It’s official: Audioshake swept the Swimming with Narwhals competition, winning over both the jury and the audience. The third annual Swimming with Narwhals Music Tech Startup Competition Final was held on October 26, 2022 in Santa Monica, CA as part of the annual Music Tectonics Conference. This year’s conference boasted three days of carefully curated programming and more than 500 attendees.

As part of the competition Final, four promising startups from music tech, tackling important challenges in live music, generative AI, video monetization, and stem creation, gave their pitches in front of a packed ballroom and a three-person jury of investors and experts. The audience members voted on their favorite pitch, while the jury came to a decision and that decision was announced the following morning at the final day of Music Tectonics, held at Santa Monica’s Expert Dojo.

“All of our finalists were impressive. They are all addressing urgent needs in the music business, many vital to a better, more sustainable future for artists,” explains Dmitri Vietze, Director of Music Tectonics and founder/CEO of Rock Paper Scissors, the music innovation PR firm. “However, Audioshake’s pitch and business model truly stood out.”

Using proprietary AI, Audioshake creates stems, the separate instrumental and vocal tracks that make up a musical recording. Audioshake has taken stems beyond the technical basics and helped partners turn them into inspiring building blocks for new music experiences. The company’s technological excellence, paired with this vision for a new, more interactive musical future, sets Audioshake apart. Audioshake has already managed to partner with major rightsholders such as Hipgnosis Song Fund and with large music distributors such as CD Baby, as well as with a number of emerging artists who use stems to fuel their creative projects.

Founded by Jessica Powell (ex-Google), Audioshake is the third winner of the Music Tectonics Startup Competition and coincidentally all three winners have been women-led companies. The inaugural winner, Fave, founded by Jacquelle Amankonah Horton, has already managed to raise millions and win support for its fan community hub from major music industry players, including HYBE. The second year’s victor, Xann Schwinn of The Choral Hub (now Biiah), unites singers online for learning and fun in a unique, game-like framework.

“We want everyone to apply who qualifies and want everyone to face the same scrutiny,” explains Vietze. “However, we’re thrilled that so many compelling female-founded companies have risen to the top, as finalists and winners. We’re all aware of how few women compared to men received investment,” around 2% of VC in 2021, “and our winners make an undeniable statement about the high-caliber tech talent and ideas out there. It’s time these founders and innovators were given the attention they deserve.”

Powell is pleased to join this group of women building groundbreaking music tech. "We started AudioShake to help power the next wave of music experiences and help artists make more money for their work, and we've been overwhelmed by the positive response and customer adoption," says Powell. "I also hope Audioshake's Swimming with Narwhals win also encourages other female founders to apply to start-up competitions."  

The Swimming with Narwhal startups may be the cream of the crop when it comes to innovation in music, but they reflect the growing energy of the music community as a whole, as music weaves into visual media, games, real-life experiences, branding, and just about everywhere else you can think of. “Music Tectonics works to capture some of this incredible creativity and energy, to bring it all together so that the movers and shakers from across industries can trade ideas and make connections they might struggle to forge otherwise,” says Vietze. “We’re here to support innovators, big and small, as they race toward the future of music.” 

About Music Tectonics

The Music Tectonics Conference is designed to rally music innovators of all stripes: startups, major labels, indie labels, Web3 disruptors, streaming services, distributors, social media platforms, investors, accelerators, legal experts, live event execs, gear makers, music software developers, consultants—in short, everyone who works where music and tech meet.

PR firm Rock Paper Scissors, Inc. explores the new terrain at the epicenter of music and technology through their Music Tectonics Conference, podcast, media services, and online events. Learn more at MusicTectonics.com

Music Innovation isn’t just buzz—innovation is happening and needed across the entire music industry. That’s why the Music Tectonics Conference program explores innovation that’s shaking up the music industry from the inside and the outside. “Music Tech used to be a niche interest, but now there is no corner of the music ecosystem that isn’t touched by it.” explains conference director Dmitri Vietze. 

On the just released full conference schedule, visionaries and pioneers discussing the buzziest innovation trends like web3, gaming, and the metaverse dominate a third of the programming. The remaining sessions feature experts in the innovations that are changing all corners of the music industry: from live event tech, to new musical creation; from collaboration tools, to data and analytics platforms. 

