Sound Connections

African music is growing globally, but the business behind that growth is still catching up. In this episode of Sound Connections, Jakob Wredstrøm speaks with Yoel Kenan, a longtime music executive and entrepreneur whose career has taken him from major-label roles at Universal and BMG to building businesses focused specifically on African music. After founding Africori and helping develop it into a significant distribution business, Yoel is now returning his attention to African music rights, catalog investment, and the wider opportunity around cultural entrepreneurship. Together, they unpack why the growth story of Sub-Saharan African music is more complicated than the headline numbers suggest. Yoel discusses the gap between huge levels of music consumption and comparatively low monetization, the role of telecom companies and streaming platforms, challenges around publishing and rights registration, and why missing contracts and unclear ownership can make catalog investment particularly difficult. From exporting African artists and songs to building stronger marketing systems, investing in catalogs whose audiences are still moving toward streaming, and supporting the next generation of cultural entrepreneurs, Yoel sees significant opportunity, but on a longer timeline than many investors expect. This is a candid conversation about patience, infrastructure, ownership, and what it will actually take for African music’s global momentum to become a stronger and more sustainable business. Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

Music is everywhere, but the systems for licensing it at scale are still remarkably fragmented. In this episode of Sound Connections, Jakob Wredstrøm sits down with Chantal Epp, founder of ClicknClear, to explore the hidden challenges and opportunities within music licensing. Chantal shares how her background in music and cheerleading led her to identify a licensing gap in choreographed sports, and how that insight evolved into a technology platform connecting music rights holders with businesses that want to use music legally. They discuss why licensing thousands of songs for a single sporting event cannot be handled one deal at a time, the complexity of securing rights for video-on-demand content, and why the music industry has struggled to monetize many of the markets already using its music. Chantal also opens up about the realities of building a music tech company over seven years, securing deals with every major record label and music publisher, raising capital as a sole founder, and staying lean while waiting for the market and licensing ecosystem to catch up. A conversation about music rights, technology, entrepreneurship, and the infrastructure needed to unlock new revenue across the music industry. If you want to learn more about ClicknClear: Website: https://www.clicknclear.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clicknclearmusic/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/clicknclearmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clicknclear_ Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

Music is becoming increasingly data-driven, but having access to data is only the beginning. In this episode of Sound Connections, Oskar, founder of Songstats, joins Jakob to discuss the business of artist analytics, music technology, and the growing role of AI in how artists and music companies understand their data. Oskar shares his journey from building music-related tools as a young DJ and technologist to developing Songstats into a platform that brings data from streaming, social media, radio, playlists, and other sources together in one place. The conversation explores the challenges of turning music data into something artists can actually use, building a music tech company without outside investors, and developing a business model that combines artists with enterprise customers. Oskar also discusses the shift from dashboards and apps toward AI-powered interfaces, including Songstats' work allowing AI tools to interact directly with its data. The conversation looks at what this could mean for artist decision-making and the wider music ecosystem. Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS. If you want to learn more about Songstats: Website: https://songstats.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/songstats/

Building music technology is often presented as a story of rapid growth. Matt’s journey with Artist Growth tells a very different story. In this episode of Sound Connections, Jakob sits down with Matt Urmy , Founder of Artist Growth . He reflects on more than a decade of building software for the business side of music. What began as a product for independent artists eventually led him toward a deeper industry problem: management companies, labels, and agencies were still relying on spreadsheets, email, and disconnected systems to manage their operations. They explore the difficult shift from B2C to B2B, the challenges of raising capital before finding product-market fit, and what it takes to keep a company going through years of slow enterprise adoption. Matt also shares his perspective on building software in the age of AI, where developing products is becoming easier, but understanding customers, building reliable data infrastructure, and creating lasting value remain difficult. A grounded conversation about capital, technology, resilience, and the realities of building a company in music tech. Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

Can music software become more powerful without making creativity feel less human? Casey Kolb, founder of Lunacy, joins Sound Connections to explore the changing world of audio plugins and what it takes to build tools that feel as inspiring visually as they sound. From his years as a film composer in Los Angeles to spending a year and a half programming Lunacy’s first flagship product, Cube, Casey shares the persistence behind turning a side project into a growing music tech company. We discuss product design, pricing, seasonal revenue, community building, fundraising, and why Lunacy has been careful to protect its creative independence while scaling. The conversation looks ahead to Nova and a future where creators can build and share their own plugins with AI assisting the code rather than replacing human creativity. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on sound, technology, and what the next generation of music tools could become.

