Montreal-based digital music startup AmpMe has raised a $8 million Series A round of funding to help users start spontaneous mobile phone-powered parties.
AmpMe’s app allows multiple users to play the same song on their mobile devices, turning each additional phone into an extra speaker that amplifies the music for everyone. “We consider ourselves a portable version of Sonos,” said AmpMe founder and CEO Martin-Luc Archambault in an interview with Variety this week.
AmpMe first released its app last summer, and Archambault said that it has proven especially popular with users between the ages of 15 and 24, which may use it to listen to music together in the park or at school. “They used to put their phone in a cup in the middle of the cafeteria table” to amplify its sound, he said. These days, those users can instead just sync the AmpMe app on their phones.
AmpMe is currently available for iOS and Android, and has seen a total of two million downloads across both platforms. The app has been able to play music from SoundCloud as well as locally saved MP3s for some time. On Thursday, AmpMe also added a YouTube integration to give users more access to free streams.
Speaking of free: Archambault said that he could see AmpMe eventually monetize through ads, or possibly also via song sales or music subscription referral fees. However, for the next 12 months, the startup aims to focus on building out its product, and double the startup’s current team of ten employees.
One of the first priorities for AmpMe: Make the app a lot more social to allow users to build collaborative playlists. “Music is meant to be enjoyed together,” said Archambault. “This is what gives you goosebumps.”
AmpMe’s Series A is coming fromRelay Ventures, Investissement Québec, Slaight Music, OMERS Ventures, Townsgate Media, Anges Québec, Real Ventures and others. It brings the total amount of funding raised by the company so far to $10 million.
