EarMashin moved from Los Angeles to Iowa City to reinvent their new music discovery platform.
“[Moving] wasn’t actually that big of a challenge for us,” says Ash Naguib, one of Earmashin’s founders. “We met a lot of great people here, and we actually found out that there’s a pretty big music community [in Iowa], so it’s been helpful.”
This emphasis on discovery and community lies at the heart of EarMashin; the creators dubbed their app “Your Platform for Music Discovery” for good reason. Users can see what their friends are listening to, explore new artists, search for local shows, and buy tickets – all in real time and from within EarMashin’s app.
This commitment to building connections drove EarMashin’s move to Iowa from California when they were accepted into the Iowa Startup Accelerator. Now nearing the end of their time with the program, Naguib emphasizes their positive experience with ISA and their excitement about EarMashin’s fresh direction.
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How EarMashin Works
Catering to fans and creators of EDM (electronic dance music), EarMashin lets users broadcast their Soundcloud streams to audiences live and curate content based on their personal preferences. Users can search for events in their area by artist, location, or date, bringing attention to up-and-coming artists.
EarMashin began when Naguib and his friends, many of whom are independent EDM musicians, realized there was a demand for a platform that connected emerging artists to potential fans.
Traditional word-of-mouth wasn’t fast enough, and no one keeps Facebook open all the time looking for their friends’ Spotify posts. Additionally, large scale music markets like Spotify and Soundcloud make it hard for people to connect with local, independent artists.
“We tried to come up with a way we could help out lots of emerging artists rather than marketing for one person at a time,” Naguib said.
EarMashin hopes to release a second version of their app within the next month, improved through their work with ISA.
Rethinking the app
When EarMashin came to Iowa, they thought they had a pretty good start on their app. In fact, they’d already launched a beta version and had begun developing a user base. However, as they when through the ISA’s program and talked with mentors they realized they had to make some changes.
“We realized we needed to focus the app to get what the customer will want rather than what we already had and had assumed the customer wanted,” explained Naguib.
“This was hard to overcome, but we were able to do it because we want to make sure we provide the best product for our customer and properly execute our vision.”
This move included introducing Soundcloud to EarMashin. Previously, artists submitted their music to EarMashin, who then uploaded it to their own server. Using Soundcloud simplifies the process for artists, removing the submission step and allowing them to connect through a free app they already use.
Connecting streaming to ticket sales
EarMashin plans to expand their brand by capitalizing on musical and industry connections they made in California and by nurturing the new relationships they built in Iowa, Naguib says. Their customer base is most active on social media, so EarMashin hopes to connect with new fans through Facebook and Twitter.
Naguib says that growing EarMashin’s user base is their primary objective for the next year.
They’ve also connected with six different websites that sell tickets, including Ticketfly and Ticketmaster, and hope to integrate these big names into their platform.
EarMashin’s app will remain free, but they will generate revenue from a referral fee for each ticket sold through the app.
It’s still all about the music
With all these plans in the works, Naguib still emphasizes the key role music plays in their platform. “[EarMashin’s purpose] is to help [artists] gain fans and be able to play live – that’s the ultimate goal for them. In our experience, most of these artists make their money from performing live,” Naguib said.
“In terms of the listener, we want to make a unique experience for them – so they can find new music without really having to dig for it. That’s why we came up with this platform – it will connect the [artists and listeners].”
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Sarah Kugler is an Iowa-based writer. Her professional interests include the animal health care industry and the future of the liberal arts in higher education.
