Kesha has taken a consequential step into the tech world with the launch of her new app, Smash. She originally co-founded it with her brother Lagan Sebert and Alan Cannistraro. An extension of that music maker commitment, the app serves as an energetic community hub for music creators. It gives artists the power to foster community, collaboration, and maintain control over their creations. This initiative comes at a pivotal moment for Kesha, who recently regained control of her music rights after a lengthy legal battle.
The introduction of Smash underscores Kesha’s dedication to empowering the next generation of independent artists. “Smash is a collaborative community-building tool for music creators,” Kesha said, driving home the mission of the platform. Plan to join us there, to connect, to learn, to collaborate, and to create an art-filled future. You’ll retain rights to all of the things you create! This sentiment echoes the broader goal of Smash: to give music creators the resources they need to produce their work without the constraints typically imposed by traditional music industry contracts.
Kesha’s interest in the tech world goes beyond her personal experience. She just got the rights to her music back a year ago, a career cumulating achievement for her. I found my voice again, for the first time in my adult life, just over a year ago. As a 37-year-old mother, this change was unbelievably empowering,” she said. This process has ignited her drive to give artists the tools they need to succeed on their own terms through an artist-centric platform.
Smash isn’t merely a concept, though—it’s incredibly well-grounded. Their co-founder Alan Cannistraro has more than 12 years working at Apple under his belt. He is credited with helping to develop industry-leading products, including Final Cut and iTunes. Cannistraro led teams that developed several of the first apps on iOS, like Remote and Podcasts. It is his technical expertise that will be most important as he helps set the direction and tone for Smash’s future.
As an artist, Lagan Sebert explained the inspiration for Smash, emphasizing how artists are led to believe they have no choice but to give up their rights. An added leverage point that’s crucial especially to younger music creators, he continued, is the access through the club. Without that important entry, they don’t have opportunities at all. The Smash team is passionate about improving access through their platform. They want to make sure that creators don’t have to risk making huge, life-changing decisions about their career.
This diferenciation is what makes the app different from other platforms. It’s got a super cool feature built in where it’ll auto-generate contracts for artists. This feature is meant to help take the legal guesswork out of collaborating on music and putting the focus back on artistry. Smash intends to pay for itself by charging a small percentage of payments processed through the app. Not only does this collaborative approach establish a sustainable business model, it also builds community around support for its adventurers.
Smash recently made a big move to strengthen their ties with the artist community. They announced a competition in collaboration with ODDisee where musicians could enter their remixes of Kesha’s song. This initiative illustrates the platform’s commitment to nurturing talent and fostering collaboration among creators.
Kesha’s connections within the tech industry have helped shape Smash’s trajectory. At a recent ACTAI Ventures event, she got to know Lars Rasmussen. He co-founded Google Maps and soon thereafter became one of Smash’s early investors. This is where Rasmussen introduced Kesha to Cannistraro, who would serve as the app’s Chief Technology Officer.
Smash is still a work in progress and is ever-evolving to get better and better. This year, we’ll be making access available to a wider cohort of artists. The platform encourages a supportive, creative community driven by artists. Here, they can come together without restrictions, safe in the knowledge that their artistic control is preserved.
Through Smash, we give music creators the tools to unlock the next-level professional space with other creators. They should be able to do this without being pressured to waive their rights or make life-altering decisions, Sebert concluded.
Kesha is making a brave leap into the technology space. She’s already going all in on her new status as a burgeoning tech entrepreneur. She started Smash to change the game for indie music creators. Her goal is to set them up with the tools they need to thrive in what’s becoming a more competitive and cutthroat industry.