Every great company starts with a simple observation about the world. Ours was this: the platforms that connect creators with audiences have become extractive, impersonal, and optimized for engagement over genuine connection. We started Dewel Network to build something better.
The Problem We Saw
Over the past decade, the creative industries have been transformed by technology. Musicians can record albums in their bedrooms. Filmmakers can shoot features on their phones. Authors can publish books without traditional publishers. In theory, this democratization should have been a golden age for independent creators.
But something went wrong. The platforms that emerged to distribute this content—Spotify, Netflix, Amazon—optimized for scale, not quality. They built algorithms that favor what's already popular, creating feedback loops that make it nearly impossible for independent voices to break through. They extracted value from creators while giving little back.
The result is a creative economy where a tiny fraction of artists capture almost all the revenue, where algorithms decide what we see and hear, and where the connection between creators and audiences has been reduced to data points and engagement metrics.
What We Believe
We believe there's a better way. We believe that independent creators deserve platforms that treat them as partners, not products. We believe that audiences want more than algorithmic recommendations—they want genuine discovery and meaningful connection with the artists they love.
We believe that fair economics aren't just the right thing to do—they're good business. When creators earn a fair share of the value they create, they can invest in their craft, take creative risks, and build sustainable careers. That means better content for everyone.
And we believe that technology should serve human connection, not replace it. The best platforms don't optimize for time spent—they optimize for value delivered. They help people find what they're looking for, then get out of the way.
Our Approach
Every product we build at Dewel Network starts with the same question: what would this look like if we put creators first? Not creators as a marketing talking point, but genuinely centered the needs of the people who make the content.
That means transparent economics—we publish our revenue share models and don't hide behind complicated contracts. It means human curation alongside algorithmic recommendations, because sometimes the best discoveries come from people who genuinely care about the craft. And it means building features that help creators build direct relationships with their audiences, not intermediated relationships through our platform.
We're not trying to replace the giants—we're building alternatives for people who want something different. Platforms that feel more like communities than marketplaces. Places where independent voices can thrive.
The Road Ahead
We started with music because that's where the problems were most acute—and where we had the deepest expertise. Dewel Music launched in 2025 and has grown to serve thousands of independent artists and hundreds of thousands of listeners.
Film was a natural next step. The challenges facing independent filmmakers mirror those in music: gatekeeping, unfair economics, and algorithms that favor the familiar over the new. Dewel Movies launched earlier this year with a catalog of over 200 independent films.
Now we're expanding into books and travel—two more industries where independent creators struggle to reach audiences on fair terms. Each new product extends our mission and strengthens the network effects that benefit all creators in our ecosystem.
We're building Dewel Network for the long term. Not for a quick exit or a billion-dollar valuation, but to create lasting infrastructure for independent creativity. We hope you'll join us.