One of the biggest problems that artists encounter is that they forget that show business is 99% about business.
That’s where Derek “MixedbyAli” Ali comes in.
As the founder and CEO of EngineEars he has created a digital platform that informs music creatives about the business tools to help navigate the administrative details of their careers.
Mad people are excited about this venture and have signed up to invest their money into the company during its initial round of funding, hoping it will take off like so many other fintech companies launching during the pandemic.
Names like Kendrick Lamar, Roddy Ricch, Russ, Mustard, DJ Khaled, YG, Ella Mai, Bas, Smino, Masego, Cardogotwings, Young Guru, Kenny Beats, Ibrahim Hamad of Dreamville, La Mar Taylor of XO, Meko Yohannes of 10Summers, and brands like indie-record label EQT are among the first to dump $1 million into the EngineEars.
The round was led by Los Angeles venture capital firm Slauson & Co..
But what is EngineEars exactly?
According to a statement from the company, “EngineEars is a new technology platform that supports the full spectrum of an engineer’s business, from acquiring clients through facilitating a mix and handling finances. This includes scheduling of mixing time and streamlining of the mixing process, handling pricing negotiation, storing and archiving project files, and most importantly connecting engineers and independent artists.”
Through the platform, engineers will be able to zip through the tedious steps before you get into the studio and be able to concentrate on getting the music right.
Kendrick Lamar sums up why he invested in the company, “Quality of sound is still important in music. Ali has always been a progressive thinker. EngineEars will transcend the culture.”