Creative Commission
Creative Commission is a London-based online marketplace connecting music industry commissioners (record labels, managers) with freelance creatives worldwide for music videos, graphic design, animation, and photography projects. The platform operates on a freemium subscription model with zero commission on briefs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Creative Commission does
Creative Commission (legal entity Three Lanes Ltd) is a London-headquartered, bootstrapped online marketplace that connects music industry commissioners—primarily record labels, artist managers, and music publishers—with freelance creative professionals including videographers, animators, graphic designers, photographers, and web developers. The platform has been operating since 2013 and has accumulated thousands of creatives globally alongside a roster of major-label customers that includes Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, Atlantic Records, Columbia Records, Republic Records, and Interscope, with over $13M in briefs posted by commissioners since inception. The core product is a web-based workflow in which commissioners post structured briefs defining deliverables, timeframes, and budgets, and creatives apply with portfolio examples drawn from a 'Projects' showcase feature; commissioners can favourite, shortlist, decline, and message applicants directly through the platform.
The underlying technology is a conventional web marketplace stack without disclosed AI/ML capabilities, integrated with Stripe and PayPal for payment processing, Intercom for customer support, and MailChimp for email communications. Commissioner+ is a premium concierge add-on offering brief writing assistance, application filtering, and dedicated account management for high-volume enterprise commissioners. The business model is a freemium subscription on the creative side (Hobby free tier, Professional at £10–£20/month, Agency at £50–£65/month in GBP/USD), with the company explicitly taking 0% commission on successfully commissioned briefs—payment flows directly between commissioner and creative. Go-to-market is primarily product-led and community-led self-serve, supplemented by content marketing through 'Creative Corner' interviews, MailChimp newsletters, and earned media coverage in Music Business Worldwide and The Times. The company operates from 1–10 employees across two London addresses, with no external institutional funding identified.
Creative Commission firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Creative Commission
- Legal name
- Three Lanes Ltd
- Website
- https://creative-commission.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Creative Commission is a London-based online marketplace connecting music industry commissioners (record labels, managers) with freelance creatives worldwide for music videos, graphic design, animation, and photography projects. The platform operates on a freemium subscription model with zero commission on briefs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Creative Commission industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Industry Creative Marketplace
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creative Talent Booking (Photographers, Videographers, Content Creators) (HSACAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production) (MPAAAHAD)
Keywords
Where Creative Commission is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Creative Commission business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Pro Subscription (Creatives): Creatives upgrade to Pro membership to access unlimited brief applications and premium features. Subscriptions are monthly or annual, priced at £10-£15/month for GBP or $13.33-$20/month for USD. Auto-renewing until cancelled.
- Agency Subscription (Creatives): Higher-tier agency subscription at £50/month billed monthly, offering unlimited applications plus multiple user accounts and prioritised chat support.
- Zero Commission on Briefs: Creative Commission explicitly does NOT charge fees or take a percentage on briefs successfully commissioned via the platform. Payment is sent directly between commissioner and creative parties.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Hobby - Free tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | Professional - £15/month (GBP) |
| Subscription | Annual | Professional Annual - £10/month (GBP, billed £120/year) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Agency - £50/month (GBP) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Professional - $20/month (USD) |
| Subscription | Annual | Professional Annual - $13.33/month (USD, billed $160/year) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Agency - $65/month (USD) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Creative Commission product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creative Commission runs an online marketplace that connects music industry commissioners (record labels, artist managers, publishers) with freelance creatives including video directors, animators, graphic designers, photographers, and developers for visual content projects such as music videos, lyric videos, animations, and graphic design. Commissioners post briefs defining deliverables, timeframes and budget, and creatives apply with portfolio projects. The platform monetises via tiered subscriptions for creatives (Hobby free, Professional monthly/annual, Agency) and a paid Commissioner+ concierge service for high-volume commissioners, while charging 0% commission on transactions.
Product overview
Creative Commission is a web-based marketplace platform for the music industry, connecting record labels, managers, and artists with freelance creative professionals. The core platform consists of the Creative Commission Platform itself, supporting features including Briefs (project postings), Projects (portfolio showcase), Messages (direct communication), and News (industry content). Commissioner+ is a premium concierge add-on service. The company operates a tiered subscription model: Hobby (free), Professional (paid monthly/annual), and Agency (premium). All subscriptions use Stripe and PayPal for payment processing, with annual plans offering significant cost savings over monthly billing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creative Commission Platform Online marketplace where music industry commissioners (record labels, artist managers, publishers) post briefs and freelance creatives (video directors, animators, designers, photographers, developers) apply with portfolio projects. Built around a structured brief and application system, project portfolio display, direct messaging, shortlist/favourite/decline workflows, and a 'Premium brief' and 'Open brief' posting option. Pricing in GBP and USD.
