Backline

What Backline does

Backline Care, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (founded 2019; EIN 84-3338712; headquartered in Denver, CO) that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health and wellness resources. Its core products are organized around four intervention points: B-LINE, a 24/7 music-industry-specific crisis support line (call 855-BLINE99 or text 254-639) operated in partnership with Vibrant Emotional Health, the operator behind the 988 national lifeline; Case Management, a 1:1 care-coordination service for US residents that builds personalized care plans and refers to a clinical network of 1,500+ vetted providers across all 50 US states (53% of clients report depressive or anxiety symptoms related to the industry, and Backline matches clients with providers within 3-7 business days versus 3+ months for general waitlists); virtual Communities (the weekly Green Room support group and monthly Real Talks Instagram Live series); and Wellness Resources including exclusive partner offers (up to 40% off), tour support (Touring Notebook, Road Ready, take.care wellness kits), and educational content. The Global Mental Health Resource Hub, launched in 2025 via the Spotify Heart & Soul partnership, extends the directory of resources to 29+ countries in 20+ languages.

The organization's business model is purely philanthropic: services are free to eligible users, with no user fees or insurance billing. Revenue streams are donations, individual and corporate sponsorship, foundation grants (SBK Foundation, Sony Music Group Social Justice Fund, The Bustamonte Fund), an embedded $1-per-ticket charity surcharge on selected tours, and the Music's Mental Health Fund, a co-administered grant program with Sweet Relief Musicians' Fund that has distributed $300,000+ in therapy grants since 2022. Distribution leverages deep industry integrations: a Mental Health Button inside Master Tour Mobile App, venue signage at LiveNation and AEG Presents venues, partnerships with Sweet Relief, SONA Foundation, Conscious Alliance, and the Busyhead Project, and promotion across Spotify's platform under the Heart & Soul banner. Funding concentration sits with a small number of large corporate and foundation partners, though the organization retains 2,400+ facilitated care plans and a growing clinical referral network as cumulative institutional assets.

Name

Backline

Legal name

Backline Care, Inc

Website

https://backline.care

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Backline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free mental health and wellness resources to music industry professionals and their families, including a 24/7 crisis line (B-LINE), 1:1 case management, a clinical referral network of 1,500+ vetted providers, and a global resource hub built via its Spotify Heart & Soul partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services for the Music Industry

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Mental health services
• Crisis support line
• Music industry wellness
• Case management services
• Peer support groups

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Backline relies on charitable donations from individuals who wish to support music industry mental health. Donations are tax-deductible as contributions to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Artists contribute $1 per ticket to Backline as a charity surcharge on tour through the $1/Ticket program. Corporate partners include Spotify, LiveNation, AEG Presents, and others who fund programming.
3. Foundation Grants: Backline receives funding from foundations including SBK Foundation, Sony Music Group Social Justice Fund, and The Bustamonte Fund (dedicated to expanding Case Management Program).
4. Music's Mental Health Fund: Grant program powered by Backline and Sweet Relief Musicians' Fund that subsidizes mental healthcare costs. Bands and companies can earmark contributions to subsidize their team's mental health care costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Backline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free mental health and wellness services to music industry professionals and their families. Its core offerings include a 24/7 crisis support line (B-LINE), 1:1 case management with personalized care plans, vetted provider referrals, peer support communities, wellness resources, tour support kits and toolkits, and a global multilingual resource hub. The services are funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants, and are differentiated by music industry-specific clinical expertise.

Product overview

Backline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a comprehensive suite of mental health and wellness services specifically for music industry professionals and their families. The organization operates a multi-product platform consisting of: B-LINE (24/7 crisis support line via phone and text), Case Management (1:1 personalized care coordination), Communities (peer support groups and Real Talk discussions), Wellness Resources (exclusive offers and BLOOM events), Tour Support Resources (Touring Notebook, wellness kits, pre-tour check-ins), Educational Resources (articles, stories, guided meditations), Music's Mental Health Fund (grant program for therapy costs), and the Global Resource Hub (international resource database). The products work together to provide crisis intervention, ongoing mental health support, wellness tools, and financial assistance to artists, crew, managers, agents, promoters, label personnel, venue staff, and family members across the music industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• B-LINE: The music industry's 24/7 mental health and crisis support line. Call 855-BLINE99 or text 254-639 for 24/7 support from trained crisis counselors.
• The Bustamonte Fund
• Heart & Soul

Quantifiable outcome

• Backline helps clients find providers within 3-7 business days, compared to the general professional waitlist time of 3+ months.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor and major.

• SpotifyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2025Heart & Soul partnership for Mental Health for Creators. Includes first-ever Global Mental Health Resource Hub (multilingual, international), 1:1 therapy access for EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR artist ambassadors in US/UK, grants for artist-centered care, support for songwriters through residencies and dinners, and wellness events at major festivals like All Things Go NYC.
• Vibrant Emotional HealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationB-LINE is operated in partnership with Vibrant, the trusted provider behind 988 (National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Vibrant provides the operational infrastructure and crisis counselors for B-LINE while Backline provides music industry-specific training and oversight.
• Sweet Relief Musicians' FundflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic's Mental Health Fund collaboration. Backline Case Managers develop personalized mental healthcare plans, Sweet Relief administers grants to cover costs. Provides financial assistance for mental health treatment to music industry professionals who cannot afford care.
• Master TourcoreTechnology or IntegrationMental Health Button integration in Master Tour Mobile App directs users towards B-LINE crisis services and Backline's suite of mental health resources. Provides direct access to support within the touring industry's primary logistics platform.
• Conscious AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for take.care wellness kits distribution to touring professionals. Combines Backline's mental health expertise with Conscious Alliance's touring network.
• The Busyhead ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNoah Kahan's foundation partners with Backline and Spotify for backstage wellness activations at major festivals, providing on-site wellness support, self-care kits, and guided workshops.
• LiveNationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport sponsor for B-LINE crisis support line. Helps promote mental health resources to the live music industry's touring professionals and venues.
• AEG PresentsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport sponsor for B-LINE crisis support line. Promotes mental health awareness and Backline resources to artists and crew in AEG's venue network.
• Red Light ManagementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport sponsor for B-LINE, helping spread awareness of mental health resources to artists and professionals represented by the management company.
• AdyenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport sponsor for B-LINE, contributing to the funding of mental health resources for music industry professionals.
• The SONA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly SONA Fireside Chats: conversations with songwriters and mental health professionals about mental health, personal stories, creativity, and healing. Also TAP (Therapy Assistance Project) grants partnership to financially support US-based songwriters with therapy costs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Talkspace: Online therapy platform offering messaging and live sessions with licensed therapists. General mental health provider with broader scope and B2B employer partnerships rather than music-industry specialization.
• BetterHelp: General-purpose online therapy platform serving millions of users globally. Wider portfolio with general mental health services that overlap with the therapy referrals Backline provides through its clinical network.
• Lyra Health: Mental health benefits platform for employers providing therapy, coaching, and medication management. Comparable in providing mental health care coordination but serves employers broadly rather than specializing in music.
• Headspace Health: Mental health and meditation platform offering B2B and B2C services. Overlaps with Backline's wellness content strategy (meditation, breathwork, mindfulness) but operates at much broader scale across general population.

Regional players

• Help Musicians UK: UK-based charity providing health, welfare, and financial support to musicians. Same mission and target population but focused on UK music industry rather than competing directly in Backline's US-centric service lines.

Others

• National Independent Venue Association (NIVA): Trade organization supporting independent music venues and promoters. Adjacent in serving the music industry ecosystem but focused on venue advocacy and policy rather than direct mental health services.
• Vibrant Emotional Health: Operator of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Backline's B-LINE crisis line partner. Provides crisis infrastructure rather than direct end-user mental health services, serving as an enabling partner.

Direct peers

• Music Health Alliance: Music Health Alliance removes barriers to healthcare access for music industry professionals through advocacy and resource navigation. Directly comparable nonprofit model addressing health needs of the same vertical.
• MusiCares: MusiCares is the Recording Academy's charitable arm providing health, human services, and financial assistance to music professionals in need. Most direct peer with similar mission, target population, and nonprofit funding model.
• Sweet Relief Musicians' Fund: Sweet Relief provides financial assistance and resource referrals to musicians and music industry professionals facing illness, disability, or age-related issues. Active partner with Backline through the Music's Mental Health Fund.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/backline.care
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@backlinecare
• Facebookfacebook.com/backline.care
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/backlinecare
• Instagraminstagram.com/backline.care

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Backline