MERRILLVILLE -- The big boys may not know it yet, but there's been a silent revolution at work to make changes in the music industry, and it is about to make some noise.
Former Chicago banker and Valparaiso University graduate Christopher Bauman, 25, and his small band of tech-savvy, music-loving staff at Chordcraft Music Co. in the Purdue Technology Center, have launched FanFound.com.
It's a fan and musical artist-friendly concept that, Bauman says, will revolutionize the music industry, bringing freedom of choice to fans and a connection for the artists, fans and performance venues.
"We're working very hard, day in and day out, to ensure that FanFound brings to the music industry now, the same thunder the radio did when it was first introduced," Bauman said, adding, "I am not anti-record label; I am anti-record labels exploiting musicians, and angry that the major ones are in bed with (companies) to get the same songs played constantly on our FM radio."
Visiting online at www.FanFound.com makes the revolutionary cry clear. "You are becoming part of a movement to claim back the music!" it states.
Much like what Google provides its employees, Bauman and company have headed to a lakeside retreat for the summer for the innovative atmosphere it provides. They're creatively addressing the glitches expected with any launching of a Web site, and Bauman is outlining his vision for the next phase.
On FanFound, people will be able to create a profile, then receive information about their favorite musical artists and connect with other fans. They'll be able to create playlists of their favorite songs, archive information on concerts they've attended and build personal profiles based on the songs they love.
At the same time, musicians registered on FanFound will learn how many fans they have and connect with them in a personal way. The fan base information will give venues data on the popularity of bands and individual artists, too.
All of the fan, musician and venue signups are free.
Bauman said FanFound intends to share revenue with its registered musicians based on how many FanFound users are listening to their songs.
The goal is to give musicians a 20 percent share within the next six months, Bauman said.
"Why not? They should be compensated," he added.
The idea does not stop with FanFound.
"The Internet is just a tool to bring forth Chordcraft's much larger mission of bringing music back," Bauman said. "We are hoping to do community concerts, educational programs, the whole works; as we grow and start generating revenue."
