Being in an industry where the short end of the stick is often given, artists need ways where they’re able to thrive without their counterparts, which is the void Alexander Yoseph came to help fill with his app. Inflow — a music platform described as “the first Black-owned cryptocurrency app for musicians” — wants to help its users not only launch their own cryptocurrency but also have “ new methods for independently monetizing.” “What artists like about Inflow is that you are not monetizing your music, you are monetizing access to you,” Yoseph told AfroTech. “So, if an artist is in a 360 deal and they can’t release exclusive music on inflow they can just monetize vlogs, live streams, meetups, etc., as rewards for their token holders. We also are the only app that rewards fans so it’s a win-win scenario.” After creating his idea, the founder’s app caught the attention of leading Ethereum software platform Consensys and open-source research and development laboratory Protocol Labs....

Memphis is widely considered to be the birthplace of the music we love today. It’s also the hometown of George Monger, the founder and CEO of Connect Music — a Black-owned music startup launched in 2020. More specifically, the Memphis-based company is a music monetization platform that provides distribution and publishing administration services. As Black creators are disproportionately affected by the downfalls of the industry, Monger has been dedicated to proving that music is an asset class by helping the group own their music and become profitable during today’s streaming era. The founder has gone on to have over 200 label clients and developed editorial partnerships with streaming giants Pandora, Spotify, and Apple. Addiontally, Monger has also gotten Boosie Badazz on board as part-owner of Connect Music.