Do you have to be an established, well-funded act to make the most of direct-to-consumer platforms like Topspin? Coverage recently has focused on the popularity of more expensive physical products being sold by bands using the service. However, CEO Ian Rogers has denied that this means it’s a ‘rich band’s game’. “In fact, selling up-market products direct-to-consumer is *more* important for small bands than for large as it represents a much larger % of total revenue for bands with smaller fan bases (and thus less mass distribution) than large bands,” he blogs. “When Topspin works with a top tier artist direct-to-consumer may represent only 10% of their total sales. An established yet less “pop” act with a well-run direct-to-fan business will see this in the 15-35% range. But an act just starting out will often see 90%+ of their revenue come from the direct-to-fan channel.”