Some of these innovations unlock new opportunities on the frontiers of the industry, by capturing and monetizing fan engagement or opening new revenue streams. Others innovate in how the industry operates from the inside out by changing how royalties are managed or how artists create and distribute their music. At Music Tectonics, you’ll get prepared for all these seismic shifts shaking up the industry.

Speaker highlights:

• Sanjay Amin, YouTube Music

• Tatiana Cirisano, MIDiA Research

• Jay Gilbert, Your Morning Coffee

• Mike Huppe, SoundExchange

• Gavin Johnson, Monstercat

• Meng Ru Kuok, BandLab

• Vickie Nauman, CrossBorderWorks

• Rishi Patel, Plus Eight Equity

• Kristin Robinson, Billboard

• Daniel Rowland, LANDR

• Manny Toro, SoundCloud

• Joe Tou, Sony Ventures

• Máuhan Zonoozy, Spotify

Panel topic highlights:

• Collaborative Creation With Fans

• Gaming is the New Venue 

• The Journey of a Song in Music Tech

• Music Monetization Beyond Streaming

• Music Rights in the Metaverse

• No Money, No Music: Financial Innovations in the Music Industry

• Sexy, Sexy, A&R Data for the Masses

• Ultimate Live Music Tech Tools

• Wild Wild West of Web3

See a full list of speakers and panels at MusicTectonics.com

These panels and speakers alone would be a master class in the future of the music industry, but there’s so much more to Music Tectonics. “In this industry, people need connection and first-hand experience as much as they need keynotes and panel discussions,” Vietze elaborates. “That’s why we’ve built in opportunities to try out innovations, make connections, and get business done across the three days of the conference.” Playful formats make learning fun and easy, while off-beat open-air venues optimize for B2B networking.  

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

TUE  OCTOBER 25

Music Tech Carnival

3PM - 5PM at the Santa Monica Pier Carousel 

• Cutting edge music experiences: Try out new ways to engage with and create music with AmazeVR, Artiphon, and TribeXR, 

• Startup Carousel: get in on the future of music innovation! 20 startups, including Swimming with Narwhals Finalists and Semi-finalists, will demo their next-generation products and platforms.

Opening Party - presented by SoundExchange

5PM - 7PM at the Santa Monica Pier Carousel 

• Meet and mingle with other music innovators over drinks and tacos by the beach as the sun sets. 

WED OCTOBER 26

Keynotes, Sessions, and More

9AM - 6PM at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel

• All the panels and speakers listed above (plus more)

• Innovator Exhibit Hall

• Final Pitches in the Swimming With Narwhals Pitch Competition

Conference Reception

6PM - 8PM at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel

THU OCTOBER 27 

Music Tech Dojo - presented by LyricFind and Fortress Blockchain Technologies

10AM to 2PM - Expert Dojo in Santa Monica Place

• Tatiana Cirisano and Kriss Thakrar of MIDiA Research present insights and data on the music industry of the future.

• Invite-only trainings and consultations with LyricFind and Fortress Blockchain Technologies.

New to the schedule: UMG’s Music Tech Training Camp 

3pm to 7pm - UMG’s Santa Monica Offices

• Startups get actionable advice from investors, advisors, and label execs on everything they need to know from the brainstorming stage, through seed rounds and growth.

• Then make industry connections at a mixer with badgeholders and UMG execs.

• Don’t forget to get a selfie at the famous Universal globe!

About Music Tectonics

The 2022 Music Tectonics Conference is designed to rally music innovators of all stripes: startups, major labels, indie labels, Web3 disruptors, streaming services, distributors, social media platforms, investors, accelerators, legal experts, live event execs, gear makers, music software developers, consultants—in short, everyone who works where music and tech meet. 

Music Tectonics unites innovators in music and tech to share ideas and get business done across industry boundaries. The fourth annual conference returns to an all-in-person format in Santa Monica, CA, October 25-27, 2022. Join us for three days of programming about the future of music that prepares you to ride the next seismic shifts shaking up the industry.

Finalists in “Swimming With Narwhals” Competition include monetization of stems, shoppable music videos, soundtracking video with A.I., and matching opening bands with venues.

