A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya is a startup from a former Spotify leader for making music apps

A startup founded by a former Spotify executive is bringing a new approach to music creation through a series of small apps in Shibuya, Japan. A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya, a name that evokes the spirit of an indie band, aims to empower users to experiment with sounds and vocals through a variety of unique tools. The company has secured a $5.5 million pre-seed funding round from a diverse group of investors, including Mantis VC, SV Angel, Boxgroup, and Dawn Ostroff, a former Spotify leader who now serves as an advisor to the startup.

Máuhan M Zonoozy, the visionary behind A Vinyl Bar, previously held the position of head of innovation at Spotify before leaving the company in 2024. Zonoozy was inspired to return to building something of his own after observing the growing trend of younger audiences engaging with music through creation tools, such as games, filters, and other interactive platforms.

He believes that the future of music lies not only in generation but also in human interaction and participation, which he aims to preserve and enhance with his innovative products.

A Vinyl Bar's apps serve as "singles" releasing experimental features that allow users to interact with various elements to create music or modify sound. Some examples include Speed Surfer, a Chrome extension that alters the speed and filter of sounds playing in a browser window; Usersound, a website where users can create unique audio usernames by assigning notes to letters; Stacks, a stem player that enables users to create mixes by turning bars on or off in a 3x3 grid; Drops, which involves placing plaques in a pattern to generate musical notes; and Sampler, a website that transforms YouTube videos into music samplers based on beats from different parts of the songs.

The company's flagship product, an iOS app called bop, utilizes a grid system to place musical instruments and effects to create customized mixes of a base song. Users can also adjust tempo and add one-time effects before easily exporting their creations to platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Furthermore, A Vinyl Bar is developing a multiplayer version that allows users to remix songs together, further enhancing the collaborative experience.

Despite the powerful capabilities of AI, Zonoozy remains cautious about integrating it into every aspect of the apps. He recognizes the potential of AI to generate music, but he emphasizes the importance of human perspective, interaction, and participation in the music-making process. By focusing on infrastructure and not solely on AI-generated content, A Vinyl Bar aims to ensure that taste, creativity, and engagement remain at the forefront of their offerings.

As the company looks to the future, they plan to release a "musical sandbox mixer" that will provide users with even more opportunities to explore and create with various musical elements.