This startup wants to be Shopify for indie filmmakers

A new startup is leaning on the power of recommendations to spread the word about indie films.

Olyn offers a direct-to-consumer platform for film and video distribution, enabling filmmakers to retain up to 90% of their revenue. Billed as “Shopify for filmmakers,” Olyn removes the platform as a middleman, eliminating ads and algorithm-driven recommendations. This allows movies to shine based on their own merits and be monetized directly through viewership.

Ana Maria Jipa, cofounder and CEO of Olyn, told TechCrunch that the filmmakers are responsible for the movie’s promotion, while Olyn handles the rest. “We provide all the tech that implies: from DRM, 4K streaming, casting, a full landing page that presents the film in the same way that it might appear on Netflix or Apple TV, plus all the other tools such as geo-targeting, analytics, and audience data,” she said. “They promote their movie with PR, journalists, bloggers, film critics, etc.”

The idea is that while filmmakers may not have access to the big marketing budgets of streaming giants, a recommendation from someone a user knows and trusts carries far more weight than a suggestion by a platform algorithm. On Olyn, filmmakers can rely on influencers, film critics, and content creators as distribution partners with purchase links appearing across their content, blogs, and social media.

Olyn also provides filmmakers with detailed analytics on viewership, including the locations where their movie is performing well, total minutes watched, and a database of users who have viewed the film. This allows filmmakers to better understand their audience and use that information to inform and improve future projects.

Jipa says Olyn’s global reach can also help battle piracy—something that’s been an issue for film studios since the advent of the internet. If someone can pay for a movie and watch it instantly without the hassle of trawling the internet just to settle for a sketchy stream littered with ads, they’re much more likely to do so.

And if you’re after a recommendation, the recent Brian Epstein biopic Midas Man, a film about the manager of the Beatles, just dropped on the platform.