Sony Corporation partners with Bandlab Technologies, a social music platform, to provide their spatial audio technologies and tools to millions of creators who currently lack access to professional studio facilities.
Enhancing Music Creation for Millions
The collaboration, announced on Tuesday (April 29), will integrate Sony’s 360 Reality Audio technology into Bandlab, empowering 100million users to both experience and create music in spatial audio using just their smartphones and standard headphones.
Starting this summer, Bandlab users will gain access to the Sounds market, where they can utilize these rhythms, add vocals, and incorporate other production elements.
For Sony, which has previously introduced the 360 Reality audio format to compete with Apple’s Spatial Sound and Dolby Atmos, the partnership with Bandlab further expands the format’s reach. Last year, Apple Music began offering artists 10% higher royalties for music offered in spatial audio.
In addition to the initial spatial audio integration, both Sony and Bandlab have hinted at plans for a dedicated joint hub within Bandlab, which they say “will serve as a gateway for future offerings.” This hub is expected to integrate new technologies and tools for music creation, as well as provide “exclusive access” to newly developed educational programs.
“It is not only about what artists can do today, but also about what it becomes possible when they are provided with proper support for experiments and growth.”
Meng Ru Kuok, Bandlab Technologies
Masaaki Osima, the head of the personal entertainment business at Sony Corporation, emphasized: “Sony Corporation has long been committed to delivering a premium sound experience, and this partnership with Bandlab technology allows us to bridge the gap between professional sound and independent creators of all levels.
“By integrating our audio products and technologies into the Bandlab ecosystem, we not only broaden access to immersive audio tools but also strengthen our connection with the pro-consumer market, enhancing the music creation and experience process.
“We are excited to see how artists will expand their creative boundaries with these new opportunities.”
“We are excited to see how artists will expand their creative boundaries with these new opportunities.”
Masaaki Osima, Sony Corporation
Founded in 2015 and based in Singapore, Bandlab Technologies operates a social music creation platform, as well as the desktop DAW Cake, services for artists through ReverbNation, and the rhythm and music market Airbrush, all under the auspices of Caldecott Music Group.
This partnership with Sony follows Bandlab’s exclusive deal with Warner Chappell Music last year to discover and sign songwriters for ReverbNation. Bandlab acquired ReverbNation from Eminor, Inc. in November 2021.
This collaboration comes amidst increasing competition in creator tools. Last month, the US-based organization IMT launched Spark, a new program offering music creators access to industry tools, educational resources, and even medical and health services.
In South Korea, Superon, an AI voice company belonging to K-Pop giant Hybe, recently introduced a new text-to-voice tool that claims to generate “high-quality, expressive audio content.”
Lucas focuses on the interaction between music and society. He specializes in how music influences and reflects cultures, analyzing the role of sound in social, political, and cultural events around the world.
