QUICK HITS: Duetti • Gibson • PIXELYNX • Blackbird Studio
Duetti, the new music financing platform founded by ex-TIDAL and Apple Music execs Lior Tibon and Chris Nolte has launched with $32M in funding.
The Fin-tech platform gives artists at all stages of their careers the opportunity to sell master catalogs and individual tracks. While operating in stealth mode, Duetti has helped 60+ independent artists receive up to $400,000 for their catalog and single-track masters.
Duetti unlocks immediate cash flow for a wide range of artists with a scalable data-centered approach that generates long-term financial returns by deploying a range of innovative track management and optimization tactics.
• Gibson, the iconic guitar brand, has appointed Cesar Gueikian, Gibson’s brand president, as president and interim chief executive officer. Gueikian succeeds James “JC” Curleigh.
Gueikian joined Gibson as chief merchant officer in 2018 and was appointed brand president in 2021
• PIXELYNX, the music metaverse company co-founded by deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin, is teaming up with Beatport, Mau5trap, and more to launch a new system for artists to create AI-generated music using officially-licensed IP from musicians across the PIXELYNX ecosystem.
The teams will be launching a series of AI music companions called ‘KORUS’ – digital elements akin to virtual avatars that take on new utility for creators over time via an underlying AI framework.
By earning digital collectibles from various artists across the PIXELYNX ecosystem, creators can input officially-licensed music IP into their AI companions to generate new music to share and engage with other creators.
• Legendary Nashville-based recording studio Blackbird has launched Inside Blackbird, a new streaming subscription featuring a curated selection of exclusive interviews and educational content from the top producers, musicians and engineers.
It will offer a deep dive into the process of recording, producing, creating, and songwriting, as well as live sound and production. Complementing the educational videos are exclusive interviews with artists, including Billy Corgan, Garth Brooks, Yelawolf, Aly + AJ, Young The Giant, Vince Gill, and others.
The platform will be available to users beginning on May 3 at www.insideblackbird.com for $15.99 per month and $9.99 per month for students, and $24.99 per month for the Creator Plan. Further discounts are available with an annual subscription. New videos will be added to the platform every week.
Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.
