Are you ready for the next era of user-generated content in music?
Recent activity from Spotify – including a newly-granted US patent – suggests the company is building a karaoke feature that could let its users upload their bedroom renditions of tracks (with or without autotune).
Voisey, the iOS app backed by financing from global hitmakers Stargate (who call it “the future of songwriting”), is already way ahead of this trend.
The platform allows users to record short videos using multi-tracked vocals (and professional effects) over backing tracks uploaded by amateur and professional producers alike from around the world.
Vocalists can also collaborate with one another via the app in separate locations.
So far, over 11 million songs have been recorded on Voisey, with plays within the app exceeding 200 million to date.
Now, entering the slipstream of apps like TikTok, Voisey is establishing itself as an effective music industry tastemaker.
California-based Olivia Knight, better known as poutyface, gained significant profile through Voisey – and has just signed long-term, global recording deal with Island Records and a worldwide publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music.
“Island first discovered poutyface on Voisey, a platform and community of talented artists and music makers in which poutyface stood out.”
poutyface’s journey to signing those deals began by her creating over 100 videos via the platform, during which time the app brought her to the attention of Platoon founder and Voisey investor Denzyl Feigelson – who flew her to London last year to work on new material with a number of collaborators.
After this point, both Island and Warner Chappell both swept in to sign respective deals with the act.
Darcus Beese, President of Island Records said, “Island first discovered poutyface on Voisey, a platform and community of talented artists and music makers in which poutyface stood out.
“Island is excited to welcome this innovative and prolific young artist to our family.”
“We recognised very early that there was something special about Olivia. Her first few videos on Voisey connected phenomenally well, despite the platform being only weeks old at the time.”
Olly Barnes, Voisey
Olly Barnes, co-founder of Voisey said “We recognised very early that there was something special about Olivia. Her first few videos on Voisey connected phenomenally well, despite the platform being only weeks old at the time.
“We have proudly supported her evolution as an artist and can’t wait to see her continue to thrive creatively, both on and off Voisey, as she enters the next phase of her creative journey with Darcus and his team at Island and Warner Chappell.”
California-based poutyface was among the first unsigned artists to join Voisey’s beta-testing phase in 2019 while working in a San Diego grocery store.
Despite the app not being publicly available outside Norway and the UK at the time, her song hooks resulted in plays of her uploads on Instagram and Facebook reaching almost 2 million in under two weeks.
poutyface said: “I hadn’t been able to write a song in years. In 2019, I spent most of my time in an industrial fridge, stacking milk crates for a job.
“I got invited to early access of Voisey, now its a year and 100+ Voiseys later, and I’m signed to Island Records, signed to Warner Chappell publishing, definitely out of my writers block and sort of pinching myself to check if this is real.”
Voisey is available on iOS in a limited number of territories, but the company says it is planning an “imminent global rollout”.Music Business Worldwide
