Music Mastermind Raises $5 Million For Technology That Helps Anyone Make Music
But Is Everyone Making Music A Good Thing?
Two year old startup Music Mastermind has raised $4.85 million in Series A funding. Music Mastermind empowers anyone to create music and collaborate with known artists on a variety of platforms including web portals, mobile devices and gaming consoles.
The company was co-founded by former Virgin Records America CEO
Matt Serletic and Wall Street veteran trader Bo Bazylevsky. In January, they showcased a demo version of its software at the CES 2010. A subsequent Los Angeles Times write-up raved, "Interest in music and video games is well-nigh universal, and Music Mastermind has combined the two in an instantly appealing way."
I haven't seem Music Mastermind's platform, which I'll bet is a lot of fu to play with. But is everyone making music without the need for any study or practice really a good thing? Or is this just the digital version of a return to the pre-record and pre-radio days of singing on the front porch?
Good for Matt for being able to raise money for anything in the current climate. Even more kudos for doing so for something music related. It’s amazing to me in this world of protools, $150 guitar / amp combos and auto-tune that it needs to be any simpler but from a purely business perspective I think it’s the right idea.
What happens when everyone is a musician though? Do bankers become hipsters?
R
I think it has potential to be somewhat negative. However, I can see some really positve things coming from it too. You never know where musical genius is going to come from.
I know that, due to MySpace and other social media platforms, the music scene is saturated with “less than” quality music. And I know that this makes it harder for musicians who take their work seriously. In the end if you want to make music your career you will have to learn what you need to know and work hard. That won’t change either way.
Tom Siegel
http://www.indieleap.com
there is a great post that I just read on this issue:
http://www.creativedeconstruction.com/2010/02/fan-participation-and-the-democratization-of-music/
Is there any reason to shut down the individuals creativity? I like, when everybody has the possibility to express some creativity: that totally doesnt necessarily mean, that everybody wants ot make a living in music industry. Not everybody is dreaming of a career as a musician. Get real.
Precisely the point.
There are those who have been told for years that they are not good enough, or not talented enough to make music or play an instrument. Music Mastermind aims to empower a new generation of artists – so many of us have a melody or a song in our heads. Why should only the select few be able to express that idea?