Sound Connections

LyricFind CEO, Darryl Ballantyne, discusses the company's $1 billion antitrust lawsuit against Musixmatch and its parent company, TPG Growth. The lawsuit alleges that Musixmatch's exclusive licensing deal with Warner Chappell Music has created a monopoly in the lyrics licensing market, forcing digital service providers like Spotify and iHeartRadio to source lyrics solely from Musixmatch, often at higher costs. In this episode, Darryl emphasizes the broader implications of such monopolistic practices on independent artists, publishers, and the overall health of the music industry.Explore LyricFind here; https://www.lyricfind.com/Learn more about the lawsuit here; https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lyricfind-inc-_why-weve-sued-musixmatch-and-the-private-activity-7303121877567184896-UYpS?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAC7GsG4B3q6TQjXTo4t2PQ2fbFO7PbDPCtA__________________________________________________________________________Sponsored by Allfeat: Decentralized Blockchain Solutions for the Music Industry - https://www.allfeat.com/Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Music Tech - https://amplitude.ventures

Concluding the 3-day music tech conference 2025 at Belgium, we share one of our partnership episodes with Rachel Young as she shares her expert lens on how artists, founders, and music companies can leverage digital platforms to build sustainable careers.Taking lessons from her pivotal work launching and developing TikTok’s music distribution service, SoundOn, and reflecting on how TikTok reshaped music discovery, monetization, and community building, she debunks common myths about content creation to practical strategies for nurturing fandom and generating revenue.Now helping music tech founders, record labels and investors make smarter product & commercial decisions, Rachel offers clear, actionable insights that connect the dots between creative output, technology, and audience behavior. Explore Wallifornia: https://walliforniamusictech.com/___________________________________________________________________________Sponsored by Allfeat: Decentralized Blockchain Solutions for the Music Industry - https://www.allfeat.com/Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Music Tech - https://amplitude.ventures

From his academic roots and work at AI Music to launching RoEx, Dr. David Ronan, founder and CEO, shares how his AI-powered platform is transforming music production by lowering the technical barriers in mixing and mastering. A rare look at the intersection of machine learning and musical expression to the emotional nuances of mixing, he tell us why assistive AI is the future of creative workflows in audio.He holds a PhD in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science from Queen Mary University of London, where his research focused on intelligent audio production tools, including fully autonomous multitrack mixing systems. His expertise spans digital signal processing, machine learning, and software engineering, with previous roles at Native Instruments, Northrop Grumman, and Sonardyne International.Passionate about the intersection of creativity and technology, Dr. David is committed to empowering music creators and redefining the future of audio production.Explore RoEx here; https://www.roexaudio.com/___________________________________________________________________________Sponsored by Allfeat: Decentralized Blockchain Solutions for the Music Industry - https://www.allfeat.com/Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Music Tech - https://amplitude.venturesFollow on;Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2omT8uLhBamH3GFeih4oo3?si=45206dd146a84ae1LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/soundconnectionspodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundconnectionspodcast?igsh=bDZzbnhrYXBlNHBr

It is more than a design. We are looking into the evolving importance of brand in music tech, how storytelling and authentic connection drive loyalty, and offering practical advice for founders who want to shape identity, visually and verbally.All these are discussed with Erik Herrström, the creative director in Vienna who has worked with top-tier brands like Nike, Spotify, and Google and then, launched STUDIO HERRSTRÖM, an agency committed to shaping brand identities that resonate deeply in music tech and beyond.Learn more about the agency: https://www.studioherrstrom.com/___________________________________________________________________________Sponsored by Allfeat: Decentralized Blockchain Solutions for the Music Industry - https://www.allfeat.com/Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Music Tech - https://amplitude.ventures

For our next partnership episode, we have Collette Tibbetts, founder of Joker Deck, for a no‑fluff look at why music tech investing demands wild card thinking.Collette blends her experience as a songwriter and investor to explain why traditional VC frameworks often fall short in the music space—and how her angel syndicate, Joker Deck, is flipping the script. Drawing from industry nuance, lived artistic insight, and behavioral economics, she argues for smaller checks, deeper support, and an entirely new way to frame value.___________________________________________________________________________Sponsored by Allfeat: Decentralized Blockchain Solutions for the Music Industry - https://www.allfeat.com/Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Music Tech - https://amplitude.ventures

