Livestreaming platform Veeps has unveiled new subscription service All Access, which offers fans unlimited access to all its live shows, on-demand content and special artist exclusives.

The service is available for $11.99 (€11.42) per month or a $120 (€114) for an annual pass, as the Live Nation-affiliated company bids to fuel both access and discovery by connecting fans with a wider range of acts.

Veeps was established by Good Charlotte’s Joel and Benji Madden in 2017 and has showcased more than 2,000 paid livestreams to fans in over 180 countries. October and November will feature performances such as the premiere of The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie’s sold-out show from AZ Financial Theater and Run The Jewels’ four-night series live from the Hollywood Palladium.

Other acts will include Macklemore, Jessie Ware, Boys Like Girls, Misterwives, Metric, Senses Fail, Frank Turner, OhGeesy, Flatbush Zombies,  Darius Rucker and Jason Aldean. New shows will be added weekly.

“An all-in music service like All Access is breaking new ground”

“We started Veeps for artists and their fans. For the people that love music and the ones that create it,” says Joel Madden, Veeps co-founder and CEO. “As music fans have become used to having concerts and live performances available in the same way they consume sports and movies, it was obvious that we needed to create a model that wasn’t limited to pay-per-view.

“An all-in music service like All Access is breaking new ground and we’re committed to setting a standard that is accessible for fans, compensates artists fairly, and continues to deliver the high-quality shows that we’ve become known for. All Access is the next iteration of Veeps as we head towards a future where every concert will be streamed.”

On-demand content, meanwhile, gives fans access to prior Veeps shows from superstars including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, The Cure, Def Leppard, Evanescence, Imagine Dragons, J Balvin, JVKE, Katy Perry, The Killers, Metallica, Muse, Rage Against the Machine, the Rolling Stones and Shania Twain.

“Live performances have a unique magic, and Veeps has done an incredible job bringing fans that experience in their homes”

Veeps has also announced the debut of its first two original content series: Sidehustles and music interview podcast-turned-filmed talk show Artist Friendly. It also curates and presents music documentaries, comedy specials, exclusive interviews, original content, talk shows and select historical content. Platform partners include Amazon, Ticketmaster and Verizon.

“Live performances have a unique magic, and Veeps has done an incredible job bringing fans that experience in their homes,” adds Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino. “All Access is giving fans a new way to discover music and artists another marketing platform that will only continue to fuel the demand for live with an even bigger world of concerts at our fingertips.”

Subscription plans will initially be available in the US, with international expansion to follow at a later date.

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Live Nation has acquired a majority stake in Veeps, a ticketed livestreaming platform developed by Good Charlotte’s Joel and Benji Madden.

Established by the Maddens in 2017, Veeps has in 2020 alone hosted around 1,000 paid livestreamed shows by artists including Liam Payne, Pete Yorn, Brandi Carlile, Louis Tomlinson, Architects and Rufus Wainwright.

The brothers – along with co-founders Sherry Saeedi and Kyle Heller and the entire Veeps team – will remain in place following the acquisition, terms of which were not disclosed.

According to Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino, the Veeps platform – which, in addition to commission-free ticketed live streams, offers functionality for merch sales, VIP offerings, social-media marketing, and chat between artists and fans – stood out in the increasingly crowded livestreaming marketplace.

“Livestreaming is a great complement to our core business, and essentially gives any show an unlimited capacity”

“We are impressed with what Benji and Joel have created with Veeps, and their platform will create new ways to enjoy thousands of Live Nation concerts,” comments Rapino. “Livestreaming is a great complement to our core business, and essentially gives any show an unlimited capacity.

“Looking to the future, livestreams will continue to unlock access for fans – whether they are tuning into a sold-out show in their hometown, or watching their favourite artist play in a city halfway around the world. The most critical element of live streaming is the artist on stage, and with Live Nation’s unmatched inventory feeding into Veeps, together we will help fans enjoy more live music than ever before.”

“Benji and I have worked extensively with Live Nation over the last two decades, and we’re very happy to be joining a company that is such a big supporter of artists and artist-led businesses. It’s a natural fit and evolution for our business,” says Joel Madden. “This partnership is a demonstration that premium, ticketed live streams have earned themselves a permanent place in the verticals of every artist business.

“Last year Veeps live streams helped artists, both big names and new acts, make over [US]$10 million for themselves, their families, their crew and their chosen causes, and we’re looking forward to helping even more artists connect with fans this year in ways that support their art and their development.”

“Last year Veeps live streams helped artists, both big names and new acts, make over $10m”

Veeps marks only the second merger or takeover for traditionally acquisitive Live Nation since the tail end of 2019, when it wrapped up the decade by acquiring a controlling interest in Malaysia’s PR Worldwide, its 20th of the year. It managed just two in 2020 – Taiwan’s Tixcraft (via Ticketmaster) and Norway’s Bergen Live – before the pandemic hit and it embarked on a near-US$1 billion programme of cost-cutting.

According to Live Nation, Veeps will act as a complement to in-person concerts when they return later this year, offering “exclusive content, new vantage points, sold-out shows and unparallelled access” to LN events in the real world.

“We’ve always believed that taking an art-first approach to livestream shows helps artists create the kind of performance they can be proud of and an experience that fans love,” comments Benji Madden. “This means applying as much creativity and thoughtfulness as you would with any in-person show.

“We will only see this platform get more innovative as concerts return and we layer into shows in even more ways. We’re incredibly grateful for our team, who continue to hustle non-stop, and we look forward to amazing things ahead alongside Live Nation.”

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LA-based agency ICM Partners and Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden have joined forces to launch an initiative aimed at developing emerging talent and brands across the music industry.

Through the partnership, ICM also hopes to enhance the level of personal service received by established clients.

Madden, who co-founded Good Charlotte along with his twin brother in 1996, will bring new talent to the agency and offer creative support to existing ICM artists.

The Good Charlotte co-founder launched his own artist development and management company, Mddn.co, in 2015, in collaboration with his two brothers, Benji and Josh.

“We have the opportunity to create something which will be very impactful in supporting the growth of artists”

“The agents we have worked with at ICM share our passion and entrepreneurial spirit for artist representation,” says Madden. “We have the opportunity to create something very special which I believe will be very impactful in supporting the growth and success of artists.”

Rob Prinz, co-head of worldwide music at ICM Partners, says he is “excited to be in business” with Madden, whom he describes as “a uniquely gifted artist and entrepreneur”.

Prinz commends ICM agent Mike Hayes for being the “driving force” behind the company’s relationship with Madden.

ICM Partners agent Kevin Jergensen was the winner of the Tomorrow’s New Boss award at this year’s Arthur Awards, picked from IQ’s New Bosses 2018 shortlist. The New Bosses of 2019 will be announced in the upcoming IQ 85.

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