GRAI raises $9M to build apps for remixing music with friends

In short: GRAI, a new AI music startup, raised $9 million to build social apps that let people remix songs instead of generating new music from scratch.

What happened

GRAI says most fans do not want a tool that creates a full song out of nothing. Instead, they want to play with music they already like, by remixing it, changing its style, and sharing it with friends.

The company has released early apps to test this idea, including “Music with Friends” for iPhone and an “AI music playground” for Android. Think of it like photo filters for songs, where you can change how something sounds without being a musician.

GRAI says artists and labels should control whether their music can be used this way. The company says it is talking to labels first, and it wants a system where artists can opt in or opt out.

GRAI also says these remixes could create new royalty payments, which are the fees artists and labels get when their music is used. The startup was founded by Belarusian entrepreneurs who previously sold a video app called VOCHI to Pinterest.

The company announced it is backed by a $9 million seed funding round, co-led by Khosla Ventures and Inovo VC.

Why it matters

AI music has raised fears about flooding streaming services with songs that sound real but were not made by people. GRAI is betting on a different use, helping fans interact with real artists’ songs in a way that could be fun and, if licensing deals happen, legally shared and paid for.

Source: TechCrunch AI