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CloudBounce mastering the traditional and blockchain mix

Anssi Uimonen of CloudBounce, a music mastering startup, explains how the company is grabbing the opportunities of blockchain while mitigating the volatility of cryptocurrencies.

IG Analyst

Publication date : 2018-03-26T11:34:34+0100

Back in 2015, Anssi Uimonen (co-founder and CEO of CloudBounce), realised technological advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offered ways of automating the optimisation of sound recording quality for content producers and musicians. In the music industry, this is traditionally known as mastering and was the domain of specialist audio producers.

These days, mastering can be done using digital audio software (DAW) on your laptop, but it takes time. There is the cost of the sound manipulating plug-ins, and you need to learn how to use them. On CloudBounce, you simply upload your recording and a few minutes later your master is ready. 'It’s 20 times cheaper and 50 times faster’, says Uimonen. If you like it, the quality file is yours for less than $5.

Token sale

Token sale

Deep machine learning and human feedback

What makes this possible for CloudBounce is the size of the potential market and deep machine learning, supported by human feedback on quality. The tracks are analysed by the AI engine, which then modifies them automatically.

The engine has been taught how to identify the key elements of the mix and tweak it in line with an array of genres. This process also has human evaluation of the mastering to repeatedly improve the product.

AudioAI

AudioAI

Balancing the crypto blockchain and traditional business model

CloudBounce employs a hybrid business model, using cryptocurrencies and the blockchain, as well as traditional invoicing in fiat currencies for larger established industry clients. While it uses smart contracts on the ethereum blockchain, Uimonen says cryptocurrency volatility is alleviated, because pricing is tied to a fiat currency.

Exposure to ethereum blockchain scalability issues is minimised by only using it for smart contracts running micro transactions, the mastering for enterprises is run locally.

ICOs are here to stay

With regulators turning their attention to initial coin offerings (ICOs), the CloudBounce chief accepts that ICOs have slowed, but says there is still a lot of investor interest in them.

CloudBounce itself is hoping to raise €29 million from an ICO, with the presale penciled in for April 30 and the public sale early June. The coins will be called DB tokens, due to the company’s rebranding itself as dBounce. The DB tokens will work as a payment system for the mastering, the quality control, and in future decentralised mastering within the CloudBounce system.

CloudBounce is an alumni of Abbey Road Red, the famous recording studio’s innovation programme, and has partnered with Focusrite, maker of professional audio equipment set up by Grammy Award winner Rupert Neve, as well as established broadcasters.

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