For filmmakers, advertisers and television and digital content producers, the search for fresh, distinctive sounds to accompany their visuals can be a creative challenge and legally arduous task. But now there is a turnkey solution provided with the launch of Seven Seas Music.
Based in San Francisco, Seven Seas Music is a web-based platform where media professionals can listen to – then begin licensing with a single click – curated sounds from a large array of emerging and established artists in more than 40 countries. Seven Seas Music's unique platform is powered by a patent-pending interactive map, which allows users to scroll over a region or country to select songs, then build, save and share playlists. Once the songs are auditioned, users can begin the process of licensing these tracks for use in film, advertising, television and digital content with a single-click.
At start-up, Seven Seas Music includes nearly 5,000 tracks from musicians around the world. They include: the Wagi Brothers Bamboo band from Papua New Guinea, Brazilian diva Monica Vasconcelos, renowned African drummer Tony Allen and the stunning cello work of Hildur Gudnadottir. While many of the tracks are secured directly from the artists themselves, Seven Seas is also establishing partnerships with leading record labels specializing in international artists including the David Byrne-founded Luaka Bop and Germany's Piranha.
The company is overseen by two respected names in world music and licensing, Brooke Wentz and Maryam Soleiman.
In 2002, Wentz founded The Rights Workshop, a music licensing and supervision firm with film credits including Bully, Melancholia, Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey, and Bill Cunningham: New York. Prior to founding The Rights Workshop, Brooke spent six years leading the music department of ESPN. She also served as an A&R Manager at Arista Records and produced many records with leading global artists, including the 3-CD set Global Meditation, which won honors as the Best Selling International Album of the Decade at the Billboard Awards.
Soleiman is a music licensing professional with more than ten years business & legal affairs experience administering musical copyrights for independent music publishers, labels, as well as major music and entertainment companies like Live Nation. She joined Wentz at The Rights Workshop in 2008. In addition to heading up business affairs, Soleiman negotiates music rights for early stage ventures, ads, and traditional film & television productions.
"Music licensing has become an increasingly important component of an artist's financial well-being not to mention their promotion," says Wentz. "At the same time, creative storytellers face a real challenge when it comes to discovering and licensing quality, authentic world music. Our mission is to provide a simple, expertly curated platform, one that the creative community can turn to to find and license the best, most evocative sounds the world has to offer."
"What we're creating is a unique bridge between international musicians and audio-visual producers," adds Soleiman. "The site is a tool for both content creators and music creators to thrive in the global music marketplace."
As proof of concept, Seven Seas Music recently received honors and angel funding from the Pipeline Fellowship, a unique angel investing bootcamp for women-owned businesses. Since launching its first angel investing bootcamp and competition in April 2011, The Pipeline Fellowship has selected and trained over 80 women entrepreneurs and committed more than $400,000 in investment. Seven Seas Music was among the first companies selected for funding by the Bay Area chapter of the Pipeline Fellowship.
Seven Seas Music www.sevenseasmusic.com