saying, "Excuse me. I'll just be a second." Then A comes in, but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor. Then the bartender notices B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and says, "Get out! You're the seventh minor I've found in this bar tonight."
E-Flat comes back the next night in a three-piece suit with nicely shined shoes. The bartender says, "you're looking sharp tonight. Come on in, this could be a major development." Sure enough, E-flat soon takes off his suit and everything else, and is au natural. Eventually, C, who had passed out under the bar the night before, begins to sober up and realizes in horror that he's under a rest.
So, C goes to trial, is convicted of contributing to the diminution of a minor and sentenced to 10 years of DS without Coda at an up scale correctional facility. The conviction is overturned on appeal, however, and C is found innocent of any wrongdoing, even accidental, and that all accusations to the contrary are bassless.
The bartender decides, however, that since he's only had tenor so patrons, the soprano out in the bathroom and everything has become alto much treble, he needs a rest and closes the bar.
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1. Free Membership...As stated above, anyone may use IMM to search and buy music, absolutely FREE, but you must register first.
2. Semi-Free... Past Bands/Artists... $36 One Time Fee This is where Past Bands can archive and show off their band or original music for review and discovery.
3. Fans... $26/yr...for fans that would like to make commissions and participate in discovering new artists and music.
4. Merchant...$60/yr...for those members selling music and/or comedy
5. Non-Merchant... $36/yr...for those members either presenting themselves for hire or jamming, or to show original songs or just getting themselves out there for fun.
6. Businesses, Labels, & Agents... $100/yr. ...for businesses to advertise to, and do business with our membership, as well as make money by referring members.
Because you can earn money on IMM, all memberships are tax deductable (check your countrys' tax laws).
The only time the cost of a membership goes up, is if the member is extremely successful. EG: If a member earns more than 5K in their previous year then the renewal price for the next year is $100/yr....more than 10K...then $200/yr...more than 15K...then $300/yr...more than 20K...then $400/yr ... topping out at $500/yr at the 25K and above level. The renewal commissions also rise,
As you can see, Businesses, Labels, and Agents, cost and commissions don't change until the more than 10K level.
As most of the monies taken in at IMM goes to improve the site and help the artists, this is how our more successful members help the less successful ones. Fair enough?
Thank You for joining IMM... have a nice day:)
