Category: Music

Mindset Ventures, an international venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage tech investments, has launched an early-stage, music-focused fund, Mindset MusicTech, aimed at the music tech sector. In announcing its debut, Mindset Music has revealed its first six investments: Audoo, un:hurd, Music AI, Aiode, ALLOY and OwlDuet.

Mindset Music is looking for startups that “enhance human creativity or improve efficiency” in the music business, partner Lucas Cantor Santigo said in a statement. “We’re looking to support companies with both capital and expertise, and give holistic support to those who are reimagining the music industry for the next generation.”

“The music tech space is extremely undervalued and has an enormous potential for disruption with AI and other new technologies,” added Daniel Ibri, managing partner of both Mindset Music and Mindset Ventures. “We plan to take advantage of this space and make a meaningful difference in the sector for the founders.”

Mindset Music’s roster of advisors includes Drew Thurlow, former senior vp of A&R at Sony Music; music attorney Cliff Fluet; entrepreneur Tomer Elbaz; and music and tech attorney Heather Rafter. 

The companies in Mindset Music’s portfolio provide tools for businesses and creators to operate more efficiently, and many incorporate AI technology. Music AI is an audio intelligence platform that provides what it calls “ethical AI solutions” for audio and music applications. The Salt Lake City-based startup’s products include stem separation and mixing mastering. 

Based in Tel Aviv, Aiode allows musicians to collaborate with virtual musicians using ethically trained AI. Those musicians’ virtual counterparts are compensated through a revenue-sharing model.

U.S.-based OwlDuet calls itself an “AI-powered co-pilot for music creators.” Its production tool purports to allow users to create “Grammy-level production expertise without requiring advanced technical skills.” 

Audoo seeks to improve public performance royalty reporting with music recognition technology. The London-based company works with performance rights organizations and collective management organizations. 

London-based ALLOY provides information that facilitates the sync licensing process. The platform gives artists, songwriters, labels and publishers a means to set sync deal parameters and distribute sync metadata to digital platforms. 

un:hurd has developed a music marketing and promotion platform that guides artists through the release cycle and connects artists with a network of playlist curators.

Timbaland has launched his own AI entertainment company called Stage Zero and its first signee is the artist TaTa.

Co-founded with Rocky Mudaliar and Zayd Portillo, Stage Zero’s first signee is an AI pop artist called TaTa, driven by Suno AI. The pop artist, along with a bevy of AI-driven creative tools will all be under Timbo’s new company. The Grammy-award winning producer will be handling the majority of the production for this new artificial intelligence venture, which he dubbed as a new genre entirely called “A-Pop.”

“I’m not just producing tracks anymore,” Timbaland said in a statement. “I’m producing systems, stories, and stars from scratch. [TaTa] is not an avatar. She is not a character. TaTa is a living, learning, autonomous music artist built with AI. TaTa is the start of something bigger. She’s the first artist of a new generation. A-Pop is the next cultural evolution, and TaTa is its first icon.”

Mudaliar added, “The artists of tomorrow won’t just be human, they’ll be IP, code and robotics that are fully autonomous. That’s what we’re building at Stage Zero.”

Timbaland has remained a prevalent advocate for AI in music. In an April interview with Billboard, Timbo said AI is in an exciting new place compared to where it was just a few years ago.

“The technology of today is perfect for what this is,” Timbaland told Billboard. “What used to take me three months only takes me two days. In the beginning, it was like a toy. It was like going to a toy store. You gotta go through gluttony, because you can’t believe that it’s here.”

Music Corporation of America (MCA) has promoted Rob Femia to chief operating officer, adding COO to his duties as executive vp of business and legal affairs.

The label group’s imprints include EMI Records Nashville, Lucille Records, Mercury Nashville and MCA Nashville, representing artists including Eric Church, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson and Little Big Town.

A graduate of Rutgers Law School, Femia’s prior career stops include Sony BMG, Virgin Records/Capitol Music Group/EMI Music North America and Atlantic Records. He joined UMG Nashville in 2013 as vp of business & legal affairs, and rose through the ranks to evp of BLA in 2023.

MCA president and CEO Mike Harris praised Femia’s deep industry experience and integrity, calling his presence on the executive team “invaluable” as the company enters a “new chapter” in its history. (Until recently, the music company operated under the name Universal Music Group Nashville.)

Harris added: “I have worked with Rob for a good portion of my own career, and he has always been knowledgeable, hardworking, and honest – which are characteristics we strive to bring to MCA’s roster of artists every day.”

“I am honored that Mike is entrusting me with this expanded role at MCA as we reshape and refocus our priorities around the core of what defines us—a best-in-class record label with a deep roster of hit makers and history makers alike,” Femia said in a statement. “From today’s most talented and brilliant artists in country music to a rich catalog representing some of the most important and influential country music spanning generations, MCA has always stood at the heart of the genre’s legacy and evolution.”