- Creative Subscription Plans (Pro / Agency) Subscription tiers sold to freelance creatives on the platform. Hobby is free (limited to 5 applications/month, email support). Professional unlocks unlimited applications, creative profile, chat support, and portfolio review. Agency adds multiple user accounts and prioritised chat support. Annual Professional plan offers a discounted equivalent of GBP £10/month or USD $13.33/month.
- Commissioner+ Concierge Service Premium paid add-on service for high-volume commissioners offering brief writing, application filtering based on commissioner criteria, dedicated account management and curated creative recommendations. Targets enterprise commissioners such as major labels and management companies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $13M in briefs posted by record labels and managers since 2013
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Creative Commission
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Creative Commission technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature5 records
Creative Commission partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Creative Commission competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Genero: Global creative brief marketplace connecting brands and agencies with directors, animators, and creators. Directly comparable as a brief-based marketplace for commissioning video/visual creative talent, originally rooted in music video production.
- ProductionHUB: Online directory and marketplace for production professionals including videographers, photographers, and crew. Comparable as a discovery/hiring platform for freelance production talent, though broader than music-only.
- 99designs: Freelance marketplace focused on design (logos, graphics, web). Comparable as a creative-only brief/contest marketplace connecting commissioners with designers, though design-specialized rather than music-specialized.
- Music Gateway: Music industry platform offering sync licensing, collaboration, and creative services. Comparable as a music-vertical platform serving labels and artists with creative workflow tools, with overlapping commissioner/creator audiences.
- Bark: Services marketplace where professionals receive leads from customers seeking specific services. Comparable as a brief-based matchmaking model connecting buyers with creative professionals, though broader industry coverage.
- SessionLinkPRO: Music industry marketplace for booking session musicians, vocalists, and engineers. Comparable as a music-vertical talent marketplace, though focused on audio session professionals rather than visual creatives.
- Tongal: Creative content marketplace where brands post briefs and creators submit ideas, primarily for video. Comparable as a brief-driven creative commissioning platform, though broader brand focus rather than music-only.
Broad incumbents
- Fiverr: Mass-market freelance marketplace spanning all creative disciplines. Comparable on freelancer-to-buyer matching, though horizontal rather than music-vertical; Fiverr's scale and Pro tier overlap with Creative Commission's brief/discovery model.
- Upwork: Largest horizontal freelance marketplace with significant creative talent pool. Comparable on project-based hiring of freelance creatives, though lacks music-industry specialization and confidentiality protocols.
Emerging players
- Dribbble: Designer community with built-in hiring and freelance matching features. Comparable on designer/creative talent discovery and brief response, though primarily a portfolio community rather than a commission-led marketplace.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Creative Commission social profiles
Digital presenceCreative Commission compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Creative Commission financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Creative Commission leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Creative Commission funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Creative Commission M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Creative Commission
What does Creative Commission do?
Creative Commission runs an online marketplace that connects music industry commissioners (record labels, artist managers, publishers) with freelance creatives including video directors, animators, graphic designers, photographers, and developers for visual content projects such as music videos, lyric videos, animations, and graphic design. Commissioners post briefs defining deliverables, timeframes and budget, and creatives apply with portfolio projects. The platform monetises via tiered subscriptions for creatives (Hobby free, Professional monthly/annual, Agency) and a paid Commissioner+ concierge service for high-volume commissioners, while charging 0% commission on transactions.
Is Creative Commission a public or private company?
Creative Commission is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Creative Commission founded?
Creative Commission was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Creative Commission based?
Creative Commission is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Creative Commission make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Pro Subscription (Creatives) is the primary driver. The others are agency Subscription (Creatives) and zero Commission on Briefs.
Who are Creative Commission's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Genero, ProductionHUB, 99designs, Music Gateway, Bark, SessionLinkPRO and Tongal. Broad incumbents are Fiverr and Upwork. Dribbble is listed as an emerging player.
Does Creative Commission have an API?
No public API is recorded for Creative Commission.
What industry is Creative Commission in?
Creative Commission's product category is Music Industry Creative Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSACAHAI, Creative Talent Booking (Photographers, Videographers, Content Creators), with a secondary code of MPAAAHAD, Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production). Its NAICS code is 711410 and its SIC code is 7330.