Beneath the Surface of Music and Technology
Swimming WIth Narwhals
2025 Music Tech Startup Competition
Spotlighting creative startups through this competition is one of the ways the Music Tectonics conference focuses on music innovation—wherever it’s shaking up the industry.
Benefits of Applying
JUST ANNOUNCED: SPECIAL EVENTS
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Creative Builders meet Innovative Funders. The Yamaha Music Innovation Fund presents Startup Day
Yamaha Music Innovation Fund takes over Expert Dojo on day three of the conference to shine a light on startups building the next generation of creative industry technology. Join us for a series of thoughtful discussions that will bring together top investors and founders who will share their thoughts shaping the future of media, music and the creator economy.
Includes exclusive investor networking session for Swimming with Narwhals Pitch Competition applicants!
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Universal Music Group Startup Bootcamp
Announcing: Music Tectonics startup attendees will join Universal Music Group Digital Innovation in a legendary studio space to hear tips on partnering with the iconic major label.
All Swimming with Narwhals competition applicants will be submitted for an additional pitch opportunity with UMG in the same session! Four will pitch and everyone will hear feedback directly from UMG leaders in an intimate studio setting.
MORE BENEFITS
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Being seen: Even if you're not selected as a semi-finalist, a panel of investors and experts will pay attention to your application. At the conference, you'll get some Narwhal swag for your badge to let everyone know you're in startup mode.
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Time to shine: The first day of the conference features a Startup Carousel - a ring of startup demo tables at Santa Monica’s historic Merry-go-round. Semi-finalists have priority to join the finalists and present their demos, followed by applicants in order of application.
"Pitching at Music Tectonics was a great experience. I originally came from a tech background, so pitching Audioshake in a room full of music people was a great opportunity to connect with the industry. Music Tectonics attendees are a great mix of startups, DSPs, and other kinds of music companies we wanted to meet, and after I pitched people came up to start conversations. It's a warm, friendly competition as well."
Jessica Powell
Audioshake
Winner 2022
Eligibility
Applicant companies must:
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purchase at least one conference badge. That's the only application fee! Early Bird rate badges are available through August 19.
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be less than 5 years old.
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have a working demo or a finished product, service, or platform.
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work in any part of the music innovation ecosystem: creating, distributing, listening to, or monetizing music; managing rights or data, engaging fans, running live music events, and more.
“Winning the Music Tectonics startup competition completely catapulted my company. It was the first time I spoke publicly about my vision outside of moonlighting on the project, and the direct support I received from the judges, industry leads who saw or heard of me from this stage, and the amazing fellow attendee community is what led to me closing a $2.2M seed round from top industry companies just a few months later. So grateful and feel indebted to the MT family for this kickoff.”
Jacquelle Amankonah Horton
FAVE
Winner 2020
Timeline
August 19 Last day to purchase badges at Early Bird rate of $349.
September 4 Ten semi-finalists announced, selected by a panel of music tech investors and experts
September 17 Semi-finalists pitch at the Music Tectonics Online Preconference
September 23 Four finalists announced
At the Music Tectonics Conference in Santa Monica, California
November 4 Startup Carousel demos
November 5 Finalists pitch in-person at the conference before judges and conference attendees.
November 6 Jury choice and Audience Choice winners announced at the conference.
“RealCount was really excited to apply and participate in the pitch competition in 2023. It was really great doing the virtual semi-final pitch. We got a lot of great feedback, and it was so nice that people from around the world could attend. I am a bit of a nervous public speaker so being able to win the audience over with RealCount was exciting for me personally as well as for the company.”
Diana Gremore
RealCount
Audience Choice Award Winner 2023
FAQ
What do the winning startups receive?
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Feature in a press release about the competition
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Founder interviews on the Music Tectonics Podcast after the event
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Free badge for the 2026 conference
Winning the 2025 competition does not come with a monetary prize or investment, but winners benefit from recognition and the warm embrace of the Music Tectonics community.
Is there an application fee?
Yes: one member of your company must buy a badge to the conference. Early Bird badges are $349. Get yours before the price rises to $399 on August 19!
Why should I attend the conference?
So many reasons!
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Networking: Kick off the connections at an online preconference event eclusive to ticketholders. Sit in on the semi-final round of the pitch competition, network with your cohort, and get advice from our panel of judges at a Q&A. The in-person conference is designed with time, space, and atmosphere for meeting, connecting, and building your network.
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Getting business done: Conference attendees tell us every year that they meet new partners, clients, and investors at Music Tectonics. Music Tectonics makes space for meeting and building relationships outside panels and keynotes with breaks on the schedule.
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Leveling Up: Innovation in the Music Tech space thrives on conversation and connection across industry boundaries. The third day of the conference is dedicated to giving startups space for those conversations. Programming and networking is designed especially to help you get to the next phase of your business.
I can’t afford a conference badge. What should I do?
Apply for a badge scholarship! Music Tectonics is offering three badge scholarships to startup pitch competition applicants.
Preference for badge scholarships will be given to founders belonging to groups historically excluded from tech and music industry leadership.
Badge Scholarship applications are now closed.
I applied In a previous year. Can I apply again?
Yes, if your company meets the other eligibility requirements! Past applicants, semil-finalists, and finalists are welcome to apply. Only past winners of the competition are considered ineligible. A year is a long time in the life of a startup, and we’d love to see how you’ve honed your pitch and your business model!
Who judges the competition?
All applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of music tech entrepreneurs, investors, and experts. Panels of judges select Finalists and Jury Choice winners based on originality, likeliness to succeed, and product-market fit, while conference attendees vote on the Audience Choice award. The Music Tectonics and Rock Paper Scissors teams do not select winners.
Past judges include:
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Kareem Akhtar, Amazon Investor Fund
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David Dufresne, Investor
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David Gabeau, Union Street Ventures
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Kristin Grant, Investor
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Andrew Kahn, Crush Ventures
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Meng Ru Kuok, BandLab
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Brian Mac Mahon, Expert DOJO
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Fred McIntyre, Capacitance
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Bob Moczydlowsky, Techstars Music
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Aadit Parikh, Sony Ventures
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Isabelle Persson, Expert Dojo
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Arabian Prince, Investor & NWA founding member
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Juliette Rolnick, BDMI
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Joe Tou, Sony Ventures
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Deek Velagandula, Waverley Capital
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Tom Windish, Wasserman Music
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Sun Jen Yung, Nfluence Partners
Why Narwhals?
Sometimes called the “unicorn whale,” the narwhal mascot represents the spirit and goals of the competition. We invoke the real one-horned animal to poke fun at the cultural obsession with billion-dollar unicorn startups, since we keep the focus on innovators with real-world solutions. And while shark tanks pit founders against each other and antagonistic judges, the Music Tectonics competition is designed to be welcoming and mutually supportive.