A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya is a startup from a former Spotify leader for making music apps
Former Spotify innovation head Máuhan M. Zonoozy launched A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya, a startup developing experimental music creation apps. The company secured $5.5 million in a pre-seed round from investors including Mantis VC and SV Angel. Zonoozy aims to shift music interaction from consumption to creation, empowering users to play with sounds and vocals. The startup offers various small apps, like Speed Surfer and Stacks, with a more ambitious iOS app called bop. It focuses on human interaction over pure AI generation, though it recently added a prompt-based feature.
A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya’s $5.5 million pre-seed round reflects ongoing investor interest in music tech. However, its stated resistance to full AI integration in creation tools is notable. Many Asian startups are racing to embed generative AI deeply into their platforms. This company prioritizes human interaction and taste, a counter-narrative to the prevailing AI-first trend.
This approach could find an audience in markets like Japan, where niche, creative communities thrive. Japanese users often value unique, interactive experiences over mass-produced content. The focus on experimental apps and a multiplayer remixing feature could appeal to creators looking for collaborative tools, rather than just AI-generated songs.
The real test for A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya is whether its human-centric tools can scale against AI-driven competitors. Watch for its planned "musical sandbox mixer" product this year. Its success will show if a less AI-dependent model can capture significant market share in Asia's competitive tech landscape.
Related reading
6 stories
Xi pitches AI Vision at BRICS summit as China duels with U.S.
This startup's AI stance contrasts with China's push for AI dominance, a topic we explored at the BRICS summit.
HSBC Gives Wealthy Singapore Clients Access to Private Markets
OpenAI said to explore pre-IPO funding at $1.2T valuation
Samsung Starts Trial Production of Tesla AI Chips in Texas
Moody’s takes minority stake in Phil Ratings to deepen PH debt market