A new wave of music tech startups are emerging, showing a maturation of the music industry. Startups pitched ideas at the forefront of innovation at Music Tectonics’ Swimming with Narwhals Music Tech Startup Competition Semi-finals last week. Now, four finalists are taking their pitches to the Music Tectonics Conference in Santa Monica, California October 25-27, 2022. The competition is a pulse check on new ideas emerging and, from the looks of it, a lot of originality is still in store.  

Semi-final judges Fred McIntyre (Capacitance, Managing Director)​, Isabelle Persson (Expert Dojo, Head of Investment), and Tom Windish (Wasserman Music, EVP, Head of Business Development and A&R) heard ten fresh pitches from startups across the ecosystem. 

“At the semi-final, we heard from booking platforms, stem separation and monetization platforms, artist investment, NFT marketplace convergence, haptics, music creation combined with NFTs, a unique instrument, synch workflow, and video platforms,” says MT conference director Dmitri Vietze, ”It was a great snapshot of where music innovation is happening—which is everywhere.”

From among 10 diverse ideas, the judges selected the four finalists based on the originality of their ideas, product-market fit, and potential for success.

Introducing the 2022 Swimming with Narwhals Finalists:

- AudioShake (Jessica Powell) uses AI to open up songs to new monetization and creative possibilities by separating songs into their stems and instrumentals. 

- Opnr (Dre Wallace) is a cloud-based, double-sided marketplace platform that uses data to connect musicians with concert organizers offering opener performance opportunities. 

- Tuney (Antony Demekhin) is an adaptive music engine and creator tool, making it easy for creators to soundtrack their videos. 

- Viktrs (Mark Bamford) takes video content to the next level by capturing audience engagement within music videos. 

Fred McIntyre recognized all the innovators who pitched in the semifinals, saying  "I was impressed with so many creative ideas coming from the Narwhal applicant pool. I am excited to see what they do next!" The founders of semi-finalists Amptup, BaseNote, Dopr, EDGE Sound Research, Mix.audio / Neutune, and ODD Studios are all ones to watch.

The four finalists will go on to demo their products at a “Startup Carousel” and present final pitches in person at the conference. The final jury includes Joe Tou, MD of Sony Innovation Fund and Brian Mac Mahon, head of the accelerator Expert DOJO. Winners selected by jury choice and audience choice will be announced on the last day of the conference.

The winner of the first “Swimming with Narwhals” competition, Jacquelle Amankonah Horton, sees the experience as a springboard for her startup Fave, a platform for fans to unite and support their favorite artists with passion and creativity. “Winning the Music Tectonics startup competition completely catapulted my company,” Horton recalls. “It was the first time I spoke publicly about my vision outside of moonlighting on the project, and the direct support I received from the judges, industry leads who saw or heard of me from this stage, and the amazing fellow attendee community is what led to me closing a $2.2M seed round from top industry companies just a few months later. So grateful and feel indebted to the MT family for this kickoff.”

Why Narwhals?  The Music Tectonics team chose the real one-horned sea creature, sometimes called the “unicorn whale,” as their mascot to gently poke fun at the cultural obsession with billion-dollar unicorn startups. Music Tectonics’ competition keeps the focus on real-world innovators who are poised to make waves in the music industry. And while shark tanks pit founders against each other and antagonistic judges, Swimming with Narwhals is welcoming and mutually supportive. 

Conference badges ($350 in advance, $450 at the door) are now available at MusicTectonics.com, along with an event schedule and speaker roster. Innovators in music and tech share ideas and get business done across industry boundaries at the fourth annual Music Tectonics Conference, Oct. 25-27, 2022. Three days of all-in-person programming at eclectic venues in Santa Monica, CA, include:

- “Beacons of Culture” keynote with Spotify head of Innovation Máuhan Zonoozy

- Data-driven seminar on the Future of Music with MIDiA Research

- High-powered panels on emerging trends in music innovation

- Music Tech Carnival of AR/VR music experiences, and much more

About Music Tectonics

The 2022 Music Tectonics Conference is designed to rally music innovators of all stripes: startups, major labels, indie labels, Web3 disruptors, streaming services, distributors, social media platforms, investors, accelerators, legal experts, live event execs, gear makers, music software developers, consultants—in short, everyone who works where music and tech meet. 

