What Feels Music Messaging does

Feels Music Messaging, Inc. is a privately held US company (incorporated in California, headquartered in Culver City) that operates a consumer mobile app and keyboard extension enabling users to send short-form, 15-second video clips of licensed music with synchronized, visualized lyrics as expressive communications inside third-party messaging apps such as iMessage and WhatsApp. The platform is built on licensing agreements with all three major label groups — Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group — together with their publishing arms (UMPG, Sony Music Publishing, Warner Chappell) and independent publisher Kobalt, giving users access to millions of cleared tracks and music videos. On the supply side, the company operates Feels Artist Studio & Tools (FAST), a web-based admin dashboard where rights holders (labels, managers, and qualifying independent artists) manage artist profiles, upload Backdrops, create and publish Feels, control content visibility, and access engagement analytics including Sends, Saves, and Lean Forward/Lean Back discovery metrics.

The underlying technology combines a short-form video render pipeline with millisecond-precision lyric-video synchronization (the Feels Retiming Tool) and a modular artist toolkit that includes Backdrops, Create Tease (promotional teasers with Pre-Save/Buy links), Export to social media, and growth features such as Merch Hub, Tour Spotlight, Cause Connect, and Social Links. AI-powered search and recommendation functionality is layered on top via third-party providers (Google Cloud AI and Together.ai). The product was founded by former Interscope Records executive Tony Seyler and is backed by Eminem manager Paul Rosenberg; it raised a $2.5M seed round in May 2022 and globally launched in March 2026.

Feels monetizes through three streams: consumer in-app purchases and subscriptions on a freemium base, targeted advertising using cookies and third-party ad networks, and a rights-holder tooling offering (FAST) whose direct pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is dual-channel: the consumer app is delivered via iOS App Store, Google Play, and a keyboard extension, while FAST is a web dashboard (fast.feelsmusic.app) with access managed by label organizations. Marketing is primarily earned media in music-industry publications (Billboard, Music Ally, Music Business Worldwide, Hypebot, LA Business Journal) plus organic social presence on Instagram and TikTok. No revenue, headcount trend, or subsequent funding round has been disclosed publicly.

Name

Feels Music Messaging

Legal name

Feels Music, Inc.

Website

https://feelsmusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Feels Music Messaging operates a consumer mobile app and keyboard extension that lets users send 15-second licensed music video clips with visualized lyrics inside messaging apps, serving music fans on the consumer side and artists, managers, and labels through its FAST dashboard on the rights-holder side.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Messaging Software

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Sound Recording Studios (51224)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Music-First Short-Form Video & Lip-Sync Platforms (MPACAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Music Recognition, Lyrics & Metadata Platforms (MPAIADAK)

Keywords

• Music messaging app
• Short-form music clips
• Licensed lyric videos
• Artist content tools
• Music sharing platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Venice

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. App Download / Subscription / In-App Purchases: Users download the Feels mobile app and keyboard extension free of charge. The platform accepts payment via PayPal, Discover, American Express, Mastercard, and Visa. The Terms of Service indicate that purchases may be required to access some services, with recurring charges possible on a subscription basis. All purchases are stated to be non-refundable.
2. Artist / Label Tools (FAST): Feels Artist Studio & Tools (FAST) provides artist management, content creation, and analytics tools to rights holders (labels, managers, artists). Access is managed by the label; independent artists may apply for access. Revenue may be generated via platform fees or tool access charges to labels and rights holders.
3. Targeted Advertising: The Privacy Policy indicates that the company serves targeted advertising via cookies and tracking technologies, using data to develop and display personalized content and advertising tailored to user interests, location, and other factors. Third-party advertising networks are utilized.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Feels is a consumer mobile app and keyboard extension that lets users select up to 15 seconds of licensed music from major-label catalogs (Universal, Sony, Warner, plus Kobalt) and send it as a stylized video clip with synchronized lyrics inside any messaging app. A companion web-based dashboard, Feels Artist Studio & Tools (FAST), provides rights holders (labels, managers, artists) with profile management, Backdrop uploads, millisecond-precision retiming, Tease/Promotions, growth tools, and analytics for fan engagement.

Product overview

Feels Music Messaging is a unified platform consisting of the core Feels consumer app—a music messaging service that lets users send short-form 15-second video clips with licensed music and visualized lyrics—and the Feels Artist Studio & Tools (FAST) professional dashboard. FAST provides artists, managers, and labels with content management tools including Backdrop uploads, the Retiming Tool for millisecond-level audio/video/lyric synchronization, Create Tease for promotional content, Export for social sharing, and promotional features like Carousel placement and Curated Collections. Growth Tools offer Merch Hub, Tour Spotlight, and Social Links. The platform operates with licensing agreements from all three major labels (Universal, Sony, Warner) and their publishing divisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FAST (Feels Artist Studio & Tools): Web-based admin dashboard for rights holders and artist management to manage artist profiles, content, and access data analytics.

