The surge in popularity of short video apps has ignited a creative spark among users, leading them to employ a plethora of tools to give their videos a unique edge by remixing well-known songs. Many content creators employ various techniques, such as altering the tempo, slowing down, or adding clap tracks to songs in order to modify them. Despite the presence of tools by record labels and social media companies to monitor song usage and ensure that artists (and labels themselves) earn their rightful royalties, a significant number of these remixes manage to evade detection.
In response to this challenge, Gaurav Sharma, who served as the Chief Operating Officer for the India-focused music streaming service JioSaavn for over five years, initiated the creation of Hook in 2021. Sharma’s association with the company dates back to 2010 when it was known as Saavn. Following its acquisition by Reliance Jio in 2018, Jio Music and Saavn were merged to form JioSaavn.
Sharma shared with TechCrunch that, drawing from his experience in the music streaming industry, he aspired to develop a tool and a content management system that would enable users to create remixes while fairly compensating the artists. He stated, “We want to harness AI to simplify the process of fans remixing and adding their unique creativity to their favorite music moments. We are approaching this as a value proposition for content owners and labels, essentially serving as a content management system.”
“Derivative songs often lack attached copyrights, so we are constructing a platform that leverages AI while maintaining a strong commitment to resolving attribution and compensation challenges.”
In pursuit of this goal, Hook is developing an app empowered with AI capabilities that will allow users to create legally-sanctioned remixes of tracks and share them on social media platforms. Users will have the freedom to select a brief excerpt of a song (less than 60 seconds) and infuse their own creative touch using Hook’s tools. They will also have the opportunity to explore remixes crafted by fellow enthusiasts.
Initially, Hook will limit users to exporting clips they create to its own app and select popular social networks. Sharma stressed that the startup’s intention is not to facilitate the export of MP3 tracks.
Hook is planning to introduce its app in a private beta phase next month, with a public release scheduled for sometime in 2024.
The company has secured $3 million in seed funding, led by Steve Cohen’s Point72 Ventures and former Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman, Jr.’s Waverley Capital. Other investors, including Mark Gillespie’s Three Six Zero and Japan-based entertainment company Avex, also participated in the funding round.
The leadership team at Hook includes Chief Product Officer Simmi Singh, who has previously worked on product and growth at JioSaavn Spotify, and Chief Financial Officer Manav Choksi, who has advised multiple startups on fundraising.
Social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook have been steadily expanding their library of licensed music that can be used in video creation. Labels generate revenue from the consumption and utilization of their catalog on these platforms. Hook believes that its platform will enable labels to monetize derivative versions of songs as well.
Given the growing prominence of remixes on platforms like TikTok, labels are investing in promoting official remixes and engaging with content creators. Sharma envisions that influencers and creators have the potential to drive music discovery, effectively serving as “today’s radio stations.”
“Our primary focus will be on growing our user base in the near future. Eventually, we see ourselves becoming a central player in the music creator economy, functioning as an agency for creators and an A&R tool for labels,” he added.
