Questions, answered.

Sidestage is a mobile app that matches musicians looking for a band, bands with an open slot, and independent music services such as recording studios, engineers, producers, teachers and photographers. You swipe through cards near you; when two people like each other, you can message.

Swiping, matching and messaging are free for musicians and bands. Service listings are free at launch. If paid features arrive later, they will never include paid placement in the deck — cards are ranked by fit and distance, not by who pays.

Sidestage is rolling out city by city, starting with a small number of U.S. cities where the early-access list is strongest. Join the list with your city and we'll email you when your area opens.

No. Solo artists, producers, DJs, session players and singer-songwriters all fit. Set your intent to what you actually want — a touring band, a co-writer, a producer, a teacher — and the deck adjusts.

Photos (up to eight), a bio, instruments, genres, availability, your intent, up to three audio tracks and two videos of 60 seconds or less. Sidestage automatically creates a 30-second preview that plays on your swipe card.

No. Your files are uploaded to and hosted by Sidestage so previews play instantly in the deck with no ads and no broken links. You can add external links to your profile if you want, but nothing depends on them.

Nobody sees your exact location. Other people see an approximate distance (for example, "4 miles away") and the general area you choose to show, such as a neighbourhood or city.

Services have their own card type with rates, room or service details, and playable recent work. Musicians and bands switch to the Services deck when they're looking to book, so you're only shown to people who want what you offer.

You must own the recording or have permission to use it. Uploads are checked against known commercial recordings, and content that matches may be removed. Original demos, rehearsal recordings and live clips of your own performances are all fine.

Every profile and conversation has a report option, and reports are reviewed by a person. You can delete your account and all uploaded media from the app's settings at any time.