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Music app startup A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya raises $5.5M, shuns AI generation

A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya, a startup founded by former Spotify innovation head Máuhan M Zonoozy, has secured $5.5 million in pre-seed funding. The company focuses on creating music apps and tools that emphasize user interaction and creativity, rather than solely relying on AI-generated music. Their product suite includes apps like Speed Surfer, Usersound, Stacks, Drops, Sampler, and the iOS app bop, which allow users to manipulate sounds, create audio usernames, build mixes, and sample YouTube videos. While open to using AI for product development and infrastructure, the startup deliberately avoids integrating AI into the core user experience, believing that human perspective and participation are crucial in an era of abundant AI-generated content. AI

IMPACT Focuses on human creativity in music creation, contrasting with AI-driven generation.

RANK_REASON Startup funding round for a company focused on music apps. [lever_c_demoted from significant: ic=1 ai=0.4]

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AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 1 sources. How we write summaries →

Music app startup A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya raises $5.5M, shuns AI generation

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Startup funding round for a company focused on music apps. [lever_c_demoted from significant: ic=1 ai=0.4]
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COVERAGE [1]

  1. TechCrunch AI TIER_1 English(EN) · Ivan Mehta ·

    A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya is a startup offering fun music apps without any AI prompting

    Former Spotify exec's company releases experimental "singles" that involves users in music making.