Tribe of Noise

What Tribe of Noise does

Tribe of Noise BV is a privately held Amsterdam-based company founded in 2008 by Sandra Brandenburg and Hessel van Oorschot, operating a three-sided music platform that connects independent musicians, media professionals, and commercial music buyers. Its core products are the free Tribe of Noise Community (50,000+ members across 194 countries uploading under Creative Commons 4.0 BY-SA), the Tribe of Noise PRO licensing marketplace for media professionals (pre-cleared, all-rights-included tracks for TV, film, video, gaming, and advertising underpinned by the proprietary Non-Exclusive Exploitation Contract), and the In-store Music Service that delivers bespoke streaming channels to retail, food, and hospitality venues including through a Sonos integration and a KHN Muziek partnership covering Dutch hospitality.

Revenue is generated through recurring B2B subscriptions for in-store music (with a 42.5% artist share after a 15% operations deduction), one-time PRO licensing fees paid by media professionals (example: €600 license yields €255 to the artist), and €25-50 reseller kickbacks. The company lists enterprise clients including 7-Eleven, SUBWAY, Staples, Clas Ohlson, and Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, and has expanded operating geographies to include the UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the US. Strategic milestones include the 2010 launch of the In-store Music Service with BizMusiq, the 2011 launch of PRO, the 2019 KHN Muziek partnership, and the September 2019 acquisition of Free Music Archive.

The firm is bootstrapped with 1-10 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, and founder-controlled ownership. Its go-to-market blends a community-led supply model (freemium artist onboarding, referral badges) with channel partnerships (Sonos, KHN) and a reseller program. Technology consists of a web platform, Creative Commons and NEEC-based legal architecture, and standard third-party integrations (PayPal, Wise, Buckaroo, Google Analytics); no AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Name

Tribe of Noise

Legal name

Tribe of Noise BV

Website

https://tribeofnoise.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tribe of Noise is an Amsterdam-based, bootstrapped music platform connecting 50,000+ independent musicians from 194 countries with media professionals (via its PRO licensing marketplace) and commercial venues (via its in-store streaming service and Sonos integration). Founded in 2008.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Licensing and In-Store Music

NAICS

Record Production and Distribution (51225)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Aggregators & DIY Distribution Platforms (MPAIAAAD)

Keywords

• Music licensing platform
• Royalty-free music
• Background music streaming
• Independent music distribution
• In-store music services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Business In-Store Music Subscription: Monthly/annual subscription fees from retail, restaurant, and hospitality businesses for background music streaming services. Revenue split: 42.5% to artists, 42.5% to Tribe of Noise (after 15% deduction for operational costs)
2. Tribe of Noise PRO Music Licensing: One-time transaction fees for licensing pre-cleared music to media professionals (video producers, game developers, advertisers). Artists receive 42.5% of license fees
3. Reseller Kickback Fees: Kickback fees (€25-50 per customer) paid to resellers who bring business subscribers to Sonos-integrated music service

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tribe of Noise operates a musician-centric platform that hosts a free community where 50,000+ independent artists publish music under Creative Commons, alongside a paid PRO licensing marketplace for media professionals and a subscription-based in-store background music service for retail and hospitality venues. The company bundles rights management, license administration, and curated playback into a single platform that connects independent musicians with business and media buyers.

Product overview

Tribe of Noise operates a musician-centric platform with three interconnected services: (1) The free Community platform where 50,000+ independent artists from 194 countries upload music under Creative Commons 4.0 BY-SA license for sharing and collaboration; (2) Tribe of Noise PRO, a premium music licensing marketplace for media professionals (TV, film, video, gaming, advertising) offering all-rights-included, pre-cleared music with no additional royalty fees; and (3) the In-store Music Service providing bespoke streaming music channels for retail, hospitality, and restaurant businesses. The company also offers a Sonos-specific integration and operates KHN Muziek partnership for the Dutch hospitality sector. Revenue models include subscription-based in-store music services, per-license PRO sales, and streaming revenue sharing with artists receiving 42.5% of generated revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tribe of Noise PRO: Premium collection of all rights included, pre-priced music from emerging artists accessible through optimized search engine for media professionals. After finding the perfect track, selecting the right license and paying online, users are ready to go. No royalties to collection societies.
• KHN Muziek
• BizMusiq