What happens when the future of the music business is built by small, agile companies instead of industry giants? In this episode of Sound Connections, Jakob Wredstrøm sits down with Aidan, CEO of Patchbay and Partner at 1916 Enterprises, to explore how music, technology, investment, and entrepreneurship are reshaping the industry's future. Aidan explains why independent music businesses are becoming more powerful, how AI is accelerating product development, and why the next generation of music companies will rely on collaboration rather than scale. From artist management and publishing to software and venture investing, he shares how small teams can now accomplish what once required entire enterprises. The conversation also explores data infrastructure, the changing economics of music, and why relationships remain the industry's greatest competitive advantage. Rather than replacing people, technology should remove administrative complexity; giving artists, managers, and executives more time to discover talent, build relationships, and create meaningful careers. If you're interested in music technology, AI, entrepreneurship, independent music, or the future of the creative economy, this episode is for you. Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

A missed CD delivery exposed a gap in India's music industry. That moment led Vijay to build OKListen, an independent music platform that spent more than a decade growing alongside a market that wasn't yet ready for it before ultimately being acquired by AWAL. In this episode of Sound Connections, Vijay shares what it was like to build a music tech company in one of the world's largest music markets while streaming, independent music, and consumer willingness to pay were still evolving. He reflects on bootstrapping the business, spending five years balancing a corporate career while keeping the company alive, and why patience became a competitive advantage. The conversation explores the realities of building music businesses in emerging markets, from raising capital and competing against global platforms to understanding when market timing matters more than execution. Vijay also discusses India's evolving independent music ecosystem, the economics behind music tech, and why founders often need conviction long before the market validates their ideas. If you're interested in music technology, entrepreneurship, emerging markets, or the business of music, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what it takes to build for the long term. Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

Are traditional music production tools entering their last era? Noam Levinberg , founder of Safari Audio , believes the future of music creation may look very different from the world producers know today. In this episode, we explore the rapid impact of AI on music software, why traditional plugin businesses are being challenged, and how the next generation of creators may never adopt the workflows that defined the last 30 years of music production. Noam shares the story behind Safari Audio, a bootstrapped company that has grown to more than 170,000 users by building creative, unconventional tools for music producers. We discuss startup building, product-market fit, software distribution, customer loyalty, and the difficult challenge of staying relevant in a market changing faster than ever before. Whether you're a music producer, founder, engineer, or music technology enthusiast, this episode offers valuable insight into the future of creative tools and entrepreneurship. Subscribe for more real conversations on music, startups, and innovation.

What happens when creators make music, but the industry does not know who to pay? In this episode of Sound Connections, Jakob Wredstrøm sits down with Niclas Molinder , songwriter, producer, founder of Session, and one of the music industry's leading advocates for creator rights. Niclas shares how missing rights data continues to cost creators credits, royalties, and recognition, and why solving this problem has become his life's work. He explains how Session was built to capture metadata directly during the creative process, why industry legends Björn Ulvaeus and Max Martin joined the mission, and what it takes to build a company around one of music's least glamorous but most important challenges. The conversation also explores Session's journey into Salt, the realities of founder-led innovation, and the broader education efforts behind the Music Rights Awareness Foundation and Clip. If you're curious about how the music business really works, this episode offers valuable insights into the systems that determine who gets credited, who gets paid, and why that still matters more than ever. Listen now and join the conversation. If you want to learn more about Session visit here: - Website: https://www.sessionstudio.com/ - Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/SessionCredit?_rdc=1&_rdr# - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sessioncredit/

Streaming changed music, but it did not solve the business problem for most independent artists. In this episode of Sound Connections, we welcome Thierry Ascarez , Chief Business Officer at Winamp, to discuss how the company is reimagining its role in the music industry after nearly three decades of history. From its origins as the iconic MP3 player that helped define the early internet music era, Winamp is now building a platform designed to help artists monetize, manage, and control their careers beyond streaming. Thierry walks through the company’s journey across audio streaming, radio technology, advertising, acquisitions, public markets, and the decision to return Winamp to the center of the group’s strategy. Together, Jakob and Thierry explore why independent artists increasingly need to think like entrepreneurs, how direct fan relationships can create new revenue, and why owning data, websites, and monetization tools matters in today’s music economy. The episode also takes a candid look at music tech as a difficult but necessary space to build in. Thierry reflects on patience, resilience, investor expectations, and the belief that meaningful innovation in music still needs people willing to stay the course. Tune in for insight into the future of artist tools, music business infrastructure, and the next chapter of Winamp. If you want to learn more about Winamp, visit here: www.winamp.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/winamp/ https://www.facebook.com/Winamp https://www.instagram.com/winampforcreators/ Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

