Malcolm Dunbar to head up Pledge

The previously reported new fan-funding web platform Pledge Music this week confirmed that A&R veteran Malcolm Dunbar will be heading up the company as Managing Director. Dunbar has previously worked in A&R roles at a number of major and independent record companies, including Universal, Warner, V2 and Sanctuary. Over the years he signed artists as diverse as Orange Juice, Julian Cope, The Christians, Tanita Tikaram, Idlewild and Liberty X. Also on Dubar's team at Pledge will be Jonathan Smith, former CFO of Sanctuary and EMI; Dan Symons, formerly Marketing Manager at Rough Trade and Sanctuary; and former Warner and V2 A&R Coordinator Cecelia Lewis. Pledge was founded by its CEO Benji Rogers, who recently told CMU: "We have devised Pledge Music to be transparent and open. We have designed Pledge Music to be beneficial to all involved. Musicians will get the funding and promotional support that they need, the fan will get the music that they want at the price that they want to pay, the studios will get paid half up front and half on delivery, and charities . In effect we have sought to create a system in which nobody loses". Confirming his involvement, Dunbar added: "I have spent most of my career working within record companies and it is obvious that the music industry landscape is changing dramatically. The existing label structures still have their place, but there are ever increasing opportunities for artists to take control of their careers while retaining rights ownership". "Pledge Music is a brilliantly thought out model that allows artists to work closely with their fans and empowers them to make all the key decisions affecting their work. We will offer support and guidance where necessary and provide a platform for artists and their managers to create their own infrastructure. We have a great team in place and we're all really looking forward to launching Pledge Music in the coming weeks' Pledge is currently beta testing at www.pledgemusic.com