Daily Pulse

‘The Highest Net Profit Merch An Artist Can Sell’: Q’s With Bootleg.Live’s Rod Yancy

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Rod Yancy, founder and CEO of Bootleg.live.

Bootleg.live enables artists to offer their fans fully licensed, high-quality audio recordings of concerts, available for purchase right at the show.

Like a tour poster or band t-shirt, Bootleg.live recordings can be purchased at the event, by scanning QR codes posted around the venue. Each show’s Bootleg is only available for a limited time, usually three days.

After purchase, within hours of the performance, fans access recordings via the Bootleg.live app, and can relive their favorite sets while supporting their favorite artists.

Pollstar reached out to Bootleg.live founder and CEO Rod Yancy, to find out exactly how the app works.

Pollstar: How is the high-fidelity audio captured exactly? Does bootleg connect with the front-of-house mixing desk?
Rod Yancy: For most shows, we connect with the front-of-house desk, take multichannel wav files, and do a headphone-ready mix down and master. Some artists already record and do their own mix and master and deliver us a mix and mastered file.

Do you cooperate with ticketing companies/promoters to add the price for the bootleg onto the ticket? And is this optional for concertgoers, i.e. can they opt out of the bootleg feature and pay less for the ticket?
For most shows, Bootlegs are sold through QR codes, at the merch table, and through pre-sales and post-sales on social media, email, and digital channels. For some venues, we add the price to the ticket, partnering with ticket vendors. Depending on how the show is promoted and tickets are sold, buyers can opt out.

What are the price points? What’s the minimum to make it a viable operation?
Artists decide on the price of the Bootleg. There is a minimum, because mechanical royalties are paid for each track. Testing is showing that fans accept pricing like a CD or even a vinyl ($20-$40). Since the artist has no cost of goods, Bootleg is the highest net profit merch an artist can sell.

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Artists can create live recordings of their shows and sell them to their fans like merch with the help of Bootleg.live.

How quickly post-show is the bootleg available in full?
The first cut is available within 12 hours. Remix and remasters can happen seamlessly, if artists request.

The purchase window of the bootleg is limited to a few days, but once you’ve purchased it, you can listen to it forever, correct?
Yes, once it is purchased you have a rare Bootleg in your collection and you can listen forever.

Lastly, this is rolling out in 2025? Do you already have some stats to share on how many artists have used it and sold a bootleg afterwards?
We have stats from our recent concerts and early data is showing that Bootlegs sell to 5-10% of concert goers and the sales rate will improve as artists embrace the product from the stage, on socials, and email. And there is no cost of goods! It’s the most profitable merch an artist can sell.

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