After nearly two decades in development, UK-based music company PLAYY. (formerly The Playground) known for supporting industry stalwarts like like Ed Sheeran, FKJ, and Novo Amor, is preparing to launch something distinctly different: PLAYY. Music, a new social music platform built specifically for independent artists and the communities that support them.
Designed by PLAYY. Director Warren Morris, the platform has quietly been in the works since the early 2000s, during the era of MySpace and early online fandom. What has emerged is a considered, all-in-one ecosystem where artists can manage their careers from music sales and streaming to licensing, ticketing, bookings, and even fan-driven funding, without having to bounce between multiple services or rely on major industry gatekeepers.
It’s a simple premise, but one that addresses a longstanding tension in the music world: how to sustain a career as an independent artist without losing creative or financial control.
“It shouldn’t be this difficult for musicians to share their work and make a living from it,” Morris explains. “We spent years building The Playground into something sustainable enough to support this next step. It took time to find the right team, to get the design right – but now we’re finally here.”
A Shift in Emphasis
For years, the music industry has leaned heavily on an infrastructure that rarely favoured the artist. Success often depended on access to labels, agents, platforms with opaque rules and shifting priorities. PLAYY. Music doesn’t claim to solve every problem, but it does offer a different kind of space: one where artists own the process, shape their own journey, and build lasting relationships with their audience.
PLAYY. Music is here to re-shape what independent music careers can look like.
One Platform, Many Possibilities
PLAYY. Music arrives not as a disruptor for disruption’s sake, but as a practical response to a fragmented landscape. It offers a single gateway through which artists can:
- Sell and stream their music directly to fans, with fair payouts.
- License tracks for use in film, TV, or ads—or offer sample packs to other producers.
- Run ticketing and bookings for live shows and tours.
- Find and offer paid opportunities via a music jobs marketplace.
- Raise funds from fans to support new projects.
- Access real-time analytics and engage directly with their community.
On the fan side, it’s equally thoughtful: a curated space for music discovery, exclusive content, meaningful artist interactions, and local or global events, all without the noise of ad-driven algorithms.
Built for the Long Game
PLAYY. Music is measured in its ambitions: not chasing trends, but creating the infrastructure for long-term creative sustainability. At its core is a belief that musicians should be able to grow without constantly compromising, and that fans deserve deeper ways to connect than just clicking “follow.”
With its phase one launch set for July 2025, PLAYY. Music invites both artists and listeners to take part in something more personal, more intentional, and more fair.
“This has been the most demanding project I’ve ever worked on,” Morris reflects. “But also the most rewarding. We built this for the artists we’ve worked with, and the ones still waiting to be heard.”
Join the waiting list HERE.
