Crowdfunding: An alternative for collaborative creation and production in the Spanish cultural sector

Abstract

In a context of continuous technological development, the culture sector has undergone many transformations thorough its history. However, in the last years a significant change has been produced. Apart from the digital revolution and the media convergence, there have been other destabilizing factors in the industry, such as new forms of consumption and the economic downturn. This process of change has caused a new ecosystem in which new tendencies constantly arise, based on the Internet and directly associated with the changes in the behavior of the final consumer of the cultural product. One of the most remarkable trends is the emergence of collaborative funding systems (crowdfunding). With this strategy, the creator opens the production phase to users by raising funds. Crowdfunding has become an alternative for the Spanish cultural industry, particularly since 2010 when the first websites specialized in crowdfunding were created. These platforms include categories addressed to all the cultural sectors and offer additional services such as distribution through direct selling or the possibility of taking part in the product as a creator.