Audiotree

What Audiotree does

Audiotree is a Chicago-based, privately held music discovery platform that films and records live music sessions and concerts, distributing the resulting content primarily through its YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/Audiotreetv) to a global audience. Founded in 2006 and operating as a lean organization of 11-50 employees under the legal entity Audiotree Music, the company serves two primary segments: independent and emerging musicians seeking exposure (the supply side) and music listeners and fans seeking curated discovery of new talent (the demand side). Artists are onboarded through a self-serve Paperform-based submission portal, and the platform maintains an alumni network of past featured performers as an evergreen discovery catalog. The underlying technology stack is deliberately lightweight — a Squarespace-hosted website with YouTube as the core distribution and audience-acquisition channel — consistent with a content-media model rather than a software platform.

The business model is not publicly disclosed. No pricing, no app, no API, and no disclosed funding rounds appear in the source material, suggesting either bootstrapped operations, modest profitability, or undisclosed private backing. Indirect revenue signals point to YouTube advertising monetization, potential sponsorships, or ancillary streams typical of independent music media brands; the presence of a /cart link on the website hints at possible merchandise commerce. With no documented acquisitions, partnerships, M&A, leadership changes, or strategic pivots in the available data, Audiotree presents as a long-tenured, operationally stable niche media business focused on indie music discovery rather than a venture-backed growth company.

Name

Audiotree

Legal name

Audiotree Music

Website

https://audiotree.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Streaming and Live Performance Content

NAICS

Sound Recording Industries (5122), Other Sound Recording Industries (512290)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms (MPAIADAC)

Keywords

• Live music recordings
• Music video production
• Artist discovery platform
• Live session videos
• Independent artist showcase

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Audiotree is a music discovery platform that produces, records, and distributes live music performance videos featuring independent and emerging artists. Its core offering is the Audiotree show — a curated series of filmed live sessions — distributed primarily through its YouTube channel, supported by a maintained alumni network of artists and a self-serve artist submission process.

Product overview

Audiotree operates as a unified music discovery platform centered around its core show and artist showcase. The primary offering is the Audiotree show, which features artists performing and being presented to audiences for discovery purposes. The platform maintains an alumni network of artists who have appeared on the show, creating a curated ecosystem for music discovery. Artist participation is facilitated through an application submission process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audiotree Live Sessions A music discovery platform and video series in which independent and emerging artists perform live, recorded sessions that are distributed primarily through the Audiotree YouTube channel. The product maintains an alumni network of previously featured artists and accepts new artist bookings via an online submission portal. It is intended for music fans seeking curated discovery of new artists and for independent musicians seeking audience exposure.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Daytrotter: Daytrotter was a well-known live-session recording platform for emerging indie artists, producing audio and video sessions distributed online. It was a historical direct peer to Audiotree in format and target artist community, though the original platform ceased operations.
• Balcony TV: Balcony TV was a live-music performance platform that filmed emerging artists on rooftops and balconies for online distribution. It is comparable to Audiotree as a live-session video platform for discovery of indie and emerging talent.
• Paste Studio: Paste Magazine produces Paste Studio session videos featuring emerging and independent artists in a live-format video series. It mirrors Audiotree's artist-discovery focus and live-recording video format, distributed via YouTube and online channels.
• Sofar Sounds: Sofar Sounds hosts intimate live music performances in cities worldwide, often filming sessions for online distribution. It targets the same emerging-artist audience and listener-discovery use case as Audiotree, with a complementary in-person component.
• KEXP: KEXP is a Seattle-based non-profit radio station and YouTube publisher that produces in-studio live session recordings from independent and emerging artists. It shares Audiotree's core activity of filming and distributing live performances to drive music discovery.
• Boiler Room: Boiler Room streams and films live DJ sets and music performances from artists globally, distributing via YouTube and its own platform. It overlaps with Audiotree on live-music video production and emerging-artist visibility, though Boiler Room leans more electronic/DJ-focused.
• COLORS: COLORS is a Berlin-based music platform that produces high-production live session videos (A COLORS SHOW) featuring emerging artists from around the world. It is directly comparable to Audiotree in format, target audience, and artist-discovery mission.
• NPR Tiny Desk Concerts: NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series films artists performing intimate live sets in a fixed studio environment, distributing videos online. It is the most direct functional peer to Audiotree, with the same live-session-video format and music-discovery value proposition for emerging and established artists.

Broad incumbents

• Vevo: Vevo is a major music-video streaming platform with professionally produced content for established and emerging artists. It is comparable to Audiotree as a music-video discovery and streaming channel but operates at significantly greater scale with a broader catalog focus.
• YouTube Music: YouTube Music is a major music streaming service owned by Google that aggregates music videos, live performances, and artist channels. It is comparable to Audiotree as an on-demand music and live-performance streaming destination, though YouTube Music operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Audiotreetv
• Xx.com/audiotreemusic
• Facebookfacebook.com/Audiotree
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/audiotree-music

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Audiotree