The essay will analyze how the phenomenon of crowdfunding is taking place and affecting cultural production, with particular attention to the Italian website Produzioni dal Basso. Through a series of interviews with both artists and supporters, the authors consider how the social capital, and the ability to manage networks of relations and acquaintances, is likely to influence the final result. The data collected and the comparison with other surveys eventually will show how different crowdfunding platforms exploit different patterns of social capital, offering some new chances for sociological research.
Keywords: Crowdfunding, social capital, fan funding, Web 2.0, network, qualitative research