Songscription, a revolutionary startup that leverages AI to convert recorded music into musical notation, has secured $5 million in funding. The investment is led by Reach Capital, with additional backing from Emerge Capital, 10x Founders, Dent Capital, and renowned guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.
The San Francisco-based company's cutting-edge technology enables users to transform audio recordings into sheet music, tablature, or interactive piano rolls. The platform accepts a wide range of file formats, including MP3, WAV, MP4, MIDI files, and YouTube links. Once the AI analysis is complete, Songscription outputs printable sheet music or MIDI files, allowing users to download and edit their transcriptions directly within the platform.
To date, the company has attracted over 150,000 users from more than 150 countries, underscoring its growing popularity. The fresh funding will be utilized to expand the platform's instrument offerings and notation outputs, with the ultimate goal of becoming an indispensable composition tool for musicians.
"Bumblefoot" predicts that Songscription will have a profound impact on music education and performance, saving countless hours of time for both professionals and hobbyists alike. "Even us professionals can use it to save hours of time trying to recall what we played on albums we recorded years ago," he exclaimed. "It's a real game changer."
In stark contrast to some AI companies that have embroiled themselves in music rights battles, Songscription remains committed to being a friend to the music industry. The company has emphasized its dedication to ethics and has begun signing deals with major publishers to ensure their service honors all stakeholders.
To train its model, Songscription has leveraged public domain materials and partnerships with artists and businesses. CEO Andrew Carlins acknowledged that licensing deals are still a gray area but insisted on proactively approaching publishers to secure agreements that include rights for both the input and output of the platform. By doing so, Songscription aims to empower artists while navigating complex copyright laws.
The San Francisco-based company's cutting-edge technology enables users to transform audio recordings into sheet music, tablature, or interactive piano rolls. The platform accepts a wide range of file formats, including MP3, WAV, MP4, MIDI files, and YouTube links. Once the AI analysis is complete, Songscription outputs printable sheet music or MIDI files, allowing users to download and edit their transcriptions directly within the platform.
To date, the company has attracted over 150,000 users from more than 150 countries, underscoring its growing popularity. The fresh funding will be utilized to expand the platform's instrument offerings and notation outputs, with the ultimate goal of becoming an indispensable composition tool for musicians.
"Bumblefoot" predicts that Songscription will have a profound impact on music education and performance, saving countless hours of time for both professionals and hobbyists alike. "Even us professionals can use it to save hours of time trying to recall what we played on albums we recorded years ago," he exclaimed. "It's a real game changer."
In stark contrast to some AI companies that have embroiled themselves in music rights battles, Songscription remains committed to being a friend to the music industry. The company has emphasized its dedication to ethics and has begun signing deals with major publishers to ensure their service honors all stakeholders.
To train its model, Songscription has leveraged public domain materials and partnerships with artists and businesses. CEO Andrew Carlins acknowledged that licensing deals are still a gray area but insisted on proactively approaching publishers to secure agreements that include rights for both the input and output of the platform. By doing so, Songscription aims to empower artists while navigating complex copyright laws.