Products and services

• Tribe of Noise PRO Paid music licensing marketplace for media professionals such as advertising agencies, film and video producers, and game developers. Customers can search, license, and download tracks from the independent musician community with pre-cleared rights at prices set via the Tribe Calculator.
• Tribe of Noise Community (Creative Commons platform) Free web community where 50,000+ independent musicians upload, publish, and share their music under Creative Commons, with exposure pathways into paid PRO and in-store opportunities.
• In-store Music Service Subscription-based background music service for retail stores, hotels, restaurants, bars, and other venues, providing curated playlists and legally cleared playback, often delivered via a Sonos in-store audio system.
• Tribe of Noise | Sonos Tribe of Noise integration with Sonos hardware for in-store playback, letting venue operators subscribe to Tribe of Noise playlists and stream them directly through their Sonos in-store audio setup.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42.5% revenue share to artists
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SonoscoreTechnology or IntegrationTribe of Noise provides music content for Sonos business streaming service. Businesses can subscribe and stream rights-cleared background music via Sonos devices. Free 2-week trial offered with no credit card required. Integration enables easy setup and playback in commercial premises.
• Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKHN Muziek partnership providing music streaming to hospitality sector (bars, restaurants, hotels) throughout The Netherlands. KHN represents over 20,000 hospitality entrepreneurs. Tribe of Noise supplies curated music channels as alternative to traditional PRS/PPL services.
• Creative CommonscoreTechnology or IntegrationTribe of Noise uses Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 and 4.0 licenses for community music sharing. Featured in Creative Commons MADE WITH CC book documenting successful CC-licensed projects.
• Sonos ResellersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReseller program for Sonos device resellers to offer Tribe of Noise music service to business customers. Kickback fees of €25-50 per customer subscription. Resellers must forward 5 new customers within 6 months to maintain agreement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Epidemic Sound: Swedish music licensing platform offering royalty-free music to video creators, brands and agencies with a subscription model. Direct competitor to Tribe of Noise PRO with a much larger catalog and venture funding.
• Artlist: Tel Aviv-based all-rights-included music and SFX licensing platform serving video producers, filmmakers and brands via subscription. Competes head-to-head with Tribe of Noise PRO on the same rights-included value proposition.
• Soundstripe: US-based music, sound effects and stock footage licensing platform for creators, YouTubers and agencies on a subscription model. Closely comparable to Tribe of Noise PRO on product and pricing.
• Soundtrack Your Brand: Spotify-owned B2B music streaming service for retail, hospitality and fitness businesses with curated playlists and rights-cleared music. Direct competitor to Tribe of Noise's in-store music service.
• Musicbed: Music licensing platform focused on independent artists and composers licensing songs for film, TV, advertising and wedding videography. Highly comparable to Tribe of Noise PRO's indie-focused approach.
• Pond5: Stock media marketplace (music, footage, SFX) owned by Shutterstock, serving video producers and agencies with royalty-free music licenses. Comparable to Tribe of Noise PRO on customer use cases and licensing mechanics.
• Audio Network: Global production music library licensing original music for film, TV, advertising and gaming. Comparable to Tribe of Noise PRO in serving media professionals with rights-cleared original music.
• Mood Media: Global in-store media provider offering background music, scent and digital signage to retail, hospitality and healthcare chains. Direct competitor in the in-store B2B music space alongside Tribe of Noise's Sonos-integrated service.
• PremiumBeat: Shutterstock-owned royalty-free music library for video producers, filmmakers and brands. Closely comparable to Tribe of Noise PRO on licensing model and target media buyers.
• Rockbot: US-based in-store music and customer engagement platform for restaurants, bars, retail and fitness venues with rights-cleared streaming. Comparable to Tribe of Noise's in-store music service in the B2B background-music category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/tribeofnoise
• Facebookfacebook.com/tribeofnoise
• Xx.com/tribeofnoise
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tribe-of-noise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Tribe of Noise