MANIFESTO  ·  FAQ
MEME RECORDS vinyl
MEME RECORDS · MANIFESTO + FAQ

Our manifesto.

Our values

Things we believe.

Artists and fans deserve better.

Artists should be in charge of their careers, own their data and not forced to churn content. They shouldn't have to chase viral trends to be seen, or pay to reach their own fans. They deserve time, space and support to focus on what they do best - music.

Fans aren't just numbers on a dashboard. They deserve more than a like button, a feed to scroll or a mailing list to read. We also believe that they want to support the artists they love, and see them thrive, not struggle to survive.

We're also not stupid. Spotify and Instagram aren't going anywhere, and we're not trying to replace them. We're probably the only platform that encourages you to engage on other platforms, because until things change that's what artists need - so that's what we'll do.

But we do think there's a better way, and hopefully you do too. So join us, help shape the future, and be part of something special.

Our promises

Things we'll never do.

Our non-negotiables. In public. Hold us to them.

1. We will never introduce systems that punish artists for going quiet.

Silence is not a failure state. The Home lives on. Fans can still visit and progress. The system does not penalise dormancy. Artists who go on tour, take a break, or write their next album for a year are not ranked down, deprioritised, or pushed off a feed. There is no feed.

2. We will never lock, obscure, or withhold fan data from the artists who built those relationships.

Artists own the relationships they built. We give them the data they need to act on those relationships. Full stop. The data sovereignty isn't a setting - it's structural, written into how we build, not just what we say.

3. We will never serve advertising in an artist's world without their explicit opt-in and a direct revenue share to them.

Fans are not inventory. Artists set the terms. If advertising exists in an artist's home, the artist chose it and earns from it. Ads are tasteful and non-intrusive (no 30-second video pops up here), and never, ever served without consent.

4. We will never let platform revenue take priority over artist revenue.

Artists win first. Every monetisation decision goes through this filter. If a feature serves the platform before it serves the artist, it doesn't ship. Always free to start - no extraction. We earn when artists earn.

5. We will never let spending create dominance over other fans.

Spending unlocks deeper access to the artist, faster progression and exclusive expression. Fans can pay to get closer. What spending does not buy is power over another fan's experience. No fan is ranked by wallet. No fan is silenced because they didn't pay.

6. We will never build a global algorithmic feed.

No global ranking. No algorithm picking favourites. No feed optimised for engagement at the expense of artist autonomy. Discovery happens through play, social context, and trust - through what a friend shows you, through exploring a space you found. Not through a curated feed you didn't ask for.

Where it comes from

MySpace got passive discovery right. Last.fm got identity right. Nobody built what comes next.

HOMES draws inspiration from two platforms that solved things the industry hasn't replaced. Not aesthetically - structurally.

MySpace and passive discovery

MySpace was the last time music discovery truly made sense. It was passive, not algorithmic and manipulated. Sometimes you went there for music, but mostly you went there to hang out. You noticed a band in someone's Top 8, clicked, and discovered something you loved.

A friend's Top 8 beats a sponsored post.

Last.fm and identity through action

Last.fm solved something almost no platform has touched since: your music identity built itself from what you actually did, not from what you said. You didn't fill out a profile - you just did your thing. It was identity, populated through action - not curation.

The best profile is the one you didn't write.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

For the artists and fans wondering what this actually means for them.

