Hit production and songwriting duo Stargate – Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen – have partnered with and invested in mobile music app Voisey, and have suggested that it’s ‘the future of songwriting’.
The duo’s investment comes a year after Los Angeles-based investment firm Shamrock, via its Entertainment IP Fund, bought the writer’s share and the co-publishing stakes of two different catalogs from the duo (Sony/ATV owns the remaining co-publishing stake in the catalogs, which it also still administers).
Stargate join a list of music industry investors in Voisey, which includes Denzyl Feigelson (Platoon, Apple, AWAL), Tim Clark (IE Music) and Rak Sanhgvi (Spirit Music Group, Sony/ATV).
The duo has worked with some of the most influential names in music over the past decade, including Rihanna, Beyoncé, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Selena Gomez to create some of the biggest hits of today, including the Billboard No.1 hits Rude Boy, Only Girl (In The World), Black and Yellow, What’s My Name and Firework.
Prior to its rollout in the US, Canada and 20 EU countries last week, Voisey’s beta test users recorded over 350,000 new original song hooks in the application.
Voisey attracted funding from a number of investors ahead of its US launch.
This new partnership will see Stargate taking an active role with Voisey, from providing exclusive new backing tracks, designing vocal effect presets, working with standout Voisey artists and assisting with further strategic alliances as Voisey’s rollout continues.
Voisey was founded by English and Norwegian music industry entrepreneurs Olly Barnes (Universal Music, Rdio, Space Ape Games), Erlend Hausken (Soundio, Vibble, Opera), Pål Wagtskjold-Myran (Soundio, Vibble), Even Brenna and Dag Langfoss-Håland.
Voisey’s audio processing technology lets users sing into their headphone mic to achieve professional quality recordings over thousands of instrumental backing tracks from producers based around the world.
Every recording is open to collaboration, with users having the option to split their videos into four different tracks, either of themselves, or other Voisey users contributing harmonies.
Voisey videos are a maximum of one minute in length and centred around hooks rather than full songs.
“This is the future of songwriting. Finally, an app that connects singers, songwriters, artists and producers.”
Tor Erik Hermansen, Stargate
Tor Erik Hermansen of Stargate said: “This is the future of songwriting. Finally, an app that connects singers, songwriters, artists and producers.
“Imagine how many talented people there are out there. This is their chance to show us what they can do and write to our music. We’ll be listening”
“We’re early in the journey but are seeing strong evidence that Voisey can trigger a creative revolution within music.”
Olly Barnes, Voisey
Olly Barnes, co-founder, added: “We’re early in the journey but are seeing strong evidence that Voisey can trigger a creative revolution within music.
“We’ve built both an A&R early warning system and a highly engaging new lean forward music format.
“With our growing network of friends and partners like Stargate, who we’re so honoured to have on board, we’re going to be able to power new talent to extraordinary places and make Voisey into a real challenger brand in today’s exciting music landscape”Music Business Worldwide
