Two weeks after Troy Carter’s Q&A sold digital distribution and label services startup Human Re Sources to Sony Music, the firm is back with a major announcement — a new software division called Venice Innovation Labs designed to create tools to help record labels manage their rosters, beta test songs, and distribute music.
The new arm of the company is rolling out two new software tools for artists and labels — StreamRate, a mobile app that Q&A says can analyze songs before they are released, “saving labels millions of dollars in marketing expenses,” and Venice For Labels, a music distribution platform that “enables labels to distribute music, manage their artist roster, and track splits, and payments.” Venice for Labels will also feature a Premium Services option to assist with playlisting and strategic marketing, according to Q&A. StreamRate will employ “a combination of AI and sentiment analysis,” to analyze songs Q&A CEO Troy Carter tells Billboard. The company says it will share more information around StreamRate once it exits beta.
“The launch of Venice Innovation Labs marks an important milestone for Q&A,” Carter said in a statement. “We’ve been at work for over a year building and learning and are excited to start rolling out innovative tools for research, distribution, and roster management. We spent our careers in the music industry and understood the importance of also having a human element, so we added a Premium Services team to help deliver hits and drive results.”
Added Suzy Ryoo, co-counder and president of Q&A: “Technology is rapidly changing the way music is consumed, yet our industry’s infrastructure remains underserved. We’ve been quietly building beautiful and intuitive tools that labels will love, as well as services that move the needle. Our vision is to create an authentic community to empower brilliant artists and the labels that support them daily.”
Q&A says Ray Kurzeka will lead Premium Services for Venice For Labels in North America and Matt Ott will oversee it in the UK. Carter tells Billboard while these are the first two products from Venice Innovation Labs, they won’t be the last, as there are more features currently in development. Venice Innovation Labs is now live and interested parties can sign up for an invitation at venicemusic.co.
