Former Rdio and YouTube exec Stefan Baumschlager has joined Vienna-based startup Record Bird – as the music company closes its second six-figure investment round.
Baumschlager joined YouTube in 2015 as Manager of Music Publishing Partnerships in Europe.
Record Bird is a free online-service notifying music fans worldwide about new releases by their favourite artists. Its latest investment comes from both existing and new investors from the business angel network startup300.
Record Bird says it will use the mid six-figure investment for continued development of its mobile apps as well as growing its user base.
“We’ve used our first investment to build a highly engaging product. 29% of our users check the app at least once a day. Now, we’ll use this round to spread our vision to true music lovers across the globe,” said Record Bird Founder & CEO, Andreas Mahringer.
“We’re excited about the continued trust and support from such high-profile investors, challenging the team and helping push the product and company to the next level.”
Baumschlager, whose history also includes a stint at Last.fm, becomes Record Bird’s Head of Growth.
“Stefan has been on this journey multiple times already,” added Mahringer.
“Over the year’s he’s gained experience throughout multiple stages of growth, from a then small startup called Last.fm to Rdio – the streaming service from the Skype founder Janus Friis to his last stop at YouTube – the biggest streaming platform on the planet. His experience will be invaluable and we’re both happy and humbled to see him join our team.”
Added Baumschlager: “The founders as well as everyone else from the team display a determined passion and dedication I haven’t seen since my early Last.fm days.
“I’m super excited to join such a smart and devoted bunch; not least, because I also wholeheartedly belief in their vision. No one is immune to missing releases by their favourite artists, not even the most clued in music-aficionados among us.”
He continued: “Ask any music marketeer about their organic reach on social media and they will most likely pull a face that speaks volumes. I find it ludicrous that labels and artists spent considerable amount of money, effort and time in building their fan bases there and then are charged for the privilege of messaging all of them.
“Record Bird’s company mission is the public promise that fans will never miss the new releases of the artists and bands they follow on Record Bird. Therefore we will never charge artists and labels to reach their existing fan base. Of course we’re also working on useful tools to help artists grow their fanbase even further.”
Record Bird (www.recordbird.com) was founded in April 2015 by Andreas Mahringer, Thomas Patterer, Alexander Baumann, Arnold Graf und Christoph Kregl.Music Business Worldwide
