Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson is an independent Nashville-based country music singer-songwriter producing original recorded music, performing live, and selling branded merchandise directly to country music fans since 2016.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersAdams, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ben Johnson does
Ben Johnson is an independent country music singer-songwriter and recording artist operating as a solo proprietorship from Nashville, Tennessee. He began his professional music career in February 2016 when he left prior employment to pursue music full-time, moving into a personal music studio. The core product surface consists of recorded music — a self-titled 4-song debut EP released in February 2018 (which debuted at #1 on the iTunes Country Music Chart and peaked at #11 across all genres on Billboard's digital downloads) and the single/album 'Bring Me Home' released on February 21, 2020, which has accumulated over 1 million streams to date. Distribution is handled through standard digital streaming platforms (Spotify, iTunes, etc.) via an AllMyLinks aggregator, with touring promoted through the Bandsintown platform and a resident artist arrangement at Tootsie's World Famous Orchid Lounge in Nashville.
The business model is a three-stream independent artist revenue model: (1) digital music sales and streaming royalties, (2) live performance and touring revenue through venue appearances and concert tickets, and (3) merchandise sales through a branded online store on benjohnsoncountry.com. There is no disclosed label backing, no institutional investors, no formal employees, and no enterprise customers. The customer base is a horizontal long-tail of country music fans and listeners, with a secondary relationship to Nashville music industry professionals for networking, collaboration, and recognition purposes. The artist has accumulated industry credentials including CMA membership (December 2019), NSAI 'One to Watch' designation (2021-2022), 10x Midwest Country Music Award nominations, and a Bob Kingsley NSAI Top 40 placement for the song 'A Tale of Two Mountains'. Production has been anchored by a collaboration with platinum producer Matt McVaney (known for work with Kane Brown) since 2017.
Ben Johnson firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ben Johnson
- Legal name
- Ben Johnson
- Website
- https://benjohnsoncountry.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Ben Johnson is an independent Nashville-based country music singer-songwriter producing original recorded music, performing live, and selling branded merchandise directly to country music fans since 2016.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ben Johnson industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Country Music Recording Artist
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles (MPAIAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Download Stores & Digital Music Retail (Transactional) (MPAIACAM), Creator Commerce & Merch Platforms (Shops, Drops, Print-on-Demand) (MPACABAG)
Keywords
Where Ben Johnson is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Adams
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ben Johnson business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Music Sales and Streaming: Revenue from digital album and single sales on platforms like iTunes, and streaming royalties from services. EP debuted at #1 on iTunes Country Music Chart in February 2018.
- Live Performance and Tours: Touring revenue through live performances, concert tickets, and venue appearances.
- Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store selling branded items to fans.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Ben Johnson product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ben Johnson is an independent country music singer-songwriter who creates, records, and releases original country music (EPs and singles), performs live at honky tonks and touring venues, and sells branded merchandise through his website. Revenue is generated from digital music sales and streaming royalties, live performance bookings, and merchandise sales to country music fans.
Product overview
Ben Johnson is a country music recording artist offering music releases and merchandise. His core products consist of recorded music including his self-titled debut EP (released February 2018) and the single/album 'Bring Me Home' (released February 2020). The artist complements his recorded music with an online merchandise store and live touring performances.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Self-titled Debut EP
- Bring Me Home
- Ben Johnson Merchandise Store
- Live Tour Performances
Companies that use Ben Johnson
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Ben Johnson technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ben Johnson partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Country Music Association (CMA)coreBen Johnson became one of the newest artist members of the CMA in December 2019, providing industry recognition and networking opportunities within the country music industry.
- Matt McVaney (Platinum Producer)corePlatinum producer Matt McVaney (known for work with Kane Brown) was introduced to Ben Johnson in 2017 through a mutual friend. They collaborated on Ben's self-titled debut EP released February 2018.
- Tootsie's World Famous Orchid LoungecoreIn summer 2016, Ben Johnson was selected as a resident artist at Tootsie's World Famous Orchid Lounge, one of Nashville's most historic honky tonks. This provided regular performance opportunities.
- Fractional ToysminorProudly sponsored by Fractional Toys, a company providing sponsorship support to the artist.
- Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)coreBen Johnson received NSAI recognition as 'One to Watch' for 2021-2022 and his song 'A Tale of Two Mountains' was named to the Bob Kingsley NSAI Top 40 list.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ben Johnson competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ERNEST: ERNEST is a Nashville-based country singer-songwriter known for songwriting collaborations and streaming-era releases. Comparable to Ben Johnson as a Nashville solo country artist with songwriting-driven content and digital distribution.
- Cody Johnson: Cody Johnson is a country singer-songwriter who built an independent fanbase before crossing to mainstream recognition. Comparable to Ben Johnson as an independent solo country artist with strong touring and direct-to-fan distribution.
- HARDY: HARDY is a country singer-songwriter and producer who built his profile through songwriting credits and solo releases. Comparable to Ben Johnson as a Nashville-based solo country artist combining songwriting, recording, and live touring.
- Sturgill Simpson: Sturgill Simpson is a critically acclaimed, independent-leaning country artist who navigated Nashville as an outsider with his own releases. Comparable to Ben Johnson as a solo country act with songwriting-driven releases and no major traditional label backing at outset.
- Tyler Childers: Tyler Childers is an independent country/folk singer-songwriter who built his career via self-released EPs and grassroots touring out of Appalachia. Highly comparable to Ben Johnson as an unsigned, Nashville-adjacent solo artist with strong songwriting credibility.
- Zach Bryan: Zach Bryan is a singer-songwriter who rose from independent releases and YouTube distribution to mainstream country/folk success. Directly comparable to Ben Johnson in artist archetype: solo, Nashville-adjacent, streaming-first releases with strong touring.
- Lainey Wilson: Lainey Wilson is a Nashville-based country singer-songwriter who rose through songwriting, releases, and touring. Comparable to Ben Johnson as a solo country artist pursuing songwriting-driven releases with Nashville industry recognition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ben Johnson social profiles
Digital presenceBen Johnson compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Ben Johnson financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ben Johnson leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Ben Johnson funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ben Johnson 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 Ben Johnson
What does Ben Johnson do?
Ben Johnson is an independent country music singer-songwriter who creates, records, and releases original country music (EPs and singles), performs live at honky tonks and touring venues, and sells branded merchandise through his website. Revenue is generated from digital music sales and streaming royalties, live performance bookings, and merchandise sales to country music fans.
Is Ben Johnson a public or private company?
Ben Johnson is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ben Johnson founded?
Ben Johnson was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ben Johnson based?
Ben Johnson is headquartered in Adams, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ben Johnson make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Music Sales and Streaming is the primary driver. The others are live Performance and Tours and merchandise Sales.
Who are Ben Johnson's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ERNEST, Cody Johnson, HARDY, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Zach Bryan and Lainey Wilson.
Does Ben Johnson have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ben Johnson.
What industry is Ben Johnson in?
Ben Johnson's product category is Country Music Recording Artist. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAF, Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles, with a secondary code of MPAIACAM, Download Stores & Digital Music Retail (Transactional). Its NAICS code is 512230.