Latest news with #Sesh
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Read the pitch decks 6 music and audio startups used to raise millions
Audio startups are changing how we listen to and discover music. A new crop of companies has emerged to help artists and other audio creators build businesses. We spoke with six audio-startup founders who shared the pitch decks they used to raise funds. Innovation in music tech is on the rise. Startups are building new ways for artists and creators to make and distribute songs and other audio. Some companies, including social-entertainment apps like TikTok and YouTube, are making it easier for artists to get discovered. Platforms like Roblox and Discord have added new formats for artists to reach fans. And generative AI tools like Suno have created a tidal wave of new music while raising new questions about artist compensation in the age of AI. One area of focus among audio startups is finding ways to help artists interact with their most loyal listeners, sometimes called superfans. Sesh built a platform that lets users add "fan cards" of their favorite artists to their smartphone wallets, for example. Hangout created a group-listening platform that enables music fans to stream songs together. "Even with a hundred superfans, you're going to be able to make a living instead of needing to do extra jobs for you to be able to pay for your instruments or your music career," Sesh's CEO, Iñigo-Hubertus Bunzl Pelayo, told Business Insider. Other upstarts are focused on building internal tools for artists and their teams. Offtop built a Dropbox-style platform to help music collaborators share files, for instance. And RealCount offers data analytics for artists on their ticket sales. Read BI's list of 14 promising music startups Investors have poured millions of dollars into audio startups over the last few years. The category has drawn funding from institutional firms like SoftBank Ventures Korea and record labels like Sony Music. BI spoke with six audio-startup founders who've raised money in the past few years about their fundraising process. They each shared the pitch decks they used to win over investors. Note: Pitch decks are sorted by investment stage and size of round. Slipstream Music, a music and sounds library for creators: $7.5 million (13 pages) Hangout, a social-listening platform: $8.2 million (26 pages) Sesh, a fan-engagement platform: $5 million (13 pages) Chartmetric, a music data startup: $2 million (46 pages) Supercast, a podcast subscriptions platform: $2 million (20 pages) Spoon, a live audio streaming platform: $60 million total (15 pages) Geoff Weiss, JP Mangalindan, Nhari Djan, and Michael Espinosa previously contributed reporting. Chartmetric Chartmetric is a data-and-analytics tool that enables music-industry professionals to track the digital performance of songs. The company created a platform for customers like record labels and artists to review streaming and social-media data all in one place. "There is more and more data that artists and record labels measure and that they care about, and the importance of the data changes over time," Chartmetric founder and CEO Sung Cho told Brazil-based Magroove helps independent musicians distribute music on global platforms like Spotify and iTunes, and runs a music-discovery app. A prime selling point for artists on the platform is its affordable distribution services. The company is also testing features to help artists earn more, including a digital-store offering. "I had my history as trying to make it as a musician, knowing absolutely nothing to now being in the position to help other artists and serve them with things that I didn't have back then," cofounder Vítor Cunha told built a subscription service for creators that opens up access to a library of royalty-free music and sound effects. Roughly 40% of its clients are livestreaming gamers, the company told Insider. The company raised in June a $7.5 million Series A in a round led by Sony Music Entertainment. "The 'majors' were not our first target – we initially wanted to go the classic VC route," CMO Jesse Korwin told Insider at the time. "We realized that having one of the major music companies as a backer provided a ton of validity and support for our vision."Spoon Radio Spoon Radio is a live audio platform founded in South Korea that expanded to the US in late 2019. The platform's users tune into different audio rooms, similar to the Clubhouse app, where creators host listening sessions. Users can also tip livestreamers with virtual tokens called "spoons." Read the 15-page pitch deck for Spoon, which has raised more than $59 million in funding Supercast Supercast built a subscription platform designed specifically for podcast creators. The company launched in September 2019 and raised $2 million in seed funding from investors like Form Capital and Table Management. "The world of podcasting is sitting on a goldmine, and they don't even know it," said CEO Jason Sew Hoy. "They've done the hard work of building up the audiences that they may be monetizing by ads. But they have an entirely new additive revenue stream that they can switch on with listeners' subscriptions."Ultimate Playlist Ultimate Playlist is a music-marketing platform that incentivizes users to listen to and rate songs in exchange for daily cash prizes. Each day, the company features a new set of 40 songs on the app. Eventually, the company plans to charge rights holders around $200 to $300 for a song to be included. "There's not a lot out there for this middle-class artist," cofounder Shevy Smith told Insider. "One key component of Ultimate Playlist is that it isn't anchored by superstars." Read the 9-page pitch deck that the company used to raise $2 million JP Mangalindan and Michael Espinosa contributed additional reporting. This story was originally published in January 16, 2023. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Read the pitch decks 6 music and audio startups used to raise millions
