FAQ
This is the FAQ for Subvert, organized by topic. If you cannot find what you are looking for here, write to us at info@subvert.fm.
A. Basics
What is Subvert?
Subvert is a cooperative-owned music marketplace. Artists and labels sell digital music directly to listeners. Listeners buy and own what they pay for. The platform itself is owned by the people who use it. Read more →
Who owns Subvert?
Subvert is owned by a co-op of more than twenty thousand members: Artist Members, Label Members, Supporter Members, and Worker Members. Members elect the board and govern the cooperative democratically.
What is the Subvert Platform?
The Subvert Platform is an online marketplace where artists and labels can sell digital music directly to their audience. Physical media and merchandise are coming. You do not need to be a Co-op Member to buy or listen on Subvert, but membership is required to upload and sell music.
Is Subvert a streaming service?
No. Subvert is a marketplace. Artists upload music and set prices. Buyers purchase the music and own what they buy. We are not a subscription DSP service like Spotify.
Is Subvert a Bandcamp alternative?
That is one way to describe what we offer artists, labels, and listeners. We are also more than that. Subvert is a long-term project to build cooperative-owned infrastructure for independent music, beginning with a marketplace and growing from there.
Does Subvert require exclusivity?
No. Artists and labels are free to sell on Subvert and any other platform at the same time. We are not interested in locking anyone in.
Is this a crypto thing?
No.
Where is Subvert based?
Subvert Cooperative LCA is incorporated as a Limited Cooperative Association under Colorado law. The Corporation, Subvert Inc. PBC, is incorporated in Delaware as a Public Benefit Corporation. Our workers are based in New York City and Lisbon. The cooperative itself is global: members live in over 120 countries.
B. Joining
Who can join Subvert?
Anyone working with music can apply: artists who make and release original music, labels that publish music by multiple artists, and supporters of any kind. The full criteria for Artist and Label Members live in our Co-op Acceptance Criteria.
How do I join as an artist or a label?
Apply through the form at subvert.fm. The application asks for your artist or label name, a link to your existing music online, and a mailing address. Applications are reviewed within 48 hours. There is no fee. Read more →
How do I join as a supporter?
Pay a one-time $100 fee for a lifetime Supporter Membership at subvert.fm. Supporter Members do not need to apply.
Can I be more than one kind of member?
Yes. Membership is tied to you as an individual. You can hold multiple class memberships under a single membership. An artist who runs a label and wants to be a supporter can do all three under one account.
What information do I need to provide?
Your name, email address, and mailing address. We do not collect more than is necessary for membership records and shipping the zine.
What happens if my application is not approved?
After a first rejection, we send guidance on how to strengthen your application before you reapply. After a second rejection, you can request an appeal where you make your case directly to the Co-op Curators and the Worker Member team. You can reapply at any time. Read more →
Why does Subvert review applications at all?
To keep the platform aligned with its purpose: a marketplace for human-made music by working artists and active labels. Applications are reviewed against published Acceptance Criteria. Curators do not consider taste, audience size, or following.
C. What Membership Gets You
What does it mean to be a Co-op Member?
You are a co-owner of Subvert. You can vote in elections, run for the board, propose changes to the cooperative, and share in any future profit distributions. You are not an employee, an investor, or a customer in the traditional sense. You are an owner.
What can I do on the platform as a member?
It depends on your class. Artist Members and Label Members can upload, publish, and sell music. Supporter Members can buy music and access member-only discounts on releases across the platform. All Co-op Members can participate in governance and engage in the Subvert Forum.
What discounts do I get as a member?
Artists can set member-only prices on their releases, available exclusively to Co-op Members in good standing. The discount is the artist's choice and varies by release.
What governance rights do I have?
You can vote for the directors who represent your membership class on the board. You can vote on bylaws amendments, proposals submitted at the Annual General Meeting, and on any sale, merger, or dissolution of the cooperative. You can submit proposals yourself with the support of 5% of eligible members. Read more →
Do I have to participate in governance?
No. Members are encouraged to participate but it is not required. You can be a member with minimal involvement and still retain all your rights. The minimum to remain in good standing is signing in to the platform at least once every twelve months.
What does the welcome zine include?
The Co-op Member Guide is a 143-page printed zine that includes an overview of the cooperative, a primer on how it works, and our business plan. Supporter Members receive one as part of their membership. Artist Members and Label Members can claim a copy at a pay-what-you-want price point.
Is there a fee to remain a member?
No. Once you are a member, there are no recurring dues. Supporter Membership is a one-time $100 lifetime fee. Artist and Label Membership is free with no annual fee.
D. Money & Liability
Am I personally liable for anything as a member?
No. The cooperative's structure protects members from personal financial liability. The most you can lose is what you paid in: nothing for Artist and Label Members, $100 for Supporter Members.
What does it cost to join?
Free for Artists and Labels. $100 one-time for Supporters, for a lifetime membership.
Why does a Supporter Membership cost $100?
