Bootleg: Beyond The Setlist. Superserving the Superfan

Notes on live music, connection, and the emerging future, by Bootleg founder and CEO Rod Yancy

🎤 Sound Check

I spent last week in New York for the Mondo NYC conference, where I joined Ted Cohen, Killian Gesicki, Michael Delle Donne, and Felicia Palmer for a panel on Superserving the Superfan.

I genuinely loved connecting and sharing the stage with these folks, and we had an inspiring conversation about how the next chapter of the music business will be built through the depth of connection between artists and the fans who care most.

That’s personal for me. Bootleg began when I took my son to his first concert (Beck and Phoenix) and found myself wishing we could take home a recording of that night instead of just another t-shirt.

I wasn’t thinking like an entrepreneur; I was thinking like a fan, wanting to hold onto the magic of a shared experience. Building Bootleg became my way of solving that problem as a fan who wanted to make it possible for others like me.

Spending time at industry conferences always seems to recalibrate me to the why behind Bootleg. The more I share the vision, whether in a new conversation or from a stage, the more I’m reminded how personal it truly is for me.

In his Mondo keynote, a music legend and personal hero of mine, Henry Rollins, talked about doing the right thing for the right reason and about the importance of staying in motion.

His words were a reminder that great art, great companies, and great connections all come from the same place: passion, honesty, and the refusal to quit.

That spirit is baked into Bootleg. It’s why, as a lifelong superfan, it means so much to be building something that serves both artists and fans in equal measure.

⚡️ Live Wire

The industry’s moving fast. I’m just trying to stay tuned in, and share what I hear along the way.

🤖 Spotify’s “Artist-First” AI Move

Spotify announced new partnerships with Universal, Sony, Warner, Merlin, and Believe to develop artist-first AI music products: a major step toward integrating AI responsibly within the music industry. The company says it will license content upfront and give artists and rightsholders control over how their work is used, signaling an important shift toward collaboration rather than disruption.

AI in music is inevitable, and moves like this matter. But as technology takes a bigger role in creation, fans will crave something it can’t replicate — the emotion, imperfection, and connection of live performance. That’s the space where the heart of music will always live, and where Bootleg continues to focus: preserving and amplifying the human moments that make it all matter.

Read more on Music Ally →

🎟️ Backstage Pass

At Bootleg, we help artists capture and sell high-quality audio recordings and photographs from their shows so fans can collect and relive the moment, and artists can keep earning beyond the encore.

What’s Moving

I’ve written previously about how collectibility has always been at the heart of music culture. From vinyl to hand-traded tapes, fans have always sought ways to own artifacts that connect them to the music they love.

At this year’s Woodsist Festival, we put that spirit into action with a full activation showing fans the importance of collectibility through each era of music, and of course capturing each performance in premium audio so fans can keep the music and the memories that made the weekend special.

Festivals like this are ground-zero for Superfan culture, and it was an honor to be there to help fans preserve those important memories. It was our first festival partnership, but it won’t be our last.

🔗 See the Latest Bootlegs

🎵 Fade Out

The past few weeks have been a reminder of how alive this moment in music feels.

From the conversations at Mondo NYC to revisiting the Woodsist Festival footage, I’m reminded why we do this work: to preserve the human side of music in a world moving faster every day.

Because no matter how the industry evolves, what lasts are the moments that make us feel something real and the fans and artists that drive the whole business.

With gratitude,

Rod Yancy

Founder & CEO, Bootleg.live