In today’s rapidly evolving world of marketers, influencers, and technological progress, the world is primed for the invention of new ways to reach audiences and connect music artists for collaboration. Alex Akimov is one of the music managers working to build a new way forward. His platform, Sound.Me offers a unique solution that has connected artists to creators to promote new music all over the world.
Alex is an industry veteran who got his start as a young guitarist. He lived the musical adventure as a 19-year-old musician who had just arrived in the U.S., touring around an exciting new country. Later, he and his wife Lani transitioned into management, guiding the boy band New District to a global reach and a Teen Choice Award. As Alex says about his own story, “My philosophy is, ‘If you do a good job, people will find you.’ At the beginning of my career, I worked mostly by word of mouth.” His growing reputation landed him work with big names and renowned labels.
Still, he sees the potential in this new age of connectivity, and in 2017, Alex and Lani founded Simple Social, a digital music marketing company behind many global superstars. Alex leveraged his education in data science from the LA Music Academy and MIT to target emerging global music markets that U.S. artists usually overlooked. It gave emerging artists a global reach from day one and helped more established artists expand. Innovative ideas like these have worked well for Alex and Lani, and their newest business is even more significant.
Sound.Me is a creator marketplace that provides music industry tech solutions for social media promotion, music data analytics, and artist-influencer collaboration. It has rapidly grown to nearly a million users. Sound.Me is a networking platform connecting musicians, influencers, content creators, agencies, and managers in the music industry and creator economy. It uses AI technology and analytics to streamline negotiation by automatically setting transparent compensation rates. Taking lessons from his previous work, Alex baked global marketing into the platform from day one. Sound.Me’s analytics are geo-targeted so that artists and labels can pick specific locations as a focus for their international music marketing.
One of the most distinguishing features of Sound.Me is its accessibility to up-and-coming artists and growing creators. Independent musicians can use Sound.Me to find collaborations with influencers, and it provides them with the analytics they need to make sure their limited resources are put to the best use.
“Having been a musician myself, I understand the challenges and opportunities artists face,” says Alex. “My work is particularly significant to emerging artists.” He believes that letting young artists reach beyond the saturated U.S. market can lead to long-term success, just like when he managed artists in the 2010s.
“I see all points: the musician, the manager, and the digital marketer because I’ve done it all,” says Alex, who built Sound.Me to work just as well for new and up-and-coming musicians and influencers as for more established artists and labels. As the platform’s growth continues, Sound.Me is working to become the most convenient and reliable way for young artists and creators to find the collaborations that will build their careers.
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