A few reasons. Co-op membership is genuinely valuable. The fee also helps balance governance: every Co-op Member has one vote regardless of class, and a meaningful price keeps the Supporter class from overwhelming the Artist and Label classes in voting weight. And the fee helps fund the cooperative's operations.
Where does the $100 for Supporter Memberships go?
The $100 funds the operations of the cooperative: paying workers, running the platform, printing and shipping the Co-op Member Guide, and supporting the work of building Subvert.
Can Subvert charge me fees later that I did not sign up for?
No new fees are planned or under discussion. Any change to the platform fee structure would require advance notice, amendment of the Payment Policy, and approval by the Co-op Board.
Does Subvert take a cut of my sales?
No. The platform fee is 0%. Artists and labels keep 100% of their sale proceeds after Stripe's payment processing fees.
What is an Optional Contribution?
A voluntary payment buyers can add at checkout to support the cooperative directly. Optional Contributions are entirely separate from the artist's sale price and go to the co-op rather than the artist. They are presented as a percentage of the purchase price (10%, 15%, or 20%, with 15% selected by default) and a custom amount field. Buyers can also decline.
Will I be taxed on my membership?
Membership itself is not a taxable event. If the cooperative is profitable and distributes profits back to members, that could be taxable income, and Subvert would issue the appropriate forms when distributions occur. We expect profit distributions to be years away.
E. Power & Governance
Who decides what at Subvert?
Decisions are split into three tiers. Operational decisions (day-to-day platform management, hiring, support) are made by Worker Members. Strategic decisions (budgets, partnerships, major policies) are made by the elected board. Fundamental decisions (bylaws amendments, board elections, sale, merger, dissolution) require a vote of the membership. The full breakdown is in our Decision Authority Matrix. Read more →
How is the board elected?
Each membership class elects its own representatives. Artist Members elect Artist directors, Label Members elect Label directors, and so on. Directors serve three-year terms, with staggered elections so the board does not turn over all at once. The target board composition is nine seats: three Artist, two Label, two Supporter, two Worker.
Can a member submit a proposal?
Yes. The current path is a conversation in the Subvert Forum. For formal proposals to be voted on at the Annual General Meeting, the bylaws require submission to the board at least 60 days before the meeting, co-signatures from at least 5% of eligible members, and approval from one-third of the directors. The board can also independently add proposals to the AGM ballot.
We have not yet built tools in the platform itself to create or co-sign petitions. Governance features are something we will continue to build out over time.
Can members remove a board director?
Yes. The bylaws provide for removal of directors by member vote, consistent with Colorado cooperative law. Members of the affected class are typically the ones who initiate.
Do I have to participate in governance?
No. Members can be as involved or uninvolved as they want. The minimum requirement to remain in good standing is signing in to the platform at least once every twelve months.
What is the Annual General Meeting?
The AGM is the cooperative's main once-a-year membership meeting. The board presents the year's results, members vote on board elections and any proposals on the ballot, and the membership has the chance to engage directly with leadership. The first Subvert AGM is scheduled for July 2026. Read more →
Does Subvert have any check on workers or leadership?
Yes. The board hires and can remove the Director and other executives. The board itself is elected by the membership and can be recalled. Power flows from members upward, not from leadership downward.
How can members hold leadership accountable?
Members hold leadership accountable indirectly through the board. The board hires, evaluates, and can fire the Director and other executives. Members elect the directors and can recall them. So if members want to change leadership at the cooperative, the path is to elect a board that will make that change. Read more →
F. Dual-Entity Structure
Why does Subvert have two legal entities?
There are several reasons, but a primary one is to make collective ownership compatible with the ability to raise sufficient capital to build a platform like Subvert. The Subvert Co-op handles operations, governance, and member ownership. Subvert Inc. PBC, the Corporation, holds the platform's intellectual property and is the vehicle through which Subvert can take on investment. The Co-op owns 100% of the Corporation's founding shares. Read more →
What does the Corporation do?
The Corporation owns the platform's intellectual property: the Subvert brand, the code, the trademarks, and any future ventures the cooperative builds. It does not own any rights to music uploaded by Artist or Label Members. Artists retain full ownership of their work. The Corporation has no employees. Its job is to hold the platform IP and serve as the legal vehicle for outside investment.
Who controls the Corporation?
The Co-op. Co-op Members elect the Co-op board. Those same elected board members serve concurrently as the Corporation's board. Investors hold non-voting shares and have no governance rights over either entity.
What is a Public Benefit Corporation?
A PBC is a type of corporation that is legally permitted, and required, to consider public benefit alongside profit when making decisions. We chose this form for the Corporation to align its purpose with the cooperative's mission.
G. Funding & Investors
How is Subvert funded?
Subvert has raised approximately $700,000 in total. This includes a $650,000 SAFE round closed in 2025, a $50,000 follow-on investment from the Center for Cultural Innovation, and earlier fellowship grants of approximately $35,000 from IDEO and the Center for Cultural Innovation in 2024. We have also generated revenue from sales of the zine. Read more →
Who are your investors?