Music Tectonics unites innovators in music and tech to share ideas and get business done across industry boundaries. The fourth annual conference returns to an all-in-person format in Santa Monica, CA, October 25-27, 2022. Join us for three days of programming about the future of music that prepares you to ride the next seismic shifts shaking up the industry.

Máuhan Zonoozy to open the innovation-focused conference with a keynote on the future of music in the new techno-cultural landscape

In his role as Spotify’s Head of Content Business Innovation and Market Intelligence, Máuhan M. Zonoozy leads the company’s strategic direction that keeps the company focused on the future as the leading audio streaming service. In the last year alone, Spotify has made headlines with groundbreaking experiments like Spotify Live, Spotify Island in Roblox, and now NFTs on artist pages.

Zonoozy’s background defies simplistic categorization— from consulting as an advisor to Fortune 500 C-suites trying to make sense of emerging technological and cultural trends, to leading as a startup investor focused on the intersection of media, tech, and Web3, Zonoozy has continuously proven to have his eye on the horizon. 
 
This October, Zonoozy brings his 10,000-foot view over the cultural landscape to a music innovation conference that’s also got its eyes on the big-picture future of the industry: Music Tectonics (October 25-27, 2022 in Santa Monica, CA). 

Zonoozy’s Music Tectonics keynote will take a macro view of the cultural shifts that have shaken up the music industry’s foundations. “If you zoom out, you see that generations of people have drawn culture from different sources. In my youth, music was the beacon of culture,” Zonoozy elaborates. “Now, gaming has become influential in driving how young people define what’s cool. We’re also seeing DAOs and Web3 gain cultural clout, with a focus on tribal and squad wealth. Will this Web3 buzz change culture in the same way? I've leaned all the way in'.” Will whatever comes next lessen—or displace—music's influence on culture?

Music Tectonics conference director Dmitri Vietze selected Zonoozy as a keynoter to bring a top-level, innovation-centered viewpoint you might not hear at insider industry events. He explains, “The music industry has always been all about the music, and now it needs to watch these new beacons of culture and adapt. I’m optimistic that music will continue to be the soundtrack of all kinds of cultural experiences, whether real life or virtual. Everything in the metaverse is cooler with great music.”

Now in its fourth year, the Music Tectonics Conference has established a reputation for exploring deep trends in light-hearted ways, weighing the promises and pitfalls of Blockchain with a costumed “Cage Match” style debate and exploring music and the metaverse in a virtual conference venue, complete with dancing avatars. These playful formats have a serious purpose: to open discussions on buzzy trends like Web3 and the metaverse that include both the committed early adopters and the wait-and-see skeptics. “When a seismic shift emerges in the music industry, it’s not the hype that determines its impact.” Vietze muses. “At Music Tectonics you find out which impact deserves the hype. This is where the tension builds and new technologies emerge.” In 2022, expect insightful, accessible discussions that probe points of tension like “Whose Metaverse Is It?” and “NFT Quest: What Do Music Fans Really Want?"

Key adopters and tension-builders are increasingly based in Los Angeles, the latest hub of music and innovation. With its unique mix of record labels, studios, tech and gaming companies, social media companies, Hollywood, and startups, “the music industry’s past, present, and future is all represented in Los Angeles, and no other music & technology conference was tapping into that,” says Vietze. “Launching the event in 2019, Southern California just felt right. Music innovation has continued to simmer there during the pandemic, so we are thrilled to bring the event back to earth from the online and hybrid ether.”

Conference details:
Early Bird Registration is open at MusicTectonics.com
October 25 - Santa Monica Pier Merry-Go-Round
      - A “Startup Carousel” showcasing demos by up-and-coming innovators 
      - An opening-night party to get everyone meeting and greeting 

October 26 - Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
      - Keynote with Máuhan Zonoozy
      - Breakout sessions
      - Exhibitor hall
      - The final pitch session in Swimming with Narwhals, a Music Tech Startup Competition that’s          no shark tank

October 27- Expert Dojo, an open-air rooftop overlooking the 3rd Street Promenade
      - “Music Tech Dojo,” an intensive day of meetings, networking, and workshops