Your questions.
A clear place to start.

NE is an artist-first platform in development: a home for your identity, work, creative projects, collaborators, and opportunities. Our public interest list and invited beta are separate; joining the list does not guarantee a beta invitation.

Artists across disciplines, venues, studios, galleries, creative organizations, industry partners, and people who enjoy and support independent art. You do not have to be famous or fit neatly into one medium.

Yes. Comedians are artists on NE. Stand-up, improv, sketch, musical comedy and comedy writing all belong here. Choose Comedy as your Artist Page discipline and add your specialties. In the invited beta, you can upload bits, full sets, sketches and audio comedy as Works, then choose which approved releases to feature in your credited portfolio. Upload limits and artist permissions still apply.

Add Comedy and your specialties to your opt-in artist directory listing so invited members can search for you. Venues and creative partners can use these searches when seeking comedy talent; show calendars and broader public booking features are still being developed.

The current invited beta includes Artist Pages, private Projects, Works and versions, credits and permissions, community publication, collaboration opportunities, a private inbox, an opt-in directory, and private product feedback. Access remains invitation-only while we test and improve these workflows.

No. The interest list lets us contact you as invitations open in stages. Invited members sign in with their approved account. You can join as an artist, audience member, Seeker, or creative partner.

Invitations go out in stages. Joining the interest list does not mean an invitation has been sent. If you’re expecting your invitation, check your spam or junk folder as well as your inbox. If you find NE’s email there, mark it as “Not spam” and add the sender to your contacts.

Yes. The public is watching. NE is being built so people can discover, watch, listen, read, look, play, attend, follow, and support independent art. Your profile and the work you deliberately release can become a doorway to people outside your existing circle. Quality matters; NE is not a popularity contest. Public discovery is a planned release, and private beta materials remain private.

The approved direction is accountable participation: “Add as much as you take.” Free Audience participation includes browsing, following, and saving. The $5 subscription enables Seeker reviews, critiques, and discovery contributions when that system launches. This is a commitment to contributing thoughtfully. It is not a purchase of influence over artists or editorial decisions. Subscription checkout and Seeker eligibility enforcement are still implementation work.

In the planned Seeker system, reviewers may choose after completing a full review whether to remain anonymous to the artist or reveal their identity. A separate, optional control lets the Seeker allow follow-up about that review, including an anonymous conversation. Contact is off until the Seeker opts in, and age, blocking, and safety rules still apply. These review and follow-up features are in development.

Hosting work in an NE portfolio does not give NE ownership or control. Artists remain free to make deals with others. A formal submission accepted by NE is a separate process with a defined, time-limited first opportunity to pursue a deal; that process and its precise terms still need implementation and legal drafting.

Private Projects and their files stay within their permission boundaries. A public or community expression requires a deliberate release of selected material. Beta membership is separate from permission to view a Project, file, or artwork.

The approved beta direction uses simple Owner/Manager controls for people acting on behalf of a profile. Delegated authority must be explicit and revocable. Managers must not silently redirect payouts or take ownership of an artist’s work. These broader account controls are still being implemented.

Invited beta members can give private product feedback and complete the beta questionnaire. Tell us what gets in your way, what we should improve first, and what we should preserve.

Planned capabilities include cashless QR tipping, NE Music ID, expanded NE Radar, sponsor-supported equipment access, venue calendars and booking inquiries, NE Local discovery, NE Assistant and later phone support, a creative marketplace, and self-serve sponsorship. Their release phases differ. NE Music ID and equipment access are later features; they do not hold up the beta.

The approved sponsorship direction uses clear paid acknowledgments and a quality gate, while protecting editorial and discovery decisions. Sponsorship is intended to support NE without interrupting the work or disguising paid placement as organic discovery.

Use the NE web beta in your mobile browser, or add it to your home screen. Visit Get the NE app for installation instructions and the web beta update date. A separate native-app download is not available on this page yet. Installing the web app does not grant beta membership.