Audio startups are changing how we listen to and discover music. A new crop of companies has emerged to help artists and other audio creators build businesses. We spoke with six audio-startup founders who shared the pitch decks they used to raise funds. Startups are building new ways for artists and creators to make and distribute songs and other audio. Some companies, including social-entertainment apps like TikTok and YouTube, are making it easier for artists to get discovered. Platforms like Roblox and Discord have added new formats for artists to reach fans. And generative AI tools like Suno have created a tidal wave of new music while raising new questions about artist compensation in the age of AI. One area of focus among audio startups is finding ways to help artists interact with their most loyal listeners, sometimes called superfans. Sesh built a platform that lets users add "fan cards" of their favorite artists to their smartphone wallets, for example. Hangout created a group-listening platform that enables music fans to stream songs together. "Even with a hundred superfans, you're going to be able to make a living instead of needing to do extra jobs for you to be able to pay for your instruments or your music career," Sesh's CEO, Iigo-Hubertus Bunzl Pelayo, told Business Insider. Other upstarts are focused on building internal tools for artists and their teams. Offtop built a Dropbox-style platform to help music collaborators share files, for instance. And RealCount offers data analytics for artists on their ticket sales. Investors have poured millions of dollars into audio startups over the last few years. The category has drawn funding from institutional firms like SoftBank Ventures Korea and record labels like Sony Music. BI spoke with six audio-startup founders who've raised money in the past few years about their fundraising process. They each shared the pitch decks they used to win over investors. Read the pitch decks that helped 6 audio startups raise millions of dollars: Note: Pitch decks are sorted by investment stage and size of round. Series A Seed Other Geoff Weiss, JP Mangalindan, Nhari Djan, and Michael Espinosa previously contributed reporting. Chartmetric is a data-and-analytics tool that enables music-industry professionals to track the digital performance of company created a platform for customers like record labels and artists to review streaming and social-media data all in one place."There is more and more data that artists and record labels measure and that they care about, and the importance of the data changes over time," Chartmetric founder and CEO Sung Cho told the 46-page pitch deck that the company used to raise $2 million in seed funding Magroove Brazil-based Magroove helps independent musicians distribute music on global platforms like Spotify and iTunes, and runs a music-discovery app. A prime selling point for artists on the platform is its affordable distribution services. The company is also testing features to help artists earn more, including a digital-store offering. "I had my history as trying to make it as a musician, knowing absolutely nothing to now being in the position to help other artists and serve them with things that I didn't have back then," cofounder Vtor Cunha told the 21-page pitch deck Magroove used to raise $1.6 million in seed funding built a subscription service for creators that opens up access to a library of royalty-free music and sound 40% of its clients are livestreaming gamers, the company told company raised in June a $7.5 million Series A in a round led by Sony Music Entertainment."The 'majors' were not our first target – we initially wanted to go the classic VC route," CMO Jesse Korwin told Insider at the time. "We realized that having one of the major music companies as a backer provided a ton of validity and support for our vision."Read the 13-page pitch deck that used to raise $7.5 million in funding Supercast Supercast built a subscription platform designed specifically for podcast company launched in September 2019 and raised $2 million in seed funding from investors like Form Capital and Table Management."The world of podcasting is sitting on a goldmine, and they don't even know it," said CEO Jason Sew Hoy. "They've done the hard work of building up the audiences that they may be monetizing by ads. But they have an entirely new additive revenue stream that they can switch on with listeners' subscriptions."Read the 20-page pitch deck the company used to raise $2 million Ultimate Playlist Ultimate Playlist is a music-marketing platform that incentivizes users to listen to and rate songs in exchange for daily cash day, the company features a new set of 40 songs on the app. Eventually, the company plans to charge rights holders around $200 to $300 for a song to be included."There's not a lot out there for this middle-class artist," cofounder Shevy Smith told Insider. "One key component of Ultimate Playlist is that it isn't anchored by superstars."Read the 9-page pitch deck that the company used to raise $2 millionJP Mangalindan and Michael Espinosa contributed additional reporting. This story was originally published in January 16, 2023.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Read the pitch decks 6 music and audio startups used to raise millions
