The Black Music Project

What The Black Music Project does

The Black Music Project is a U.S. non-profit digital platform that documents, preserves, and promotes the history of Black American music. Founded by Christopher Fuller and operated as a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas (a non-profit arts service organization serving as fiscal sponsor), the platform presents an interactive educational archive structured around three core content pillars: historical eras (Pre-Civil War through Late 20th Century), genres (25+ styles including Spirituals, Blues, Jazz, R&B, Motown, Funk, Hip Hop, Techno, and Neo Soul), and detailed artist profiles. Additional features include interactive Exhibits (short-form historical narratives about individual musicians and events) and a roadmap of forthcoming features.

The underlying product is a content-managed website built on Webflow (inferred from CDN asset paths under cdn.prod.website-files.com) with no disclosed proprietary technology stack, no mobile applications, no APIs or SDKs, and no AI/ML components. Merchandise is sold through a separate e-commerce storefront at shop.blackmusicproject.com.

The organization operates a community-led, donation-supported business model with three revenue streams: (1) tax-deductible charitable contributions processed through Fractured Atlas, (2) recurring Patreon memberships, and (3) limited-edition merchandise sales featuring original designs by founder Christopher Fuller. All core educational content is provided free of charge. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the website, with a multi-channel social presence across Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Spoutible, and Patreon, supplemented by an email newsletter. The two named customer segments are general music enthusiasts (primary) and educators/students (secondary). No headcount, revenue, or funding data has been disclosed.

Name

The Black Music Project

Legal name

The Black Music Project

Website

https://blackmusicproject.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Black Music Project is a U.S. non-profit digital platform founded by Christopher Fuller that documents the history of Black American music through interactive exhibits, artist profiles, genre archives, and era timelines, funded by donations via Fractured Atlas, Patreon memberships, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music History Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

akta.pro primary industry

Online / Virtual Music Instruction & Platforms (EDAMANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music (Instruments, Voice, Music Theory) (EDAAAGAC), Music Education & Practice Software (Ear training, tutors, metronome tools) (MPAIAIAJ)

Keywords

• Music history education
• Digital archive
• Artist biographies
• Music genre timelines
• Cultural preservation

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts charitable contributions through Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made as one-time or recurring contributions.
2. Patreon Membership: The Black Music Project operates a Patreon page where supporters can become monthly patrons to support the organization's mission.
3. Merchandise Sales: The organization sells merchandise featuring original designs celebrating Black music history through their online store at shop.blackmusicproject.com. Items include limited-time merchandise with original designs by founder Christopher Fuller.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Black Music Project is an interactive digital educational platform that celebrates, promotes, and preserves the history of Black American music. It provides free access to artist profiles, genre explorations, historical era timelines, and short-form interactive exhibits covering the evolution of Black music from the pre-civil war era to the present. The organization also operates a merchandise store featuring limited-edition designs by founder Christopher Fuller.

Product overview

The Black Music Project is an interactive educational platform organized as a single unified website that explores the history of Black American music. The platform is structured around three main content pillars: Eras (historical time periods from Pre-Civil War through Late 20th Century), Genres (covering 25+ music styles including Blues, Jazz, R&B, Rock, Motown, Funk, Hip Hop, Techno, and Neo Soul), and Artists (detailed biographical profiles of influential musicians). Additional offerings include Exhibits featuring interactive short-form stories, and a Merchandise Store selling branded items. The site serves as a non-profit educational resource sponsored by Fractured Atlas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fractured AtlascoreOthersThe Black Music Project is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Fractured Atlas serves as the fiscal sponsor, handling charitable contributions which are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Donations must be made payable to 'Fractured Atlas' only.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Museum of African American Music: Nashville-based museum dedicated exclusively to preserving and celebrating the history of African American music across all genres. Closely comparable in subject-matter focus (Black American music history), educational mission, and nonprofit donor-supported model, though operating as a physical museum.
• BlackPast.org: Online reference guide to African American history with articles, speeches, and primary source materials. Comparable as a digital-first educational nonprofit preserving and disseminating Black history content to general audiences, students, and educators.
• Motown Museum: Museum and educational organization preserving the legacy of Motown Records and Detroit's contributions to Black popular music. Closely comparable in subject-matter focus on a specific era/genre of Black music history, with a similar nonprofit educational mission and donor-supported model.
• The HistoryMakers: The largest African American video oral history archive, focused on documenting the stories of historically significant Black Americans. Comparable to The Black Music Project as a digital-first cultural preservation nonprofit with educational mission, donor-supported funding, and content organized by individual contributors.
• The Blues Foundation: Memphis-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting blues music heritage. Comparable in mission (preserving a specific Black American music tradition), nonprofit educational status, and donor/membership-supported revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Folkways Recordings: Non-profit record label and archive operated by the Smithsonian, preserving and documenting folk and indigenous music traditions including African American musical traditions. Comparable as a mission-driven music preservation and education organization, though operating at much greater scale with institutional backing.
• PBS Black Culture Connection: Public media initiative providing educational content and programming on Black history and culture including music. Comparable in providing free educational content about Black cultural history to general audiences, though backed by an established public broadcasting infrastructure.
• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Museum and educational institution dedicated to preserving the history of rock and roll, with significant overlap on Black music artists and genres. Comparable as a music history preservation and education platform, though with physical museum operations, far larger institutional backing, and a broader genre focus.
• Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture: The preeminent national institution preserving and interpreting African American history and culture, including substantial music history collections. Comparable in mission (preserving Black cultural heritage including music) but vastly larger in scale, with institutional funding and physical exhibit capabilities.
• Internet Archive: Non-profit digital library preserving cultural artifacts including audio recordings, with educational mission. Comparable as a digital preservation nonprofit for cultural content with educational applications, though operating at vastly larger scale across all media types.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WeAreTBMP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLgfcS9OCZtUG3FrNPRewGw
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackmusicproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/theblackmusicproject
• TikToktiktok.com/@theblackmusicproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackmusicproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Black Music Project