Most music platforms are built for listeners. This one is built for creators. In this episode of Sound Connections, Jakob Wredstrøm sits down with John Lister, Head of Community at Rap Fame, to explore how a global rap platform is reshaping music creation, discovery, and artist communities. From recording directly on a phone to joining crews, entering competitions, and exchanging real-time feedback, Rap Fame turns music creation into a shared process. Artists don’t just upload music; they grow through each other. What we cover in this episode: How peer feedback influences modern music creation Why artist-to-artist communities drive deeper engagement The role of competitions and recognition in creator growth How platforms like Rap Fame support independent artists At its core, this conversation explores a shift: when artists support, challenge, and learn from each other, entirely new paths for growth, monetization, and creativity begin to emerge. If you're building in music, working on a creator platform, or thinking about the future of music technology, this episode offers a grounded look at what’s actually working today. Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS. If you want to learn more about Rap Fame visit: Website: https://www.raptech.co/ Linkedin: / rap-tech-studios-ltd-rap-fame-app Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rapfame_app ... Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rapfame_app?_ ...

What does it take to build a music streaming service around culture, access, and long-term value? In this episode of Sound Connections, we sit down with Faraan Irfan, Founder and CEO of Saarey Music, to unpack how he’s solving one of music’s biggest access problems. Saarey is a streaming platform dedicated to South Asian classical music, built on exclusive rights, deep cultural metadata, and a business model that challenges traditional streaming economics. With strong engagement and global users, the platform is proving that underserved genres can become powerful digital businesses. Faraan shares his journey from personal frustration as a listener to building a company that works directly with artists, preserves rare recordings, and creates meaningful access for a global audience. A grounded, honest conversation on building in music tech beyond the mainstream. If you want to learn more about Saarey music: Socials: Saarey website: https://www.saareymusic.com Saarey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saarey/ Saarey Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saareymusic Saarey Insta: https://www.instagram.com/saareymusic

Freddie Moross , founder of Myndstream, joins Sound Connections to unpack the growing role of functional music in wellness, hospitality, and care environments. This conversation explores how intentional audio can shape experiences inside spas, hotels, and treatment spaces, and why music should be treated as infrastructure rather than background noise. Freddie explains how soundtracks can guide guest journeys, influence emotional outcomes, and help wellness spaces create more meaningful environments. We also discuss the economics behind the global wellness industry and why wellness-focused consumers represent one of the fastest growing and most engaged segments in hospitality. Along the way, Freddie shares lessons from building a music technology startup in a niche category, including the advantages of starting with owned assets, the challenges of licensing and distribution, and what it takes to scale a focused product in a complex industry. Now live on Sound Connections Podcast. [Links in bio] Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

Mark Bamford joins Sound Connections for an open discussion on startup building, video monetization, and the hard truth about innovating in music. As the founder of Viktrs, Mark is working on a new model for video that aims to unlock more value from every view by focusing on engagement, discovery, and data rather than the traditional advertising-driven approach used by major platforms. Mark unpacks his path from a career in construction, consulting, and strategy into the world of founders and music technology. He reflects on what surprised him most about entering the music space, why innovation often struggles inside established systems, and how founders are forced to make difficult choices when a meaningful vision meets a difficult market. This episode dives into the economics of music startups, the limits of pure storytelling when fundraising, and the importance of reaching tangible results with as little capital as possible. Mark also shares why Viktrs has expanded into non-music categories such as food and politics while keeping music as a long-term mission, using those adjacent markets to build leverage, revenue, and proof before coming back stronger. For anyone working at the intersection of technology, media, and culture, this episode brings a sharp and honest perspective. Watch the full episode on your preferred podcast platforms! [Links in bio] If you want to know more about Viktrs visit: https://viktrs.com/ Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

