Resources for Music Tech Startups and Founders
Discover key resources for music tech startups and founders aling expert advice from Rock Paper Scissors and Music Tectonics. From networking events to PR support, these tools are a blueprint for success in the evolving music tech landscape.
Resources for Music Tech Startups and Founders from Rock Paper Scissors and Music Tectonics
by Jade Prieboy of Rock Paper Scissors
How To Startup
The Music Tectonics podcast is all about where music and tech meet, and How To Startup is our interview series especially for music tech founders and dreamers. Host Dmitri Vietze, CEO and Founder of Rock Paper Scissors, talks to advisors and investors who understand the evolving landscape of music innovation startups. Get their best advice for taking your idea from business model to successful business—or successful exit.
Listen to the series from the earliest episode to get a complete crash course in leveling up as a founder. Don’t miss the special How to Scale Up episodes on taking the leap out of the startup stage.
Find all Dmitri’s How To Startup episodes of the Music Tectonics Podcast here or on your favorite podcast platform.
Startup Sessions
You can get your startup featured on the Music Tectonics podcast alongside music and tech industry leaders.
A weekly “Startup Session” segment highlights up and coming music innovators and how they are transforming the industry and solving problems. Tell your unique story in your own words.
Let the Music Tectonics team know why you should be featured here.
Seismic Activity Online Events
Seismic Activity is Music Tectonics’ series of free-to-attend events with networking, community-building, learning, and demos of new tools on a monthly cycle. We hold open mics and panel discussions with leaders from all over the industry. Plus, Seismic Activity events are fun, fast-paced, and interactive. No lean-back webinars here.
Open to everyone who works where music & tech meet, Seismic Activity is where founders connect with allies, partners, and clients. See our upcoming events (and see our past lineup) here, and get on the Music Tectonics mailing list to get notified when RSVPs open.
PR Club
Great PR can help founders level up their business, but I’ve learned that sometimes it’s difficult to commit to a full court press in the media until they level up. RPS’ new PR Club membership offers access to the benefits of working with the music tech PR experts at early stages of the business cycle.
Public relations goes far beyond just press. That’s why PR club members get training and guidance in media relations, access to VIP meetups with industry leaders, one-on-one PR support, networking with your cohort, a springboard press campaign, and more.
Starting up in this industry is hard. You don’t have to go it alone.
Reach out here to get started.
Swimming with Narwhals Pitch Competition + Music Tectonics Conference
The Music Tectonics Conference (Nov, 4-6, 2025) is designed to be startup-friendly, with a relaxed vibe and lots of networking time to help founders make connections that matter. Every year, early-stage startups apply to Music Tectonics’ Swimming With Narwhals Pitch Competition for a chance to present their business breakthroughs to a panel of music tech investors.
These companies join the lively community of music innovators at Music Tectonics, which unites investors, labels, advisors, distributors, tech-savvy artists, and other music pros.
Rather than pitting founders against each other and antagonistic judges, Swimming with Narwhals is designed to be welcoming and mutually supportive—focused on spotlighting real-world solutions and creating a rising music tech tide that lifts all boats. Sharks are mean. Unicorns aren’t real. Narwhals are awesome
Pitch Competition applications open in July. See what happened at the 2024 competition here. Get on the Music Tectonics mailing list to get conference and competition updates.
Rock Paper Scanner
Keeping track of the essential news in music and tech is a challenge for founders, especially as the media landscape keeps changing. The RPS team scans hundreds of outlets from the biggest music trades to the niche newsletters written by industry analysts. We’ve found that’s the best way to track the major stories and the emerging signals that are about to be trends.
To share the love, Dmitri distills what we find into a weekly news drop for music innovators: Rock Paper Scanner. Subscribers get just the essential stories in their inboxes on Friday morning. Scan the headlines or click through to dive down rabbit holes.
Check out a recent edition of the scanner here, then sign up for weekly emails here.
Next Steps:
- Want more? Check out the downloadables on our resource page.
- Questions? Ask away and we’ll do our best to answer.
- Why should you listen to us? See the successes Rock Paper Scissors PR and marketing have earned for our clients.
About Rock Paper Scissors
Founded in 1999, Rock Paper Scissors, is a PR and marketing firm composed of a diverse team of communicators, creatives, and business minds. We have represented thousands of entertainment tech projects from six continents. Our roster includes clients in music technology, Our roster includes clients in music technology, sports technology, entertainment technology, wellness tech, consumer electronics, innovative musical instruments and gear, AI music, consumer apps, and much more.
Jade Prieboy brings years of business development experience to Rock Paper Scissors. He draws on expertise gained working in the start-up world and maintains a focused curiosity about technology, business, and innovation. Jade acts on new business opportunities and seeks to support our clients by connecting them with our team of innovative writers, marketers, and creative problem solvers. Outside of work, his interests range from beat-making, gaming, and motorcycles, to real estate, gardening, and wilderness exploration. Jade enjoys the cultural opportunities and tight-knit community Bloomington offers and lives with his small family and their blue heeler, Leo.