Audio startups are changing how we listen to and discover music. A new crop of companies has emerged to help artists and other audio creators build businesses. We spoke with six audio-startup founders who shared the pitch decks they used to raise funds. Innovation in music tech is on the rise. Startups are building new ways for artists and creators to make and distribute songs and other audio. Some companies, including social-entertainment apps like TikTok and YouTube, are making it easier for artists to get discovered. Platforms like Roblox and Discord have added new formats for artists to reach fans. And generative AI tools like Suno have created a tidal wave of new music while raising new questions about artist compensation in the age of AI. One area of focus among audio startups is finding ways to help artists interact with their most loyal listeners, sometimes called superfans. Sesh built a platform that lets users add "fan cards" of their favorite artists to their smartphone wallets, for example. Hangout created a group-listening platform that enables music fans to stream songs together. "Even with a hundred superfans, you're going to be able to make a living instead of needing to do extra jobs for you to be able to pay for your instruments or your music career," Sesh's CEO, Iñigo-Hubertus Bunzl Pelayo, told Business Insider. Other upstarts are focused on building internal tools for artists and their teams. Offtop built a Dropbox-style platform to help music collaborators share files, for instance. And RealCount offers data analytics for artists on their ticket sales. Investors have poured millions of dollars into audio startups over the last few years. The category has drawn funding from institutional firms like SoftBank Ventures Korea and record labels like Sony Music. BI spoke with six audio-startup founders who've raised money in the past few years about their fundraising process. They each shared the pitch decks they used to win over investors. Read the pitch decks that helped 6 audio startups raise millions of dollars: Note: Pitch decks are sorted by investment stage and size of round. Series A Slipstream Music, a music and sounds library for creators: $7.5 million (13 pages) Seed Hangout, a social-listening platform: $8.2 million (26 pages) Sesh, a fan-engagement platform: $5 million (13 pages) Chartmetric, a music data startup: $2 million (46 pages) Supercast, a podcast subscriptions platform: $2 million (20 pages) Other Spoon, a live audio streaming platform: $60 million total (15 pages)
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
A music startup raised $5 million to connect artists and fans using their mobile wallets. Read its pitch deck.
Music startup Sesh began with a question: How do we help artists connect with fans outside social media? While some musicians are natural influencers, others are bad at TikTok, or just don't want to spend time there. "Artists are not content creators," Sesh's CEO Pepe del Río told Business Insider. "They create music and they like to perform." At its core, Sesh is a platform for artists to stay in touch with fans and manage data about their audiences. When users sign up to follow an artist on Sesh, they provide information like their age, location, and email. In exchange, they get notifications about album releases and other drops, the ability to chat with an artist or other fans during live sessions in the Sesh app, and an official "fan card" for that artist that lives in their mobile wallet (on iOS or Android), among other features. Sesh's artist roster includes pop stars like Anitta, Sofia Reyes, and the Black Eyed Peas. The company makes money by charging artists and their teams a monthly fee to use the platform. In the future, Sesh also plans to take a cut of fan transactions it helps facilitate. The company closed a $5 million seed round inSeptember led by investment firm Miura Global. It's raised $7 million to date, including pre-seed funding from angel investors. Del Río's cofounders include Iñigo-Hubertus Bunzl Pelayo (COO), María José Guzman (CMO), and Andrés Fajardo (CPTO). Sesh is positioning itself as a superfan platform, tapping into a buzzy area of the music business and broader creator economy. The company is playing in a crowded marketplace of fandom startups, including text-marketing tools like Community, membership apps like Patreon, and music album drop platforms like Laylo. So, how did Sesh differentiate itself to investors in its most recent fundraise? It uses mobile wallet "fan cards" Ultimately, the company wants its users not to feel tethered to a particular app, but instead follow an artist no matter where they are posting content. That's where the mobile wallet "fan card" comes in. "When you talk about a community app, normally an investor will look at you and say, 'Who the f—k is going to download a community app,'" del Río said. The wallet card, by contrast, is simple to download and a useful tool for artists to send push notifications to fans, he said. Music fans are already accustomed to keeping concert tickets in their mobile wallets, so why not get artist updates there, too? Investors often bet on startups with a smart data story, and Sesh is positioning itself as a data company that allows artists to track