The Austin community of musicians resembles our startup community: highly competitive, vibrant in personalities and creativity, big highs, big lows and very supportive with an emphasis on networking.
It makes perfect sense then that a city likes ours — so rich in both of those worlds — is pumping out more than a handful of unique business models to help musicians, students of music and fans connect. Here are 10 Austin companies that unite a love of music with the heart of a startup.
Clyp developed an online network for the music community in 2014 to easily upload and share sound bites, exchange feedback and collaborate on audio work. The founders came up with the idea when one of them had played a guitar rift and wanted instant, online feedback, but couldn't locate a platform to do so. Since its launch, Clyp has attracted more than a million users, with apps available on both iOS and Android.
Founded in 2013, Austin's Equipboard is an online database that aggregates and catalogs equipment used by famous producers, guitarists, drummers, rappers, DJs and singers. The site also runs helpful "best of" articles, which categorize equipment and act as a forum for commenters to participate by offering their own suggestions.
Personalized music news feed developer JamFeed launched in 2015 and runs very similarly to BuzzFeed, but specifically for your personal music tastes. Readers of the app can receive push notifications on breaking news regarding new releases, concert announcements and festival lineups, all while customizing their RSS music feeds.
JamKazam provides an online hub that lets musicians and students conduct virtual live music lessons while playing in sync from different locations. The Austin company got started in 2012 and has raised five rounds of funding since 2014. Students and musicians can record their performances at the track level and broadcast live sessions to family and friends as well.
Moniker Guitars launched in 2011 to help customers design and order customized guitars and basses. Users can choose from different colors, sizes, shapes, parts and pickups, with the option for customized text or graphics. The process takes about four weeks from placing the online order to door-side delivery. Some of the company's clients include members from the bands The Devil Wears Prada, Lord Huron, Blue October, The Mowgli's and The Sword.
For novices or beginners, the virtual instruments created by Open Labs gives musicians an alternative to lugging physical equipment around. The company has also launched a music creator app, StageLight, that walks users through three paths that vary by musical experience and skill to create music using editing tools, pre-loaded drum beats, compressor effects and more.
In 2007, after noticing a lack of concerts for the student body at the University of Texas, the founders of ScoreMore Shows decided to start promoting their own events. Since then, the company has expanded its reach into 11 college markets across the country.
Built by music lovers for music lovers, Set.FM offers musicians a platform for creating and selling recordings of live sets. Artists can plug in to an iOS device or laptop to let their fans know they're performing live. Then, fans can go in and purchase the recordings. Set.FM's technology was acquired by PledgeMusic in March of 2016.
Spout Software created a cloud-based digital workstation for musicians to connect, collaborate and create music. The mobile-ready suite allows users to record in real time with automatic synchronization of tracks and multiple options for sound file types for importing and outputting including WAV, MP3 and AAC.
If you've ever been at a show and wanted to leave a tip but couldn't (because who carries cash anymore?), the creators of TipCow have you covered with their virtual tip jar. Founded in Austin in 2015, TipCow developed its app so that fans without spare change can tip via credit card and PayPal wherever and whenever they want. The app also suggests bands based on a fan's favorite venues and the types of artists they most often tip.
Images provided by company websites and Facebook.
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