Our SAFE round investors are listed publicly on our Funding history page, with names and amounts. We chose to disclose this because transparency is consistent with our cooperative principles. All investors consented to public disclosure.
What do investors get?
Investors hold non-voting shares in the Corporation. They have no governance rights over the Co-op and no say in how the platform is run. If the Co-op distributes profits, a proportional share flows through the Corporation to investors.
Could investors take over Subvert and sell it?
No. To date, our investment has come in through SAFEs (Simple Agreements for Future Equity), which have not converted into shares yet. Our written funding terms specify that when SAFEs do convert, investors will hold non-voting shares only. Investors cannot direct the cooperative or force a sale. A sale of the Corporation requires approval from both boards, and a controlling-stake sale also requires a member vote. The Co-op holds 100% of the Corporation's founding shares and can refuse a sale outright.
What if Subvert needs to raise more money?
The Corporation can raise additional investment in future rounds with board approval. Any decision to raise significant funding involves member input. Members do not vote on every funding decision, but the board is accountable to members and explains funding decisions transparently.
Why take outside investment at all?
Co-ops need capital. Building a platform that serves tens of thousands of members in over a hundred countries is expensive, and bootstrapping at that scale puts everyone at risk: workers, artists, supporters. We also believe in paying workers fairly. Cooperatives should not be synonymous with poverty wages or excessive worker insecurity. Capital lets us pay people for their work and build something that lasts. We accept investment on terms that protect cooperative governance.
Will Subvert ever pay out profits to members?
That is the long-term plan. As a cooperative, profits flow back to members through patronage refunds proportional to each member's contributions. In the near term, we expect to reinvest profits in the platform rather than distribute them, since we are still building. Patronage refund distributions are likely years away.
H. Platform & AI
What can I sell on Subvert?
Right now, digital music. Physical media (vinyl, CDs, cassettes) and merchandise are coming. Artists and labels set their own prices. There is no minimum or maximum, except that paid releases must be priced at $1.00 or above.
What audio formats does Subvert support?
MP3, FLAC, WAV, and AIFF.
Is AI-generated music or art allowed on Subvert?
No. Subvert is a platform for human creative authorship. Our AI Policy prohibits AI-generated music and visual art. Use of AI-assisted production tools (autotune, mixing software, etc.) does not require disclosure. Generative AI does. Violations can result in removal from the platform and the cooperative.
Who enforces the AI Policy?
A Cooperative Moderation Panel made up of co-op members. The panel reviews flagged content using a published assessment rubric and publishes anonymized summaries of decisions to maintain transparency. Enforcement begins at application screening.
Does Subvert claim any rights to my music?
No. Subvert does not own any rights to music uploaded by Artist or Label Members. Artists retain full ownership of their work. The license you grant is limited to what is required for the platform to host, sell, and deliver your work to buyers.
Can I use Subvert and Bandcamp at the same time?
Yes. Subvert does not require exclusivity.
Does Subvert offer a mobile app?
Not yet. The platform works in mobile browsers.
I. Trust & Track Record
What if Subvert goes out of business?
If the cooperative ever has to wind down, the bylaws specify the order of distribution: debts paid first, then any patronage refunds owed to members, then any remaining assets distributed proportionally based on members' patronage activity over the most recent two years. Members would not be on the hook for losses.
What if the cooperative is mismanaged?
Members can recall directors. Members can call special meetings with a 5% petition. Members vote on bylaws amendments and on any sale, merger, or dissolution. Power is distributed across many people rather than concentrated in any one.
What stops Subvert from "selling out"?
The structure. A sale of the cooperative requires both a two-thirds board vote and a majority member vote. There is no path for any individual or small group to force a sale against the will of the membership.
Does Subvert publish financial information?
Yes. The board publishes financial reports, board meeting minutes, and the cooperative's investor list publicly. We commit to transparency as a core practice. See our Transparency section of the docs.
J. Getting Involved
How can I influence Subvert beyond voting?
Several paths. Participate in the Subvert Forum where members discuss the cooperative and shape policy. Submit a proposal to be voted on at the AGM. Run for the board.
Can I work for Subvert?
We are not always hiring, but Co-op Members get first look at any contract or full-time work the cooperative posts. We share opportunities through the forum and direct email to members.
How do I become a Worker Member?
Worker Membership begins as a contractor relationship. After at least six months working at least twenty hours a week with the cooperative, the board votes on admission. Every Worker Member to date has come up through this path.
How do I leave the co-op?
Email info@subvert.fm and state in writing that you wish to withdraw from the co-op and resign your membership. You can also resign through your account settings on the platform. Membership is voluntary and you can leave at any time. Read more →
Where can I ask a question that is not answered here?
Write to info@subvert.fm. For broader discussion, the Subvert Forum is the place to engage with workers, board members, and other Co-op Members directly.