Products and services

• Feels (consumer app) A free-to-download mobile app (iOS and Android) with a keyboard extension that enables individual consumers to discover, create, and send short-form (up to 15 seconds) music video clips with visualized, licensed lyrics inside any messaging app — designed as a music-rich alternative to GIFs, emojis, and plain text.
• Feels Artist Studio & Tools (FAST) A web-based admin dashboard at fast.feelsmusic.app for music artists, artist managers, and record labels to manage artist profiles, upload Backdrops, create Feels Music Messages, run Tease/Promotions campaigns, and access analytics (Discovery Sources, Sends, Saves, Lean Forward/Lean Back metrics). Access is granted by the label organization; independent artists must apply and meet eligibility criteria (e.g., 25k+ cumulative YouTube views and music live on YouTube Music).

Quantifiable outcome

• Millions of licensed tracks and videos accessible to users via major label licensing deals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability5 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Universal Music Group (UMG)flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerUniversal Music Group is one of the three major record labels with a licensing agreement with Feels, providing users access to UMG's catalog of recorded music for use in Feels Music Messages. This is a core licensing partnership that enables the platform's primary consumer value proposition.
• Sony Music EntertainmentflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSony Music Entertainment is one of the three major record labels with a licensing agreement with Feels, providing access to Sony's recorded music catalog for use in Feels Music Messages.
• Warner Music GroupflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWarner Music Group is one of the three major record labels with a licensing agreement with Feels, providing access to Warner's recorded music catalog for use in Feels Music Messages.
• Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerUniversal Music Publishing Group is the publishing arm of UMG with a licensing agreement with Feels, covering musical compositions and songwriting rights needed for the platform.
• Sony Music PublishingcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSony Music Publishing is the publishing arm of Sony Music with a licensing agreement with Feels, covering musical compositions and songwriting rights.
• Warner Chappell MusiccoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWarner Chappell Music is the publishing arm of Warner Music Group with a licensing agreement with Feels, covering musical compositions and songwriting rights.
• KobaltminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKobalt is an independent music publisher with a licensing agreement with Feels, providing access to additional musical compositions beyond the three major publishers.
• Google Cloud AIcoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Cloud AI is listed as an AI Service Provider powering the platform's AI Products, including AI search functionality. User input, output, and personal information are shared with and processed by Google Cloud AI to enable AI-powered features within the Feels platform.
• Together.aicoreTechnology or IntegrationTogether.ai is listed as an AI Service Provider powering the platform's AI Products. It is one of the third-party AI infrastructure providers used to enable AI functionality within the Feels platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Spotify: Spotify is the global music streaming incumbent with major-label licensing, social sharing features, and lyrics integrations. While Spotify's core product is audio streaming, its forays into social sharing, Clips, and lyrics positioning it as a broad competitor for music expression and discovery.
• TikTok: TikTok is the dominant short-form video platform and a major channel for music discovery, with deep label licensing and a creator ecosystem. Feels competes for the same music-clip sharing use case in messaging contexts and must contend with TikTok's scale, network effects, and adjacent music-clip features.

Direct peers

• BandLab: BandLab is a mobile-first music creation platform with social and collaborative features, including short loops, lyrics, and sharing. It targets a similar creator/consumer hybrid use case as Feels — making music creation shareable inside a messaging-style feed — and serves both amateur creators and professionals.
• Musixmatch: Musixmatch is the world's largest lyrics platform, providing licensed lyrics and a lyrics-display ecosystem across Spotify, Apple Music, and Instagram. Feels' core synced-lyric video format directly intersects with Musixmatch's lyrics-licensing business, making it a direct competitor for lyric-display use cases and a potential partner for licensing.
• Tenor (by Google): Tenor is Google's GIF keyboard integrated across messaging platforms. Like GIPHY, Tenor competes for the keyboard-extension distribution slot Feels relies on, and represents the incumbent expression-media UX that Feels must displace.
• Smule: Smule is a mobile music creation and social singing app (Smule, Sing! Karaoke) that lets users record and share short-form musical performances with lyrics and video. Like Feels, it combines mobile music tooling, short-form video with visualized lyrics, and a community/social sharing layer — making it the closest direct peer in mobile music expression.
• GIPHY: GIPHY is the dominant GIF search and sharing platform integrated into iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack, and others. Feels explicitly positions itself as a "GIF with music," making GIPHY the closest analog for short-form expressive media in messaging and a key distribution-architecture competitor.

Emerging players

• DistroKid: DistroKid provides music distribution, monetization, and analytics tools for independent artists. Feels' FAST platform (Merch Hub, Tour Spotlight, analytics) competes for the same indie-artist budget and attention, making DistroKid an emerging competitor in artist tools.
• SoundHound AI: SoundHound provides music recognition, lyrics, and metadata APIs across apps and devices. While SoundHound is broader in scope, its music identification and lyrics products overlap with Feels' AI search and lyric-synchronization capabilities, making it a partial competitor in music recognition technology.
• UnitedMasters: UnitedMasters is an artist-services and distribution platform offering tools, analytics, and promotional services to independent artists — directly comparable to Feels' FAST dashboard for artist tools, growth, and monetization. It is an emerging B2B complement/competitor in the music-tech stack for independent artists.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/feelsmusicapp
• TikToktiktok.com/@feelsmusicapp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/feelsmusicmessaging

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Feels Music Messaging