Membership
Subvert is a multi-stakeholder cooperative. That means we have several (4) kinds of members, each representing a different relationship to the platform: the people who make the music, the people who put it out, the people who listen and buy, and the people who build and run Subvert itself.
Every Co-op Member gets one vote. Each class elects its own representatives to the board. No class outranks another. Decisions that affect the whole co-op require all members.
Membership is tied to you as an individual, not to a band or a label or a company. You can belong to more than one class at the same time. If you are an artist who runs a label and also buys music as a fan, you have a single membership and your class memberships sit under it.
Artist Members
Artist Members are musicians who upload and sell their music on Subvert. Membership is free. Apply through our join page, and once approved you can publish releases and start selling.
Label Members
Label Members are record labels and other music entities that release music by multiple artists. Membership is free. The application process is the same as for artists. Label-specific pages on the platform are not yet available, but they are coming. In the meantime, label members can join the co-op and participate in governance ahead of platform features being ready for them.
Supporter Members
Supporter Members are listeners and fans. Membership is a one-time payment of $100 for a lifetime membership. You do not need to be a Supporter Member to buy music on Subvert, but membership gives you ownership in the co-op, a vote in governance, and access to member-only discounts on releases across the platform.
Artist Members and Label Members can also become Supporter Members if they want to, but they are not required to.
Worker Members
Worker Members are the people who build and run Subvert day to day. The path to becoming a Worker Member starts as a contractor: a trial period of at least six months, working at least twenty hours a week with the cooperative, followed by approval from the board. We currently have four Worker Members.
Founding members
Anyone who joined Subvert before May 12, 2026 holds Founding Member status. The platform opened to the public on that date, and founding membership recognizes the people who showed up early.
Member benefits
Every Co-op Member, regardless of class, has the right to vote in governance, run for the board, propose changes, and share in any future profit distributions the co-op makes. Members also receive ongoing access to discounts on releases across the platform, set by artists for the co-op community.