VNUE
VNUE was a publicly traded micro-cap music technology company (OTCMarkets: VNUE) developing Soundstr MRT audio recognition for music licensing and live event monetization, having acquired StageIt's live streaming platform to serve independent artists globally.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What VNUE does
VNUE, Inc. is a publicly traded micro-cap company (OTCMarkets: VNUE) that historically operated as a music technology business developing solutions for music licensing compliance and live event monetization. Its core technology was Soundstr MRT (Music Recognition Technology), an audio recognition platform designed to identify music played at live venues and events, enabling licensing enforcement and revenue capture for rights holders and venues. VNUE served musicians, independent artists, and live event operators, with the stated value proposition of providing artists with monetization tools for live and virtual performances and providing venues with licensing compliance tooling.
VNUE built its product suite through a series of acquisitions: Soundstr in February 2018 (the audio recognition platform that became its core product), Set.fm in October 2017, and StageIt, Inc. in early 2022. StageIt was a DIY live streaming platform launched in 2010 that had hosted over 6,280 shows in 2020, generated $9.2 million in gross revenue in 2020, and built a performer community of more than 58,000 artists across 135 countries. The StageIt acquisition was funded in part by two equity rounds from a single investor, GHS Investments, LLC, totaling up to $9.5 million ($8M in June 2021 and $1.5M in January 2022). VNUE's revenue model combined transaction fees from its live streaming platform operations with licensing and royalty revenue from the Soundstr recognition platform, though pricing details were not publicly disclosed.
As of the most recent input data, VNUE has announced a strategic pivot: the company is transitioning its identity to "Redacted Optics" and refocusing on the defense industry with cutting-edge digital solutions, moving away from its prior music technology positioning. The firm remains incorporated in the United States with headquarters in New York and continues to trade on the OTC Pink market under the VNUE ticker.
VNUE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VNUE
- Legal name
- VNUE, Inc.
- Website
- https://vnue.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- VNUE was a publicly traded micro-cap music technology company (OTCMarkets: VNUE) developing Soundstr MRT audio recognition for music licensing and live event monetization, having acquired StageIt's live streaming platform to serve independent artists globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VNUE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Technology & Live Streaming
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (512250), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Sound Recording Industries (5122)
- SIC
- Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)
- akta.pro primary industry
- DRM, Key Management & License Services (Multi-DRM, KMS) (MPAHALAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Non-Interactive Digital Radio (Lean-Back Streaming) (MPAIACAB)
Keywords
Where VNUE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
VNUE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Live Streaming Platform Services: Revenue generated through live streaming platform operations, hosting virtual concerts and performances for artists
- Music Licensing Technology: Soundstr music recognition platform enabling music licensing solutions for live events
Go-to-market motion1 record
VNUE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VNUE is a music technology company that develops Soundstr MRT (Music Recognition Technology) for detecting and identifying music played at live events and venues to support music licensing compliance and live event monetization. The company also acquired and operates StageIt, a DIY live streaming platform that enables musicians to broadcast live virtual performances to fans online.
Product overview
VNUE was a music technology company that developed solutions for music licensing and live event monetization. The company operated a platform-plus-products architecture centered around its Soundstr MRT (Music Recognition Technology) for music licensing compliance and live event monetization. VNUE also acquired the live streaming platform StageIt to expand its artist-centric product suite. The company has since transitioned its strategy toward the defense industry under the name Redacted Optics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Soundstr MRT: Music recognition technology platform developed by VNUE for music licensing and live event monetization.
Products and services
- Soundstr MRT (Music Recognition Technology)
Quantifiable outcome
- Acquisition expected to add $9 million to annual revenue
Companies that use VNUE
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
VNUE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature1 record
VNUE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
VNUE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Audible Magic: Audible Magic provides audio fingerprinting and content recognition technology used by rights-holders, broadcasters, and platforms to identify and license music — directly comparable to Soundstr MRT's core capability of identifying music at live events.
- BMAT: BMAT is a Barcelona-based music technology company that operates music identification, rights administration, and royalty distribution tools for the live music and broadcasting industry — the closest direct peer for VNUE's Soundstr MRT recognition and licensing business.
- Moment House: Moment House is a ticketed virtual concert and experience platform for premium and indie artists — directly comparable to StageIt as a DIY-rather-than-Live-Nation channel for monetizing live performances online.
- LiveOne: LiveOne (formerly LiveXLive) operates a live music streaming and pay-per-view platform spanning festivals, concerts, and artist channels — a broadly comparable paid live-music streaming business to VNUE's StageIt.
- Veeps: Veeps, owned by Live Nation, is a leading ticketed live concert streaming platform — the closest direct peer to VNUE's StageIt, serving the same independent-to-mid-tier artist segment with virtual ticketed concerts.
- nugs.net: nugs.net streams and sells official live concert recordings and pay-per-view broadcasts from major and independent artists — directly comparable to StageIt's DIY live streaming model with overlapping artist and fan audiences.
Broad incumbents
- Twitch: Twitch (owned by Amazon) operates the world's largest live streaming platform and is a significant indirect competitor for music performance streaming audiences that StageIt addresses — though Twitch is broader in scope.
- YouTube Live: YouTube Live (Alphabet/Google) is the dominant free live video platform and competes broadly for artist livestream audiences and content identification-driven rights management, partially overlapping with StageIt's live performance and Soundstr MRT's recognition categories.
- Gracenote: Gracenote (a Nielsen company) provides music metadata, recognition, and content identification at scale for broadcasters, streaming platforms, and consumer electronics — an incumbent competing in the same music recognition/licensing space as Soundstr MRT but with vastly broader scope.
Emerging players
- Bandsintown: Bandsintown connects artists with fans for live shows and has expanded into livestream ticketing, partially overlapping with StageIt's virtual concert distribution focus on independent artists.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
VNUE social profiles
Digital presenceVNUE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VNUE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
VNUE subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
VNUE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VNUE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VNUE
What does VNUE do?
VNUE is a music technology company that develops Soundstr MRT (Music Recognition Technology) for detecting and identifying music played at live events and venues to support music licensing compliance and live event monetization. The company also acquired and operates StageIt, a DIY live streaming platform that enables musicians to broadcast live virtual performances to fans online.
Is VNUE a public or private company?
VNUE is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was VNUE founded?
VNUE was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is VNUE based?
VNUE is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does VNUE make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Live Streaming Platform Services are the primary driver. The others are music Licensing Technology.
Who are VNUE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Audible Magic, BMAT, Moment House, LiveOne, Veeps and nugs.net. Broad incumbents are Twitch, YouTube Live and Gracenote. Bandsintown is listed as an emerging player.
Does VNUE have an API?
No public API is recorded for VNUE.
What industry is VNUE in?
VNUE's product category is Music Technology & Live Streaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHALAK, DRM, Key Management & License Services (Multi-DRM, KMS), with a secondary code of MPAIACAB, Non-Interactive Digital Radio (Lean-Back Streaming). Its NAICS code is 512250 and its SIC code is 3652.