With over 20 releases, a Netflix series soundtrack, and chairing Denmark’s top songwriting organizations, Danish musician and advocate dives deep into the challenges of sustaining a music career in an industry where streaming pays fractions and social media demands pay-to-play tactics.Find out how Anna Lidell's startup, SLEEVE, enables musicians to build direct, monetizable relationships with their fans—bypassing traditional gatekeepers and finally giving artists ownership of their audience. Building with a lean team to generate more income from a handful of superfans than from Spotify streams, Anna reflects on the broken music revenue system and explains the power of community, authentic storytelling, and owning your audience using timing, trust, and a craving for authenticity.Explore the platform; https://sleeve.fm/sleeve-for-artists/___________________________________________________________________________Sponsored by Allfeat: Decentralized Blockchain Solutions for the Music Industry - https://www.allfeat.com/Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Music Tech - https://amplitude.ventures

How does a song become a multi-million dollar asset? With a career that began in talent and label management at M.E.R. Group—home to EDM icon Alan Walker—Yonas brings a unique, full-stack perspective on what gives music lasting value. Now leading operations at one of the most sophisticated music investment funds in the U.S., he reveals the internal mechanics behind valuing music catalogs, why evergreens matter, and how his team builds a generational portfolio from both legacy artists and active creators.All this and more as we sit with Yonas Aregai, Chief of Staff at Gold State Music, to explore the fast-evolving world of music rights acquisition.Learn more about Gold State Music; https://goldstate.com/___________________________________________________________________________Sponsored by Allfeat: Decentralized Blockchain Solutions for the Music Industry - https://www.allfeat.com/Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Music Tech - https://amplitude.ventures

With roots in building digital experiences for artists like Childish Gambino and SZA, Megh and Chuka co-founded  Symphony — an all-in-one marketing platform tailored for creators. In this episode, they share their journey from agency life to launching a scalable SaaS solution that simplifies marketing, data, and fan engagement for a new generation of artists. From LA grind to AI-driven global impact, this is a candid look into the future of music tech.Learn more about Symphony here; https://beta.symphonyos.co/homepage___________________________________________________________________________Sponsored by Allfeat: Decentralized Blockchain Solutions for the Music Industry - https://www.allfeat.com/Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Music Tech - https://amplitude.ventures

PARTNERSHIP WITH WALLIFORNIA 2025We explore the evolution of music discovery alongside Aurélien Hérault, Chief Innovation Officer at Deezer. From early editorial playlists to today’s AI-powered recommendation engines, Aurélien explains why Deezer labels—and withholds promotion of—100 % AI-generated tracks, how it detects fraudulent streaming activity, and the metrics that guide “lean-back” versus “discovery” modes. You are about to listen to a clear, behind-the-scenes look at the technology and ethical choices shaping what you hear next.Explore Deezer here; www.deezer.comAbout the 9th edition of the Wallifornia Music + Tech Summit in July 2025;https://walliforniamusictech.com/___________________________________________________________________________Sponsored by Allfeat: Decentralized Blockchain Solutions for the Music Industry - https://www.allfeat.com/Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Music Tech - https://amplitude.ventures

Let's explore the journey of Tom Allen, CTO of Downtown Music Group and founder of Curve. Tom shares how he went from an independent-label intern to building a bootstrapped music-data platform that earned its acquisition. You’ll hear his insights on blending deep technical know-how with customer-driven iteration, and how he fosters a people-first culture across global engineering teams, the value of staying close to the user, and why being “leaderful” matters more than just leading. A masterclass in music techLearn about Curve: https://www.curveforcreators.com/about-curveLearn about Downtown Music: https://downtownmusic.com/___________________________________________________________________________Sponsored by Allfeat: Decentralized Blockchain Solutions for the Music Industry - https://www.allfeat.com/Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Music Tech - https://amplitude.ventures