Press Play
Press Play (Song Mates, Inc.) is a Beta-stage web-based music ecosystem where artists and fans build Mosaic identity profiles, share SongStories, sell memberships and merchandise, and engage via Radio, Studio, Social, and Exchange modules, monetizing through a $5.99/month subscription, artist-set VIP tiers, and 10% platform fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersColumbia City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Press Play does
Press Play is a web-based music ecosystem platform operated by Song Mates, Inc., a privately held company headquartered at 126 W. Van Buren Street, Columbia City, Indiana. Founded in 2019 by Tina Houser (CEO) and Rich Taylor (Co-Founder), the platform is currently in Beta and is positioned around the Mosaic — a living musical identity that combines artist and fan profiles with stories, music, memories, memberships, and community connections. Supporting modules include Press Play Radio (curated streams), Press Play Studio (editorial publishing), Press Play Social (chat rooms and community), Press Play Exchange (artist marketplace), Root Note (artist influence mapping), SongStory (behind-the-music narratives), StoryTrack, Hookstream (short video clips), Fantasy/Hall of Fame (fan voting and fantasy rosters), and Day Stream. The technology stack runs on Firebase storage with Stripe handling payments; no public API is documented.
The platform serves two primary user groups: music fans, who can browse for free as Explorers or join free Fan Pass accounts, and working musicians, who build Mosaics, release music, and sell directly to fans. Revenue mechanics include a $5.99/month General Admission subscription for full ecosystem access, artist-set VIP Memberships (revenue passes through to artists), a 10% platform fee on music sales, transaction fees on physical and digital storefront products (including $15 messages and $50 letters routed to artist inboxes), and a premium $19.99/month "Behind the Curtain with the CEO" tier. The go-to-market is product-led and community-led, relying on editorial content, featured legacy and indie artists (April Wine, Derek Sharp, Miljenko Matijević, Tiffany, Tracii Guns, The Chameleons, among others), and organic discovery rather than paid acquisition. Press Play operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, and Chile, and is positioned for a potential strategic alignment with Sweetwater Sound, also based in Northeast Indiana.
Press Play firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Press Play
- Legal name
- Song Mates, Inc.
- Website
- https://pressplay.me
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Press Play (Song Mates, Inc.) is a Beta-stage web-based music ecosystem where artists and fans build Mosaic identity profiles, share SongStories, sell memberships and merchandise, and engage via Radio, Studio, Social, and Exchange modules, monetizing through a $5.99/month subscription, artist-set VIP tiers, and 10% platform fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Press Play industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Ecosystem Platform
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Music Publishers (512230)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator/Artist Direct-to-Fan Streaming & Membership (MPAIACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Music & Audio Streaming Platforms (BPAMAJAC), Creator Publishing & Membership Platforms (Writer-Centric) (MPACAIAD)
Keywords
Where Press Play is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Press Play business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Platform Subscriptions: Monthly subscription revenue from General Admission tier at $5.99/month providing full ecosystem access including chat rooms, messaging, social feed, analytics, studio access, and creator tools.
- Artist VIP Memberships: Artist-set membership tiers where fans pay for exclusive access, behind-the-scenes content, early releases, events, campaigns, and private community rooms. Revenue passes through to artists.
- Artist Storefront Products: Artists sell physical merchandise, digital products, tickets, and experiences through the Press Play Exchange. Platform takes transaction fees from sales.
- Music Sales: Artists sell music through the platform with Press Play retaining a 10% platform fee per the Terms of Service.
- Digital Fan Messages and Letters: Fans purchase digital products to send messages and letters directly to artists' private Mosaic inboxes. Example: $15 for a brief message, $50 for a personal letter.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free exploration tier for non-account holders |
| Freemium | Monthly | Free membership for active fans |
| Subscription | Monthly | Full ecosystem access subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | Artist-controlled membership tiers with fan support benefits |
| Subscription | Monthly | Behind the Curtain with the CEO membership |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Digital message product |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Digital letter product |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Physical merchandise product |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Press Play product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Press Play operates a web-based music ecosystem that combines artist profiles (Mosaic), curated streaming (Press Play Radio), editorial publishing (Press Play Studio), community features (Press Play Social), and a direct-to-fan marketplace (Press Play Exchange) into a single platform. It enables musicians to build living musical identities, share SongStories, run VIP memberships and campaigns, and sell music, digital products, and merchandise, while fans discover artists through influence mapping, stories, and community participation. The platform currently operates in Beta with freemium access and a $5.99/month General Admission subscription.
Product overview
Press Play is a music ecosystem platform centered around the Mosaic—a living musical identity for artists and fans. The platform operates as a unified ecosystem combining multiple modules: Press Play Mosaic (artist/fan profiles and community), Press Play Radio (curated streaming), Press Play Studio (editorial publishing), Press Play Social (community features), and Press Play Exchange (marketplace for memberships and merchandise). Supporting features include Root Note (artist relationship mapping), SongStory (artist storytelling), StoryTrack (music with commentary), Hookstream (shareable video clips), Fantasy/Hall of Fame (fan voting and fantasy music), and Day Stream (daily curation). The platform offers tiered access: Explorer (free browsing), Fan Pass (free with account creation), General Admission ($5.99/month for full features), and artist-specific VIP Memberships. Payments are processed through Stripe, with a 10% platform fee on artist earnings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mosaic The central artist profile and musical identity platform where artists and fans build living identities through stories, music, memories, memberships, and community connections. It serves as the core hub of the Press Play ecosystem and the primary discovery surface for new and established musicians.
