said but for her latest album chesapeake she partnered with pledge. i am having a blast knowing that if i have an idea for something i can test out the waters with my own fan base and if they re into it they ll help me pull it off. reporter: that kind of synergy is fueling pledge s explosive growth. in just two years the company has processed more than $3 million in pledges and taken on more than 7,000 artists, including two dozen who ultimately signed with labels. i will be connected with you, the fans. reporter: pledge takes 15% for its work, but part of the donations also go to charities of the artist s choice. a record is just being released right now. reporter: pledge artists are now seeing their tunes finally hit the charts. and the site is launching, funding, and releasing an album every single day. a much faster rate than the major labels. some nights life is a struggle to stay sober reporter: all of this is a far cry from benji s subway days. thanks to an