It’s time to announce the winners of Music Ally SI:X, our new global showcase, contest and mentorship support program for music/tech startups.
Having launched earlier this year, in October we named 36 finalists across six categories: a snapshot of innovative startups working with the music industry in 2022. You can read our profiles of them in our recent Q3 report.
Last week, representatives from the SI:X sponsors – Amazon Music, FUGA, PRS for Music, The Raine Group, Reed Smith and Universal Music Group – gathered to discuss the finalists’ merits and choose a winner in each category.
The winners will be presenting at the NY:LON Connect 2023 conference in January, and will also get a mentoring program from the sponsors and Music Ally, plus other business and educational resources.
So, who are those winners?
The winner of the music creation and hardware category is DAACI, which has developed an AI music system that can create dynamic scores and game soundtracks.
The judges thought it was a unique approach of using AI to enhance the creative process in a fair way for artists. They praised the credibility of DAACI’s founders, and the clarity of their plans to build a business out of their product.
Congratulations to the other finalists: Arpeggi Labs, Audioshake, Beatoven, PatchXR and Starmony.
The winner of the marketing, promotion and D2C category is Hawkr, which has built a service that enables fans to buy merch from concerts on their phones.
The judges noted that while it’s early days for the business, its service is sophisticated and innovative. They also liked its fan-friendliness: people don’t have to carry merch with them at concerts after buying.
Congratulations to the other finalists in this category: BaseNote, Fanbace, SonX, Un:hurd and Viktrs.
The winner of the live, experiential and gaming category is Volta XR, which has been helping artists to build cutting-edge XR visuals using just their laptop and webcam.
The judges praised the growth trajectory of the company, the hustle of its founders, and their willingness to evolve its technology constantly, while also hailing its accessibility for artists even at this stage of its development.
Congratulations to the other finalists in this category: Beatstream, Music League, Popins, Soundr and Xone.
The winner of the music education category is Biiah, which recently rebranded from its original name of The Choral Hub. It’s helping people of all abilities to learn to sing (or refind their voice and confidence!)
The judges liked the way Biiah is approaching singing from a health and mental wellness point of view, and found its initial product (an app) fun to use with a good system of rewards and progression.
Congratulations to the other finalists in this category: Big Ear Games, Freedrum, NAL Media, Ocean and Virtuoso.
The winner of the data, analytics and tools category is Curve Royalty Systems, which has developed a royalties system designed for the modern music industry.
The judges saw Curve as an agile business that is ready to reach a big market, with lots of labels using it already, and good room for growth. They also liked its educational aspects, which are helping to attract independent labels.
Congratulations to the other finalists: Audiowolf, Cyanite, Infinite Catalog, Levellr and Tjoon.
Finally, the winner of the distribution and consumption category is Music Health, a startup putting music to work in the treatment of dementia and other conditions.
Here, the judges saw an impact that goes well beyond the business itself, and one that unlocks a new use for music. They praised its service for being simple to use, and were excited about the scope to expand it to work for people with other conditions in the future.
Congratulations to the other finalists in this category: AfroCharts, DistroDirect, Gramrphone, Nusic and OnJam.
“Thanks to all those who applied who will continue to benefit from access to a Music Ally subscription and congratulations to the finalists and of course the six category winners,” said Paul Brindley, Music Ally’s CEO.
“And thanks to the sponsors for both their support and the fascinating insight and discussions we had in the judging session. I hope the winners benefit from the support they will now be able to access from the sponsors and ourselves.”
“This will be an ongoing annual contest and initiative which we will open soon in the New Year so don’t worry if you missed out this time.”
Music Ally will be bringing you news on the development of all the SI:X finalists in the year ahead.
We’re always eager to hear from new music/tech startups: if you’re working on something interesting and inventive, get in touch! And if you’d like to be alerted when the next Music Ally SI:X contest is open for submissions, please register here.
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