Rob Abelow, product leader at OpenStage, joins Sound Connections to go deep into the infrastructure behind fan relationships and why they are becoming central to music growth. This conversation breaks down how today’s ecosystem fragments fan data across multiple platforms, limiting visibility and control for artists. Rob shares how bringing that data together into unified fan profiles changes how artists engage, monetize, and build long-term value. We also discuss the shift away from algorithm-first growth toward a model that starts with core fans and expands outward, and how ticketing, premium experiences, and direct communication play a role in that evolution. Finally, we get into the realities behind the industry, from bot-driven ecosystems and distorted metrics to why many superfan strategies fall short, and what it actually takes to build something that lasts. Now live on Sound Connections Podcast. Subscribe now! If you want to learn more about OpenStage visit: https://openstage.live/ Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

Join us for a grounded conversation with Jan Willem , Co-Founder of Momants and the strategic mind behind Paylogic . Jan Willem reflects on Paylogic’s journey as a fintech pioneer which provided a white-label ticketing solution that let event organizers sell directly to their own audience. This technology famously scaled to handle massive peaks for global events like Tomorrowland. We explore his "horror story" exit, a grueling five-year marathon through corporate instability before the company’s final sale to Vivendi. The conversation centers on his transition from a "non-music guy" to a seasoned investor and initiator of The Chorus at Amsterdam Dance Event, where he mentors the next generation of entrepreneurs. Jan Willem explains why he believes today’s AI-driven landscape finally allows startups to challenge legacy players and rebuild what's broken from the ground up. Don't miss this honest conversation about starting a company, surviving a tough exit, and finding the spark to go again. Subscribe now!

We welcome Christian Ringstad Schultz , CEO and co-founder of the Norwegian music tech company Masterchannel – delivering industry-grade audio mastering. With a team of just two and a half people, Masterchannel has reached a million-dollar revenue run rate while mastering nearly 100,000 songs every month. In this episode, Christian shares how proprietary AI, white-label partnerships, and disciplined cost control have shaped a sustainable company in an industry where most struggle to survive. We explore the economics of staying small, building trust over time, and creating long-term advantage in a competitive AI-driven market. Listen in and join the conversation.

Join us as we dive into the dark side of the music industry with Andrew Batey and Morgan Hayduk , Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Beatdapp. Their company, the leader in fraud detection and trust solutions, is tackling industrial-scale money laundering in music. Discover how fraudsters exploit streaming platforms, manipulate royalties, and launder millions, threatening the core of the industry. Andrew and Morgan share their bold vision of a trust and safety operating system that could reshape the music ecosystem. Tune in for a deep dive into how fraud is evolving and what needs to change. Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

The music industry doesn't need another revolution; it needs a thoughtful evolution. Björn Lindvall , CEO and Co-founder of Music Infra , joins the podcast to explain why “blue box” tech fixes often fail and why lasting change depends on deeper infrastructure. Drawing from his finance background and co‑founding Hipgnosis, Lindvall dissects the challenges of digital licensing, outdated CWR (Common Works Registration) file standards, and mechanical rights. He shares how Music Infra is building scalable systems to cut inefficiencies and ensure rights holders and songwriters are paid fairly and on time. This is a grounded look at persistence, trust, and the long‑term vision required to solve music’s most intractable problems. Join us!

From niche record label to Apple Music Classical Simon Eder shares the journey of building Primephonic, a specialized music tech startup acquired by Apple. We discuss the complexities of classical music streaming, from solving metadata challenges to navigating the shift from physical CDs to digital Hi-Res audio. Simon offers a grounded perspective on startup exits, investor relations, and the reality of life after acquisition. It is a quiet reflection on what it truly takes to innovate within the music industry and why understanding master rights is essential for any modern music entrepreneur. Listen now and subscribe for more conversations on innovation in music and technology. Know more about Primephonic: https://www.linkedin.com/company/primephonic/ __________________________________________________________________________ Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Venture Building - https://amplitude.venturesFollow on; Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2omT8uLhBamH3GFeih4oo3?si=45206dd146a84ae1 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/soundconnectionspodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundconnectionspodcast?igsh=bDZzbnhrYXBlNHBr 00:00 Welcome and Intro 00:53 Founder Background and Transition 02:51 Digitalizing a Classical Label 04:50 High Quality Audio Formats 08:36 Building the Primephonic Brand 14:53 Solving Classical Metadata Challenges 21:18 Streaming Payout Models Explained 28:27 In-House Tech Team Growth 32:57 Apple Music Classical Acquisition 45:56 Reflections on Entrepreneurial Life