On Oct. 3, local songstress Stephcynie (stef-sih-nee) is changing the narrative for independent artists by hosting a one-of-a-kind music event called Paid 2 Play.

Paid 2 Play is a submission-based music experience that is open to independent artists looking to level up — beyond exposure. Boasting to be more than just a festival, Paid 2 Play is helping artists transform their small live performances into polished, top-notch productions by connecting them with award-winning music directors and production managers. Artists are equipped with proper rehearsal strategies, and are given a platform to execute a pro-level production in front of a live (and virtual) audience. 

After a Paid 2 Play performance, artists will walk away from the stage with experience, professional audio/visual content, and an EPK that will help them negotiate payment for future live events.

And the best part is… they will get paid!

The goal of Paid 2 Play is to motivate promoters and venues to begin offering adequate compensation to all of the artists they book, and to motivate and teach artists how to work with promoters, so that both sides benefit equally from their art.

An additional component to this event includes the Beyond Exposure Virtual Conference, featuring top industry professionals such as Rashid William (Jill Scott & John Legend), Alex Williams (Kanye West, Nike, Disney) and artist/songwriter Kyshona, who will discuss practical ways that artists can consistently put themselves in a position to negotiate fair pay for their performances.

Once this scales, the intention is to develop the event into an annual music festival that rivals Lollapalooza, Afropunk, and Coachella.

“I got tired of being offered ‘exposure’ for payment. People pay for what they believe in and it’s up us to become the type of act that promoters and booking agents can stand behind,” Stephcynie said. “I want any artist who gets booked with Paid 2 Play to be able to walk up to any promoter and say ‘here, this is what I do, I do it well, and your audience will pay for it.’”

For more information about Paid 2 Play, visit paid2playmusic.com. Tune in to watch the event and conference on Saturday, Oct. 3!