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There was a time when I would have been a rich man if I had a nickel for every band I predicted would become ‘big.’ I’m not bragging. It’s just one of the useless gifts I was born with. I would have much rather been able to play the guitar.

But now I might be able to convert my talent scout abilities into cash.

Launching in beta today is PopCuts, a Y-Combinator startup that rewards early adopters.Buy a song ahead of the curve and the band posting the song can choose to reward you. Let’s take a great unsigned band like Vie Perdu (there I go again flexing my ‘I called that’ muscle’). If they sold their lead single “Innocent Eyes” and offered 25% of the profit back to fans, early adopters would be rewarded after the song was downloaded by about 20 people. Bottom line: the earlier you buy, the more you make.

Let’s say you buy the song in a second or third wave; you will still be rewarded, albeit at a lower payout rate. In this case, being first is best. The site alerts you as to an approximate date you can expect to start earning.

Currently a hotbed for unsigned/indie bands, the founders hope to move the business model to include major labels once they have tweaked the payment model.

The big question is whether or not a 30% payout will excite downloaders to participate. My hunch is that many people will be in it for the thrill of the game. Calling the ‘next big thing’ is a good feeling. And I’m ready to feel good!

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