Beatroot

Hyperlaunch Pioneers Advanced Music Curation Platform with Beatroot

Overview

Beatroot started as an internal R&D initiative at Hyperlaunch, aimed at tackling a significant challenge in the music industry: efficiently curating playlists from an enormous catalogue of millions of songs. Inspired by insights from the David Lloyd Playlist App developed for Universal Music Group (UMG), Hyperlaunch created Beatroot—a cutting-edge platform designed to accelerate music curation using AI-driven audio analysis and sentiment extraction. The platform quickly gained traction with major labels such as Domino Records and Warner Music and spun out as a standalone startup following seed investment from UMG.

The Challenge

Hyperlaunch identified a significant opportunity within the music industry: the need for efficient curation of playlists from UMG’s extensive catalogue of over 6 million songs, which lacked sufficient metadata. The challenge was to develop a robust solution capable of processing large-scale audio data, extracting detailed musical attributes, and enabling rapid playlist curation. Hyperlaunch set out to build a platform that would make UMG’s vast catalogue easily searchable and facilitate curation for diverse applications, from sync licensing to data warehousing.

The Solution

Hyperlaunch developed Beatroot, a platform featuring a sophisticated ETL pipeline built on Rails. The solution could ingest UMG’s massive audio library, employing blended signal processing and AI models to identify key musical characteristics such as tempo, key, genre, and style, and to extract meaning and sentiment from lyrics. This innovative approach allowed for the rapid analysis and classification of millions of tracks, creating a comprehensive search index accessible through a React-based UI. Key features of the solution included:

• Advanced Audio Analysis: Used AI-driven signal processing to detect intricate details of each track, such as mood, tempo, and lyrical sentiment.
• Scalable Data Processing: Developed a scalable ETL pipeline capable of handling terabytes of audio data, transforming it into actionable metadata for instant searchability.
• User-Friendly Interface: Delivered a React-based UI that allowed users to effortlessly navigate and curate the vast UMG catalogue, supporting rapid playlist creation and diverse use cases.

Technical Details

• Rails-based ETL Pipeline: Ensured efficient data ingestion and transformation of UMG’s extensive audio library, extracting meaningful metadata from millions of songs.
• AI Signal Processing Models: Employed state-of-the-art AI models to blend signal processing with semantic analysis, enabling rich, multi-dimensional data extraction.
• React-based UI: Created a powerful, intuitive interface for users to explore, search, and curate the music catalogue seamlessly, enhancing user experience and productivity.

Results

The development of Beatroot represented a major leap forward in music curation and data management. The platform made UMG’s vast repertoire instantly searchable, enabling rapid curation across joint venture streaming services with brands like David Lloyd and Technogym. Following its successful initial deployment, UMG recognised Beatroot’s potential and provided seed funding for it to spin out as a startup. Beatroot subsequently secured an additional $1 million in funding and was acquired by Made In Memphis Entertainment to enhance their distribution capabilities.

Client Testimonials

Paul Smernicki, Head of Digital at UMG UK, stated, “Hyperlaunch impressed us with their ability to prototype such a sophisticated pipeline—something that had only been achieved by Echonest before. The decision to spin Beatroot out as a startup was a natural progression, considering the immense value the project had already brought to UMG.”

Chris Garrett, CEO of Hyperlaunch, remarked, “It was incredibly fulfilling to apply the latest in signal processing and AI-based audio analysis to UMG’s vast repertoire. UMG’s willingness to seed fund the project as a spin-out reflects their progressive approach to innovation in the music industry.”

Conclusion

Beatroot is a testament to Hyperlaunch’s ability to create cutting-edge solutions that address the evolving needs of the music industry. By using AI and advanced audio analysis, Hyperlaunch delivered a platform that not only solved a critical problem but also paved the way for new revenue opportunities and strategic growth. For companies looking to innovate quickly in a dynamic market, Hyperlaunch is the partner that consistently delivers impactful results.

Beatroot’s evolution from an internal R&D project to a thriving startup underscores Hyperlaunch’s commitment to innovation and its expertise in deploying transformative technologies. The successful spin-out and subsequent acquisition highlight the platform’s impact and potential to reshape music distribution and curation.