Topspin Media
Topspin Media (or Topspin) is a technology company that provides direct-to-consumer retail and marketing software for musicians, filmmakers, artists, authors, and other content creators. History 
Topspin was founded in 2007 by Peter Gotcher (co-creator of Pro Tools) and Shamal Ranasinghe. In its early stages, Topspin's software was exclusively accessible to artists through invitation only. The company gradually expanded its client base by testing new features through direct-to-consumer campaigns for notable artists such as David Byrne and Brian Eno. In recognition of its innovative approach, Billboard magazine named Topspin the Indie Visionary of the Year in 2008. In 2010, Topspin made a significant impact by introducing a novel ticketing system, which facilitated the sold-out success of two fan-exclusive Pixiesshows at The Troxy in London, England. CEO Ian Rogers, in February 2011, announced the company's decision to open its previously private software to the general public. Subsequently, on March 16, 2011, the Topspin platform became officially accessible to everyone. The company promoted this eagerly awaited public launch extensively during the South By Southwest music festival, where they hosted a three-day software demonstration and awarded a $5,000 "Direct-to-Fan Grant" to the artist with the most compelling direct-to-fan marketing plan. Topspin has consistently maintained a prominent presence at industry conferences such as MIDEM and South By Southwest. In October 2011, Topspin was among the first four partners selected for integration into YouTube's Merch Store. Furthermore, in March 2012, it was announced that Topspin's e-commerce and marketing technology would power MTV Networks' Artists. MTV initiative, set to launch in the summer of that year. Topspin Media is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and operates satellite offices in New York, Nashville, and London, England. The company was acquired by Beats Music in 2014. Features 
Topspin is a web-based application structured into six primary sections or tabs for its users: Dashboard, Products, Promote, Fans, Sell, and Fulfill. When users log in, they are directed to their account Dashboard, providing an overview of their recent sales and marketing data. The Products section is where users can create, bundle, and manage assets within their catalog. The Promote section offers tools for online promotion and acquiring fans. The Fans section allows users to manage and organize their acquired fan base. In the Sell section, Topspin users can create e-commerce "offers" to sell items from their Products catalog. These offers can be made available through an artist's integrated Topspin Store (Spinshop) or embedded directly on any website. The Fulfill section primarily serves as an orders management interface for receiving and processing customer orders. One of the standout features of Topspin is its capability to bundle multiple products together for sale as unified packages. For example, a single package can include a CD, T-shirt, concert ticket, album download, and other items. This bundling of physical and digital products has been recognized as an effective strategy for maintaining value in an industry where music revenues have been declining. CEO Ian Rogers has referred to this strategy of combining physical and digital goods as "rebuilding." In February 2012, Rogers provided some insights into the physical vs. digital debate, noting that although Topspin sells roughly equal numbers of physical and digital units, the majority (75%) of revenue generated by Topspin artists comes from the sale of physical merchandise. The Topspin application offers integrated tools for e-commerce, fan relationship management, marketing, and the fulfillment of both digital and physical goods. Other notable features of the Topspin platform include:

 Topspin Store (or "Spinshop") – a customizable, hosted, embeddable store available to all users. Email for Media widget – an embeddable tool that collects fan email addresses in exchange for free downloads. Redemption codes – randomized or vanity-style codes for secure free download campaigns. Membership – allows users to limit access to store offers to fan club members only. Automated Digital Preorders – users can specify future digital delivery dates and instant gratification products for specific offers. Digital Ticketing – tickets can be scanned with Topspin's accompanying iPhone app. Product bundling – the ability to package multiple products together for sale as bundles. Topspin Fulfillment – an integrated worldwide fulfillment solution available to all Topspin users. Clients and users 
At the time of Topspin's public launch in March 2011, the company's artist roster numbered somewhere between three and four thousand users. By March 2012, one year after its public launch, Topspin's roster was approaching 20,000. Among past and present Topspin users, notable artists include:

 Alexz Johnson
 Paul McCartney
 Linkin Park
 Eminem
 Beastie Boys
 Arcade Fire
 Trent Reznor
 The Smashing Pumpkins
 Noel Gallagher
 Kanye West
 Kevin Smith
 Pixies
 Sigur Rós
 Daughtry
 DJ Shadow
 Dead Can Dance
 Universal Music Group artists
Tyler, The Creator
 Atlantic Records artists
 Maroon 5
 David Byrne with Brian Eno (Everything That Happens Will Happen Today) and St. Vincent (Love This Giant)

References

External links
 Interview with Ian Rogers about Topspin, HitQuarters Jul 2010

Apple Inc. acquisitions
Music companies of the United States
Software companies established in 2007
Defunct software companies of the United States