By OohYeah Magazine

In Austin’s vibrant music scene, one thing is constant: the artists create the culture, but rarely reap its rewards. Lauren Bruno, founder of Prosper XO, is determined to change that. Her mission is clear — give artists ownership of their data, better financial opportunities, and direct connections to the brands and fans who believe in them.

“I’ve consistently seen how artists are underpaid, unprotected, and overlooked, even as they build the very culture that others profit from,” Bruno said when she announced Prosper XO earlier this year.

She’s right. On platforms like Spotify, artists earn less than a penny per stream. “To even make minimum wage, you have to have 800,000 streams a month,” she explained.

Prosper XO is her answer to an industry that’s been upside down for far too long.

From Backyard Gigs to Big Ideas

Bruno’s roots in Austin’s music community run deep. After moving to the city in 2009, she launched $3 Shows, backyard benefit concerts that raised money for local causes like the SIMS Foundation. Her band, Les Rav, found success getting songs placed in films and video games — but even with those wins, making a living solely from music proved impossible.

“Hearing that 61% of musicians in America are living below the poverty line… I knew I couldn’t just sit back,” she said.

That realization sparked Prosper XO.

Dear Artists,
We’re artists too. And we’re building this for us — for all of us.
Prosper XO is a platform created to put artists back at the center of the industry. In a system that’s long profited off our talent while keeping us underpaid and undervalued, we believe it’s time for something better.

A Letter to the Global Music Industry

PROSPER — When Artists Prosper, Culture Thrives

The global music industry generated $28.6 billion in revenue in 2023. Yet for most artists powering this machine, the reality is far from glamorous.

• Nearly 60% of musicians earn less than $30,000/year from music-related income. Many work multiple jobs just to survive. (SoundCloud Artist Income Report, 2023)

• Mental health struggles in the music industry are 3x higher than the general population, driven by instability, lack of support, and crushing industry pressure. (Record Union, 2019)

• Only 12% of that $28.6B goes to artists. The rest is absorbed by labels, distributors, and intermediaries. (Citigroup Report, 2023)

• Most artists lack control over their data, ownership of their work, and access to financial tools — all while their content fuels billion-dollar empires.

• Streaming pays most artists less than a penny per stream, averaging about $0.003. It takes 800,000 monthly streams on Spotify to make minimum wage.

These aren’t exceptions — they’re the norm. Red flags waving across an industry that’s failed to evolve for its creators.

It’s time to change.

At Prosper XO, music isn’t just a product — it’s a source of liberation for both listeners and creators. We’re not just building tech. We’re building a movement for justice, transparency, and sustainability.

Our mission is simple: To see artists paid, protected, understood, and empowered.

• Ownership of your art and data is a right, not a luxury.

• Mental health matters. Community matters. Artist lives matter.

• Revenue must reach the creators — not just the corporations.

• No more starving artist mythology. No more silence behind the curtain.

Let’s make music sustainable. Let’s build the future artists deserve.

The OohYeah Perspective

At OohYeah, we know this fight all too well. For years, we’ve battled challenge after challenge trying to deliver the most prosperous solutions for unsigned artists — only to face monopolies and middlemen at every turn, each trying to take a cut of what’s left of nothing.

We’ve built, rebuilt, and stood our ground in the face of platforms that profit off artists while giving them crumbs in return. We’ve seen firsthand how difficult it is to break through the gatekeepers, how aggressively the industry resists change that shifts power back to the creators.

So to Prosper XO, we say this: Welcome to the party. The more of us on the front lines, the harder we are to ignore.

A New Kind of Music Platform

Still in its early stages, Prosper XO is being built in phases. The end goal: a full-scale, artist-owned alternative to corporate streaming giants. But the first steps are all about infrastructure.

Bruno envisions:

• Direct Sponsorships – A matchmaking tool to connect artists with brands and local businesses ready to invest in culture.

• Data Ownership – Giving artists access to the listener data that Spotify keeps locked away.

• Legal Resources – Accessible help for contract reviews, licensing, and protecting creative rights.

• Community-First Tools – A space where venues, fans, and brands can collaborate with artists on equal footing.

“Spotify owns 95% of that data,” she said. “They use it to make more money for themselves. That needs to change.”

Our first step is simple but powerful:
To help you access more revenue, more ownership, real protection, and deeper connection.
We’re starting with brand partnerships and campaign tools designed to help you get paid, understand and own your value, and protect your work — all without needing a huge following or a label behind you.
This isn’t about chasing clout. It’s about building something real, sustainable, and yours.

The R.O.C.C. Framework

At the core of Prosper XO is a four-part blueprint: Revenue. Opportunity. Connection. Control.

“It’s about giving artists the tools to claim their value in the music economy,” Bruno said. “When artists prosper, culture thrives.”

The Road Ahead

Prosper XO’s Phase 1 rollout includes:

• Launching a national survey campaign to collect real-world insights from artists, venues, and fans.

• Hosting monthly meetups at Austin’s Capital Factory to keep the conversation moving.

• Publishing open letters to the industry demanding systemic change.

• Beginning development of its MVP platform for artist-brand sponsorships.

For Bruno, it’s as much about listening as it is about building. “We could talk about these problems all day, but if we’re not going toward solutions, where will we be left?”

Because when artists prosper, culture thrives. And we believe in your voice. Let’s build this together.
— Lauren Bruno
Founder, Prosper XO, and Team