For artists
What is HOMES?
Your new home on the internet. A persistent world where fans live between releases and live shows. It's web-embedded, so it can live on your site, the HOMES platform, or both. Fans visit in their own time, discover, collect, and progress. There's no algo to feed. No content treadmill.
What does it cost me?
Nothing. HOMES is free to start. We only start earning when you start earning, and even then we aim to undercut every vertical - fan subs, marketplace fees, everything. We also give you access to revenue that most other platforms don't (like advertising, if you opt-in). No extraction. Ever.
Do I need to post every day?
No. Our engine runs by itself. Set it up and forget about it, or come back every few days to engage and layer in more content (manual quests, custom rewards and more). Up to you! The more you put in the more you get out, but we know that’s not always possible - so your HOME works either way.
How long does setup take?
Basic set up is ~5 minutes. Quests auto-generate from your existing assets - album art, DSP links, social profiles. You can leave it at that, or you can go deeper (add voice notes, MP3s for the tape deck, easter eggs for fans etc). It’s your choice - you do you.
Who owns my fan data?
You do. Period. We give you the data you need to act on the relationships you built. Fan data sovereignty isn't a setting - it's structural, written into how we build, not just what we say. We will never lock, obscure, or withhold fan data from the artists who built those relationships.
What about ads?
Optional and opt-in only. If ads exist in your home, you chose it and you earn from it. Fans are not inventory. We are not Facebook. We'll never serve ads in your home without your consent.
Can I Leave?
Of course. We're pretty sure you won't want to, but if you do decide to then we won't argue. Your career. Your fans. Your choice.
Is it like Discord?
No. Discord is fun, but it's a walled garden and channels die when the artist stops showing up. HOMES is a persistent world that runs without you. No moderation burden, no daily presence required, no chaotic feed.
What about Patreon?
Also no. Patreon requires content, especially when you have paying subscribers. It's a monthly obligation that punishes silence. We will be introducing subscriber rooms but it's just an option, so if you don't want subs revenue and the extra responsibility, they stay switched off - your home is always free to access.
For fans
What is HOMES?
A persistent world built around an artist you love. Quests, collectibles, identity, friendships, discovery. You're not browsing a feed - you're inhabiting a space. Like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley meets music fandom. The world keeps deepening every time you visit.
What can I actually do there?
Play, create, hang out, and most importantly have fun! Complete quests, collect stickers and customise the room. The artist home is a quiet, safe space to explore - you'll see traces of other fans and some tools are social, but if you want to hang out then the garden or town square is the place to be :)
Is this a game?
Only in a cozy sense: there are no levels, no losing, and no grind that punishes you for missing a day. We run seasonal events and there are lots of things to do - the mechanics encourage play, creation and discovery. Good vibes only.
Do I have to pay?
No. Free to start, always. You can pay to get closer to the artist, progress faster, exclusive items. What you cannot buy is power over another fan's experience. Spending unlocks cool stuff. It does not unlock dominance.
How do I find new artists?
Through play, presence, and trusted social context - not algorithms. You stumble on an artist in a friend's Top 8, on the radio, or by wandering through the town square. You click, and discover something you love (or hate). The way it should be!
Will I get spammed?
No. There's no infinite feed. No engagement-bait. No notifications designed to drag you back. The whole architecture is built around the opposite: show up when you want, leave without guilt.
For everyone
Who built this?
Frank Hamilton, an independent recording artist since MySpace, who's lived the economic reality of streaming, and spent 20 years feeding platforms with content while paying to reach his own fans.

He's charted albums (#1 iTunes, #2 Official Charts Indie Breakers), had over 100k downloads and 20M+ streams, written and toured with people like Ed Sheeran, Wheatus, Newton Faulkner & Orla Gartland, and played over 1,000+ shows across the world, in spite of a system designed to work against us.

In 2025 he decided he'd had enough, and put his third album on hold to build a platform that actually makes sense for artists and fans, instead of one that extracts from both at every turn.

He's also spent a decade in boardrooms and policy spaces, advocating for artists on the economic and wellbeing sides. Read his piece on mental health for The Independent here, or check out his Music Week piece on mentoring here.
When does it launch?
Closed artist testing begins in Q2 2026, with fans arriving soon after. Our early beta saw 82% of fans log in 5+ days a week, with 90% of them completing a quest every day. The mechanics work. Now it's up to us to scale carefully, and up to you to help us spread the word.
Why is it free?
It'll always be free to start for artists and fans. When artists earn, we'll earn too, but not before - and even then we aim to undercut every single vertical.

Some of our tools cost money to run so we'll introduce tiers at some point, but we'll also be rewarding early supporters with perks that give them free access. Well-known artists with a HUGE number of fans will need to contribute to keep the backend running and the data safe, but they're used to that, and we'll still charge them less than other comparable platforms (not that we've really seen any comparable platforms).

Bottom line is, if you're just starting out and don't have much money, we're not about to ask for it. We're also exploring things like an artist equity pool, and possibly even a small fund to help fill the huge gap in early/mid stage funding.
What happens when MEME gets big?
This page exists for a reason. Treat it as governance, not just culture. If HOMES turns into a dashboard, ads go non-consensual inside homes, fan data gets hoarded or silence gets punished, then you should ask wtf happened. Spoiler: it won't happen.

If anything changes we'll be honest about why and give fair warning, but know this - this isn't an extraction play by a finance bro who saw an opportunity. It's built by an artist who still needs it, for all the other artists who are sick of being screwed and exploited by the system, and for all the fans who deserve so much more than a like button and a feed to doomscroll.