The new online startup Drum Exchange has officially launched its online marketplace for musicians and hobbyists to buy, sell, and trade used instruments and gear completely free, while still offering the security of other major online sales platforms. In addition, shoppers can search for the type of gear played by their favorite artists, use the site’s massive database of manufacturer-verified data to list and find the exact instrument they want, and search for gear by genre and skill level.

Drum Exchange, a Brooklyn-born company, is proud of its efforts to offer these premier services. “Normally, when you sell online, you automatically lose ten- to fifteen-percent of your sale price to marketplace fees,” says founder and CEO Judah Parness, a professional drummer, guitar hobbyist, and online shopper/seller. “With certain sites, you can sell for free but have to spend ridiculous amounts of time trying to find the specific gear you want. In the end, we felt musician’s needed a new and custom platform.”

The musicians at Drum Exchange are particularly excited about the free instrument research they’ve compiled and verified with manufacturers. “Something we noticed when shopping online is that many listings have a lack of information on the gear for sale,” says Parness. “Maybe the seller didn’t know exactly what they had, or just wanted to list it quickly. Our built-in database allows sellers to provide more precise information to buyers without adding more time to their work, and enables buyers to know everything they need to decide if a particular instrument is right for them. But Drum Exchange isn’t only a marketplace. We’re working with popular artists to get their equipment lists so fans have a definitive resource for learning about the gear of their favorite artist. Then, with a single click, they can search for that gear in our marketplace.” Advertisement

With future expansion to include online lessons for various skill levels and instruments, community boards for bands and hobbyists, as well as partnerships with major music outlets and artists, Drum Exchange seeks to become the ultimate online music community. But for starters, Parness says, “The immediate goal is to grow our marketplace into the premier site for used gear. It’s a big task, but I’m really excited and confident in what we’ve built.” The new Brooklyn startup has seen a thirty-percent month-over-month growth in members and listings during the initial beta period.

For more information, visit thedrumexchange.com.