fan analytics and spot trends that can help them make money from their audiences. At a moment when Big Tech executives are weighing whether to use AI to reduce their company's head count, new startups can make bets from the start on how automation will impact their team's size. Del Río said he doesn't want to grow his team any bigger than it needs to be, and that AI is already helping the company work more efficiently (which investors appreciate) in areas like coding and marketing. Note: Two slides were removed that contained information about the company's clients in order to share the deck publicly. The superfan opportunity Sesh combined data from Nielsen, Live Nation Entertainment, and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, among other sources, to provide some top-level estimates of the market opportunity. This slide reads: Artists struggle to manage and monetize their fan communities, while fans crave deeper connections $14.6BN unrealized fans higher spending $15.4BN wasted chasing fans the old way There are millions of artists to recruit Sesh estimated that music industry fan communities are a $34.5 billion market opportunity. It wrote that 15% of the population are superfans, and that there are 25 million music artists (250,000 full-time music artists). This slide reads: A large, underserved market of artists and fans without a space to connect Weverse, the K-pop-focused fan platform, has demonstrated the power and profitability of fan-driven ecosystems in music. By applying a similar model to the vastly larger Latin and U.S. markets, we see a clear path to building a $1B+ business. Why it's the right time for a fan community startup Sesh. This slide says: Disrupting this space was once impossible — why is now the time to build fan communities? AI Technology Historically, building artist communities has been constrained by three core challenges: Artist Burnout: Consistent engagement is time-consuming and unsustainable. Unclear ROI: Measuring the true impact of fan communities has been difficult, making it hard to justify the effort. Fragmented Fan Expectations: Fans crave different types of connection, making scalable monetization complex. With AI, we solve this by automating personalized engagement, measuring community value in real time, and building self-sustaining fan ecosystems. The tech finally enables what wasn't possible before. Industry recognition The industry now recognizes a fundamental shift: over 80% of revenue comes from superfans, not casual listeners. This is driving a strategic pivot — from chasing viral reach to building strong, high-value fan communities. Leaders from Universal, Sony, Warner, Spotify, and YouTube are making superfan engagement a core strategic priority, investing in platforms that drive loyalty, recurring revenue, and long-term artist growth. This shift creates a massive opportunity: the platforms that best serve superfans will shape the future of music. The entire music ecosystem is shifting toward fan communities. Monopoly potential The competitive landscape is still in its infancy, with only a handful of early entrants beginning to explore the space. Meanwhile, the runaway success of Weverse validates the immense potential of fan community monetization at scale. This presents a rare first-mover advantage: the opportunity to define the category, set the standard, and build the dominant platform for the next generation of music creators and their fans. How an artist can sign up fans How an artist can message to fans A customer-relationship management tool for artists Sesh. The business model Sesh makes money from monthly fees collected from artists and their teams, and plans to take a cut of the fan spend it helps facilitate. The company estimates it could generate $200 million annually if it had 10,000 active artist communities. The Sesh growth playbook This slide highlights how Sesh plans to expand its customer set, and how different aspects of its business help other areas grow, generally referred to as a business flywheel. It reads: Partnerships: Partner with key industry players (e.g. labels) that work alongside artists Ambassadors: Target recognized artists as advocators to foster virality A new artist creates a community on Sesh. The community is shared on social media by both the artist and their fans. This drives organic growth — more fans join communities, and more artists join Sesh. Sesh's founding team The broader opportunity beyond music This slide reads: "At Sesh, we're building the infrastructure powering next-gen fan communities. An ecosystem where people don't just follow what they love — they belong to it. Where connection runs deeper than content, and identity is shaped by shared passion. Music is our entry point — the heartbeat of culture — but the opportunity is much bigger: to build a global infrastructure for belonging. One that spans sports, lifestyle, creators, brands — anything people want to belong to. We're building the connective tissue of the next cultural era." The closing slide calls the company the 'best kept secret for fan communities' Sesh.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Farah Khan recalls telling her kids ‘sharam aani chahiye' after seeing 14-year-old Rasha Thadani ‘dancing like a dream'
Adivi Sesh's "Dacoit" teaser draws comparisons to Sholay, featuring intense performances by Sesh, Mrunal Thakur, and Anurag Kashyap. The neo-Western film promises emotional depth and high-stakes drama, set for a December 25th release after casting changes.
