In 2019, when I first stepped into the music space in Nashville, I was not trying to disrupt anything. I was trying to help.

I spent countless nights in honky-tonks on Broadway, neighborhood bars, and small venues growing up watching incredibly talented artists do what they love while carrying far more risk than most people realize. What stood out was not just the talent, but how fragmented everything around live music felt.

Artists were expected to perform, promote, sell merch, engage fans, manage payments, track royalties, coordinate bookings, and somehow make sense of it all. Too often, that meant using different tools that did not talk to each other, or having no tools at all.

At the same time, something bigger was happening.

People were no longer just consuming music. They wanted to participate in it. They wanted connection, interaction, and a sense of being part of the live experience.

That shift toward live music, live events, and shared moments was obvious long before it became mainstream. And it raised a simple question for me.

What if the same level of technology existed for a local bar show as for a major concert tour, without losing the soul of live music?

That question became the foundation for what is now TipSee Music.

Designing One System for the Entire Live Music Ecosystem

From day one, the goal was never to build another app or single feature. The goal was to build infrastructure.

Technology that could support a solo artist playing a Broadway bar, a mid size venue, or a major tour, all within the same system.

That meant solving real problems. Secure payment processing during live performances. Modern merchandise experiences tied directly to the show. Geofencing and real time fan engagement. Secure customer data collection artists actually own. Streamlined workflows between artists, venues, and managers. New monetization layers that feel native to live music.

Over time, that vision evolved into something much bigger and ultimately into an approved United States patent that protects the full real time workflow of live music engagement.

What the Patent Actually Covers and Why It Matters

The TipSee Music patent protects a complete end to end operating system for live performances, not just a single feature or isolated tool, but a unified framework designed to connect artists, venues, and fans in real time.

The guiding idea is simple.

Payments, fan engagement, and royalty reporting should be securely tied to what actually happens on stage.

Verified Live Performance Payments

The platform enables a secure, streamlined flow where fans engage with artists during a live show through song requests, tips or payments are submitted in the moment, the system verifies that the requested song was actually performed, and only then is payment processed and credited to the artist.

By connecting engagement, verification, and payment into a single workflow, the system removes friction, reduces disputes, and creates a more secure experience for everyone involved.

Artists are paid with confidence. Fans engage knowing their support is meaningful. Venues operate within a clear, modern framework.

A Modern Approach to Merch and Fan Connection

Merchandise should not feel disconnected from the live experience. It should enhance it.

The patent supports a modern approach to merchandise and digital sales that meets fans at the exact moment they are most engaged during a live performance.

Merch, digital items, and VIP experiences can be surfaced dynamically, turning energy in the room into deeper artist fan connections. The experience feels natural, intuitive, and built for live music rather than something added after the show.

This creates stronger engagement, better conversion, and a more memorable experience for fans, while giving artists a direct channel to connect with their audience in real time.

Secure Data, Seamless Engagement

Another core element of the patent is secure data flow.

Artists and venues can gather meaningful fan information during live events without interrupting the experience or compromising security. This creates a clean bridge between physical shows and long term digital relationships while respecting both privacy and ownership.

Combined with geofencing and real time messaging, artists and venues can engage fans differently depending on where they are before, during, or after a show, creating a more thoughtful and personalized experience.

A New Standard for Live Music Royalties

One of the most important pieces of the patent focuses on live performance verification and royalties.

The system supports identifying what songs were actually performed, verifying those performances at the server level, and enabling royalty reporting and payments tied to verified live plays.

This lays the groundwork for a future where live music royalties are more accurate, transparent, and trusted for artists, writers, and rights holders.

Where This Starts and Where It Can Go

While small stages and big stages may look different on the surface, the fundamentals of live music are the same. Fans want to feel connected. Artists want to be supported. Venues want experiences that keep people coming back.

This technology is built around those shared moments, creating more ways for fans to engage in real time, while giving artists better protection, clearer visibility, and more opportunities to earn during live performances.

The same secure systems that power a neighborhood bar show can extend naturally to larger venues, tours, and major concerts, unlocking deeper fan interaction, smarter monetization, and more reliable performance data at every level of live music.

This patent is not just about how live music functions today. It is about establishing a modern foundation that helps artists thrive while shaping what live music becomes next.

I am proud of where this began, and even more excited about what it enables moving forward.