Indie rock band Four Day Hombre have made a very savvy move to get their first album off the ground. After being declined by several independent record labels, the Leeds quartet e-mailed the fan base they'd built through local pub and club gigs to ask for contributions towards the production and launch of their first commercial album.

The band were inundated with offers - as much as £3,500 from one avid follower - and collected a pot of money that was high above anything they'd been able to negotiate with a independent label. In fact, it enabled the band to set up its own record label, Alamo Music, and award itself a three-album deal. Fans that have contributed to Four Day Hombre receive a share in Alamo Music and related profits should the band and label be a success.

This kind of funding strategy isn't uncommon in the music industry and is an increasingly popular way to launch new talents. It is also a crafty marketing strategy that creates a ready-made group of loyal customers that are not only fans of the music being produced, but have it in their own interests to promote the band and its albums.