Audiam Raises $2 Million Funding From Music Industry Heavy Hitters
(UPDATED) Audium, the YouTube monetization platform for indie artists and rightsholders, has secured $2 million in Series A funding from within the music industry. Artists Jason Mraz and Jimmy Buffett, promoter and manager Bill Silva and Brett Gurewitz of Epitaph, Anti- and Bad Religion led a round that also includes TuneSat CEO Scott Schreer, Barnes & Noble CTO David Willen, Jonathan Siegal and the GSO Business Group.
Audiam launched in June of last year by Tunecore co-founders Jeff Price and Peter Wells; and received $500,000 in Angel funding in August.
"YouTube is a sponge, which if squeezed correctly, rains money," according to Price, Audiam's CEO. "The challenge is to create a cutting-edge, first-of-its-kind technology system built for the new digital music industry that can be applied to the analog world of antiquated, complex and confusing copyright."
The startup now represents a catalog of 100,000 songs, including works written or performed by Mraz, Dolly Parton, Pink Floyd, Daft Punk,Pretty Lights, Phil Collins, Graham Nash, Kayne West, 50 Cent, Bone Thugs and Harmony, Aimee Mann and Grizzly Bear. Clients include Imagem (major independent music publisher), Coral Reefer (Jimmy Buffet’s music publishing arm) and Ruthless Attack Muzick (NWA’s music publishing catalog).
"Audiam's got a value proposition where everyone wins: the user at home posting videos, the songwriter, the recording artist, the fan, YouTube, everyone," said Audiam investor Brett Gurewitz, founder and CEO, Epitaph, Anti- Records, Bad Religion.
Does Audiam just use Tunesat to do all the work for them? They dont have any technology. Yet another middle manager!
Odd reply. All of these top artists/managers and punishers are using Audiam despite having the ability to go direct with YouTube. More interestingly, many used to go direct with YouTube but switched to Audiam. YouTube is confusing, difficult and a lot of work. Its like your taxes, you could do them yourself but you hire someone else to do them as that is their area of expertise.
Not mention, most artists are not given access to the direct licensing contracts needed to make money when other people use their music in the their videos
But you’re right, you can try to get all the contracts and do everything on your own. Or you can hire others to help.
The choiche is yours….
List of Audiam clients/artists below
Audiam’s clients includes independent artists as well as some of the most important music copyright holders in the world, such as Imagem (the world’s largest independent music publisher, representing Pink Floyd, Daft Punk, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Mötley Crüe and thousands more), Velvet Apple (Dolly Parton’s music publishing catalog), Coral Reefer (Jimmy Buffet’s music publishing catalog), Ruthless Attack Muzick (NWA’s music publishing catalog) and many more.
Partial list of Audiam clients:
Imagem (The world’s largest indie publisher: includes the music publishing catalogs of Pink Floyd, Genesis, Daft Punk, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Mötley Crüe, Boosey & Hawkes, Elvis Presley and thousands more)
Velvet Apple (Dolly Parton music publishing catalog)
Coral Reefer (Jimmy Buffet music publishing catalog)
Leaving Hope Music/Form and Texture/Cloud Covers (Trent Reznor publishing catalog)
Ruthless Attack Muzick (NWA music publishing catalog)
Sword and Stone (Tori Amos music publishing catalog)
Aimee Mann Publishing
Nash Notes (Graham Nash music publishing catalog)
Dollarz ‘N Sense Muzick (Bone Thugs and Harmony music publishing catalog)
SyVy Publishing (Steve Vai music publishing catalog)
Hancock Publishing (Herbie Hancock music publishing catalog)
Silva Tone Music Publishing (Neon Lights and more)
Dandy Warhol Music (The Dandy Warhols)
8 Minutes 20 Seconds (Pretty Lights music publishing catalog)
Mothership Music Publishing (Zedd, Bonnie Tyler and many more)
Bluewater Music Services Corp. http://bluewatermusic.com (Rodney Carrington, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Willie D of the Geto Boys and many more)
House Of Hassle publishing http://houseofhassle.com (Grizzly Bear, Magnetic Fields, Superchunk, Galaxie 500, Crooked Fingers, Damon and Naomi, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Red House Painters, Mates of State and more)
Fig Music Publishing (Bad Religion, The Menzingers, Falling in Reverse, Every Time I Die, Escape the Fate and many more)
Jeff
Congratulations Jeff + Audiam on your fundraise! 🙂
Kevin Rivers
CEO, Venzo Digital
http://www.venzodigital.com
Jeff, why are punishers using Audiam?
Also, which technology is Audiam developing?
Thanks!