- Press Play Radio Curated streaming channels built around the music and artists living inside the ecosystem, providing structured streams for artist discovery and listening. The service includes co-hosted radio shows with artist interviews and is targeted at music fans seeking curated, narrative-driven listening experiences.
- Press Play Studio A publishing and editorial platform for creating and distributing articles, SongStories, and music journalism within the ecosystem. It enables editorial coverage of artists, album reviews, and storytelling content aimed at music fans and industry readers.
- Press Play Social A social networking hub with chat rooms, messaging, social feeds, polls, and community participation features, connected to but separable from the main Mosaic platform. It is targeted at fans and artists seeking ongoing community engagement around shared musical interests.
- Press Play Exchange An artist marketplace for memberships, digital products (including fan messages and letters delivered to a private Mosaic inbox), physical merchandise, tickets, and exclusive bundles. It enables direct artist-to-fan sales and fan support, with Press Play retaining a 10% platform fee per the Terms of Service.
Quantifiable outcome
- Artists can reach global audiences while maintaining direct relationships with fans
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Press Play
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Press Play technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
Press Play partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Sweetwater Soundpotential/coreArticle discusses potential alignment between Press Play and Sweetwater Sound based on shared values around supporting musicians. Both companies operate in Northeast Indiana. Sweetwater has spent decades helping musicians access recording equipment and has built trust with generations of creators. Press Play works to help artists build lasting audiences. The partnership could extend Sweetwater's commitment beyond equipment into community building, while Press Play gains credibility through association with a trusted music industry name. Discussions position Press Play as approaching Sweetwater as a respected leader whose history reflects the platform's artist-first philosophy.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Press Play competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bandcamp: Direct artist-to-fan music marketplace where independent and legacy artists sell music, merchandise, and memberships directly to fans. Closest functional peer to Press Play's Mosaic/Exchange model, especially for the indie/legacy/rock catalog Press Play has signed.
- Patreon: Subscription-based membership platform enabling creators to monetise via tiered fan memberships and exclusive content. Directly comparable to Press Play's VIP Membership mechanic and creator-paid subscription flows.
- Audius: Artist-first decentralised music streaming platform with a focus on independent and emerging artists and direct fan-artist engagement. Comparable to Press Play in positioning as an alternative to DSP incumbents with creator-friendly economics.
- UnitedMasters: Independent artist distribution and services platform that lets artists distribute music and build direct relationships with fans and brands. Overlaps Press Play's artist-onboarding, music-sales, and fan-monetisation stack.
- Genius: Music storytelling and annotation platform with editorial content about artists, songs, and lyrics. Closely comparable to Press Play's SongStory/Press Play Studio editorial-pillar focused on narrative around music.
- DistroKid: Direct-to-DSP music distribution service for independent artists, retaining a flat-fee revenue model. Functionally comparable to Press Play's music-sales offering and Stripe-based artist payout infrastructure.
- Substack: Creator publishing and membership platform that combines editorial newsletters with paid subscriptions. Comparable to Press Play's combination of editorial content (Press Play Studio) and VIP/community membership monetisation.
Broad incumbents
- SoundCloud: Large incumbent music streaming platform with creator-upload tools and direct fan monetisation features (SoundCloud Go, Reposts). Overlaps Press Play's mission but at vastly larger scale and broader mainstream positioning.
- Spotify: Global leader in on-demand music streaming. Has progressively added artist-direct features (Spotify for Artists, Marquee, Fan Study) that overlap Press Play's roadmap; vastly larger user base but limited narrative/community depth.
- Tidal: Premium music streaming service with artist-ownership origins and high-fidelity streaming. Comparable as an artist-friendly streaming offering; overlaps Press Play's premium positioning but at much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Press Play social profiles
Digital presencePress Play compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Press Play financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Press Play leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Press Play funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Press Play M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Press Play
What does Press Play do?
Press Play operates a web-based music ecosystem that combines artist profiles (Mosaic), curated streaming (Press Play Radio), editorial publishing (Press Play Studio), community features (Press Play Social), and a direct-to-fan marketplace (Press Play Exchange) into a single platform. It enables musicians to build living musical identities, share SongStories, run VIP memberships and campaigns, and sell music, digital products, and merchandise, while fans discover artists through influence mapping, stories, and community participation. The platform currently operates in Beta with freemium access and a $5.99/month General Admission subscription.
Is Press Play a public or private company?
Press Play is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Press Play founded?
Press Play was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Press Play based?
Press Play is headquartered in Columbia City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Press Play make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Platform Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are artist VIP Memberships, artist Storefront Products, music Sales and digital Fan Messages and Letters.
Who are Press Play's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bandcamp, Patreon, Audius, UnitedMasters, Genius, DistroKid and Substack. Broad incumbents are SoundCloud, Spotify and Tidal.
Does Press Play have an API?
No public API is recorded for Press Play.
What industry is Press Play in?
Press Play's product category is Music Ecosystem Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIACAF, Creator/Artist Direct-to-Fan Streaming & Membership, with a secondary code of BPAMAJAC, Music & Audio Streaming Platforms. Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 7900.