Warner Music Group has acquired Sodatone, a tech start-up founded in 2016 that uses technology for A&R insight, the company announced today.
The company’s proprietary technology combines streaming, social and touring data to track early predictors of success, such as the loyalty and engagement of a fanbase, and the potential virality of a track or demo. It also provides insight into audience reaction to releases from established artists and songwriters.
Sodatone will continue to be run by its founders, Arjun Bali and Jerry Zhang. The pair will report to WMG chief data officer Vinnie Freda and A&R executives in the company’s recorded-music and music publishing operations.
Max Lousada, CEO, Recorded Music, Warner Music Group, says: “At Warner Music, we’re creating an entrepreneurial environment where art and technology thrive together. Arjun and Jerry are two talented pioneers, whose passion for algorithms and trends is matched by our love for music and culture. They understand that A&R instinct has always been informed by different types of data, and have created a tool that brings new sophistication and foresight to creative decisions. As the youngest member of our growing family of brands, Sodatone will help to differentiate us in the search for the superstars of tomorrow.”
Jerry Zhang and Arjun Bali add: “We chose Warner Music Group as our new home because we respect the company’s openness to experimentation and admire their approach to artist development. Having worked with so many music companies, it will be inspiring to be closer to the music-making process, and explore how we can fine-tune our technology to make it an even more powerful tool in the hands of the creatives. Max, Jon, Steve, Vinnie and the rest of the leadership team are very supportive of our ambitious plans for the future.”
Sodatone was originally hosted at the ‘Music Den’ incubator at Toronto’s Ryerson University and the University of Waterloo’s Velocity program.
