deep cuts music trivia

What deep cuts music trivia does

Deep Cuts Music Trivia is a privately-held, bootstrapped content and merchandise brand operated by Starter Fluid LLC, an Oregon LLC headquartered in Portland with 1-10 employees. The company produces music trivia content targeted at dedicated music fans, offering it through multiple formats: a free podcast distributed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify (at least 20 episodes), a 70s-focused internet radio station called Sunken Road Radio on Live365, and a 212-page physical trivia book (Deep Cuts Big Book of Musical Trivia) priced at $19.99 with free shipping to the contiguous United States. The brand also earns affiliate commissions on a third-party illustrated biography of rock poster artist David Edward Byrd, sold via Amazon.

The underlying technology is a standard low-overhead stack: a Wix-hosted marketing and content site, Shopify for direct e-commerce, and supporting infrastructure via Supabase (database and authentication), Vercel (hosting), and GitHub (code storage). No proprietary AI/ML capability is present; the core asset is the human-authored trivia question bank and curated audio programming. Distribution spans owned channels (Shopify storefront, Live365 radio, Facebook, Instagram, email newsletter) and third-party platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Faire wholesale, Amazon affiliate).

The business model is a content-to-commerce funnel: free podcast and social media drive top-of-funnel audience building among music enthusiasts and social entertainers, while the book is the primary monetization vehicle through one-time direct purchase, with secondary wholesale and affiliate revenue. Pricing is simple and unsegmented. The company retains exclusive IP over its trivia content and audio programming and holds a registered "Deep Cuts" trademark. Endorsements from indie musicians (Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids, Derrick Bostrom of Meat Puppets) and cover art by Robert Fisher (known for Nirvana and Beck album artwork) provide niche credibility within the indie/rock music community.

Name

deep cuts music trivia

Legal name

Starter Fluid LLC

Website

https://deepcutstrivia.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deep Cuts Music Trivia, operated by Starter Fluid LLC in Portland, Oregon, produces a music trivia podcast (Apple/Spotify), a 70s internet radio station, and a $19.99 trivia book, targeting music enthusiasts and social entertainers through direct-to-consumer e-commerce and content marketing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Trivia Books & Content

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)

Keywords

• Music trivia content
• Trivia books
• Podcast programming
• Music merchandise
• Internet radio

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Direct E-commerce): One-time purchase of physical merchandise including the Deep Cuts Big Book of Musical Trivia sold directly through the company's Shopify e-commerce storefront. Free shipping offered to US 48 states.
2. Book Sales (Wholesale): Wholesale distribution through Faire marketplace for retailers purchasing in bulk.
3. Affiliate Sales (Poster Child Book): Commission-based sales through affiliate links to the Poster Child book available on Amazon.
4. Podcast Content: Free podcast content distributed via Apple Podcasts and Spotify used as a top-of-funnel acquisition channel to build audience and promote book sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Deep Cuts Music Trivia produces and sells music-trivia content products, principally a physical 200+ question trivia book ("Deep Cuts Big Book of Musical Trivia", $19.99), a music trivia podcast distributed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and the Sunken Road Radio station on Live365. The company also earns affiliate commissions by promoting the Poster Child biography of rock poster artist David Edward Byrd on Amazon.

Product overview

Deep Cuts Music Trivia is a single-product brand operated by Starter Fluid LLC that offers music trivia content across multiple formats: a podcast distributed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, a physical trivia book titled 'Deep Cuts Big Book of Musical Trivia' (212 pages, $19.99), a 70s internet radio station via Live365.com called Sunken Road Radio, and an affiliate-sold book 'Poster Child' about rock poster artist David Edward Byrd. The portfolio is unified by a focus on deep, obscure music trivia targeting dedicated music fans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deep Cuts Big Book of Musical Trivia A 212-page physical book containing over 200 music trivia questions spanning the 1950s to 2000s across rock, rap, blues, punk, ska, garage rock, and oldies genres, intended for music enthusiasts and social entertaining at gatherings. Sold at $19.99 with free shipping to US 48 states.
• Deep Cuts Music Trivia Podcast A free music trivia podcast featuring trivia content and interviews with musicians, distributed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Episodes cover deep music trivia topics such as episode 20 'Keg Party'. The podcast functions as a free top-of-funnel product that drives audience engagement and book sales.
• Sunken Road Radio A 70s-focused internet radio station featuring curated classic rock and related music programming, streamed on Live365.com. Serves as an additional music content channel aligned with the company's brand.
• Poster Child: The Psychedelic Art & Technicolor Life of David Edward Byrd (Affiliate) An illustrated oral biography of David Edward Byrd, a prominent rock poster artist whose work appeared for Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, and Kiss. Listed on the company site at $45.00 and sold via Amazon affiliate links generating commission revenue for the company.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HowStuffWorks: Educational content brand with an extensive podcast network. Comparable in producing trivia-adjacent audio content for curious general audiences, but operates as a broad portfolio rather than a music-niche specialist.
• Mental Floss: Trivia and 'facts' content brand with books, articles, and a podcast. Comparable in selling curated trivia content to enthusiast consumers, though its scope is much broader than Deep Cuts' music-only focus.
• Maximum Fun: Independent podcast network with multiple music and entertainment shows. Comparable in podcast-first distribution targeting enthusiast communities, but functions as a multi-show network rather than a single music-trivia brand.
• Gimlet Media: Podcast production company (now part of Spotify) known for narrative audio content. Comparable in podcast-first content production and audience-building, but operates a multi-show slate rather than a single trivia brand.
• Trivial Pursuit (Hasbro): Iconic mass-market trivia brand owned by Hasbro. Comparable in building a consumer trivia product, but operates at much broader (non-music) category scale with a board-game distribution model rather than podcast-to-book.

Emerging players

• Bandsintown: Concert discovery and music-fan engagement platform. Comparable in serving deeply engaged music fans with personalized music experiences, though the delivery is digital live-event recommendations rather than trivia content.
• Discogs: Largest crowdsourced music database and collector marketplace. Comparable in serving deeply knowledgeable music enthusiasts with tools for music discovery and cataloging, though its primary product is a database rather than trivia content.
• Vinyl Me, Please: Music subscription service delivering curated vinyl records with editorial storytelling. Comparable in targeting dedicated music enthusiasts with premium physical products and editorial content, though its model is recurring subscription rather than one-off book sales.

Direct peers

• Song Exploder: Music podcast that spun off a bestselling book and merchandise line. Closest comparable in business model: podcast as primary free content channel that monetizes an audience of dedicated music fans via a physical companion product.
• All Songs Considered (NPR): NPR's flagship music podcast covering discovery and discussion across decades and genres. Comparable in targeting passionate music enthusiasts with free audio content distributed via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/deepcutsmusictrivia
• Instagraminstagram.com/deepcutstrivia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deepcutsmusic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 deep cuts music trivia