What Music Gorilla does

Music Gorilla LLC is a privately held two-sided marketplace that connects independent musicians with industry decision-makers at record labels, film and TV production companies, music supervisors, and publishers. Founded in 2003 (with platform activity dating to 1996) by Alexia and Lawrence Erlichman, who previously worked at Miramax and Tribeca Productions, the company is headquartered in Glen Rock, New Jersey and organized under Texas law. It operates globally, serving unsigned artists who need access to A&R representatives and sync licensing opportunities that are otherwise gated behind personal relationships.

The company's core technology is a web-based submission and showcase platform. Artists create profiles and submit tracks through musicgorilla.com for consideration against curated film, TV, commercial, and label opportunities. The live component centers on annual Music Gorilla Live showcases during SXSW in Austin, Texas (running since at least 2006) and recurring NYC showcases at venues such as The Bitter End, Pianos, and The Lucky Duck, where selected artists perform directly for A&R representatives from majors including Columbia, RCA, Capitol, Epic, Virgin, Def Jam, Interscope, Eleven Seven, and others. A referral partnership layer bundles complementary services such as LANDR mastering, feature.fm advertising, Songtrust publishing administration, MixButton mixing, and Radar Music Videos. There is no API, no SDK, and no mobile app; discovery is founder- and curator-mediated rather than algorithmically driven.

Music Gorilla operates a freemium membership model with three tiers: a free Artist Basic membership, a paid Artist Pro membership billed monthly (offering free submissions and enhanced visibility), and an Industry Membership for labels, supervisors, and filmmakers. Revenue is generated from Pro membership subscriptions, pay-per-submission credit purchases for Basic members, and newsletter, slideshow, and social advertising packages. GTM is primarily event-driven (SXSW and NYC showcases), community-led (testimonials and word-of-mouth), and product-led (self-serve online signup and submissions), with a stated headcount of 1-10 employees and no disclosed institutional funding.

Name

Music Gorilla

Legal name

Music Gorilla, LLC

Website

https://musicgorilla.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Music Gorilla LLC operates a two-sided web platform and live showcase series (SXSW and NYC) that connects independent musicians with record labels, music supervisors, and film/TV opportunities via a freemium membership and curated submission system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Licensing Marketplace

NAICS

Record Production and Distribution (51225)

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Partnerships & Music Placement Services (Non-Exclusive Brand Deals) (MPAIALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music & Audio Streaming Platforms (BPAMAJAC), Casting & Talent Placement (Sessions, Bands, Touring Musicians) (MPAIAGAM)

Keywords

• Music licensing platform
• Independent artist discovery
• Sync placement opportunities
• Film TV music submissions
• Label showcase events

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Artist Membership Subscriptions: Pro Artist Membership provides enhanced access to opportunities, submission credits, and features. Basic membership is free. Revenue from recurring membership fees.
2. Submission Credits: Basic artists purchase credits to submit to certain paid opportunities. Pro artists receive free submissions.
3. Advertising: Newsletter ads, slideshow ads, and social network advertising packages sold to partners and industry members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Music Gorilla operates an online platform and live showcase series that connects independent musicians with major and independent record labels, music supervisors, publishers, and film/TV production companies. Artists join through Free Basic or paid Pro memberships to submit music for sync, film/TV, commercial, and songwriting opportunities, and to perform at curated showcase events such as Music Gorilla Live during SXSW. Industry professionals access the platform to discover and license music for their projects.

Product overview

Music Gorilla is a commercial marketplace platform for independent musicians worldwide, operating on a tiered membership model. The core offerings consist of three membership types: Artist Pro (paid), Artist Free (free tier), and Industry Membership. The platform provides two primary service channels: (1) Film/TV/Songwriting Submissions for music placement opportunities, and (2) Live Label Showcases for in-person artist performances at industry events. Additionally, a LANDR Mastering Integration offers discounted mastering services. The platform connects independent musicians with opportunities in television, film, advertising, web, and gaming industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artist Pro Membership Paid monthly membership tier for independent artists offering full access to submit music for film, TV, commercial, and songwriting opportunities; includes free submissions and priority access to live label showcases. Targeted at independent musicians seeking industry exposure.
• Artist Free Membership Free Basic membership tier allowing artists to create profiles and submit music for placement opportunities; paid credits are required for certain premium submissions. Targeted at independent musicians testing the platform.
• Industry Membership Membership tier for record labels, music supervisors, publishers, and filmmakers enabling them to discover artists, listen to pre-screened music, and source tracks for their projects. Targeted at A&R reps, music supervisors, and production companies.
• Live Label Showcases In-person showcase events where curated artists perform live for A&R representatives from major and independent record labels and other industry professionals. Includes annual Music Gorilla Live showcases during SXSW in Austin, TX and recurring NYC showcases at venues like The Bitter End and Pianos. Targeted at independent artists selected for showcase slots.
• Film/TV/Songwriting Submissions Online submission system that lets artists submit music for consideration against specific curated opportunities in film, TV shows, commercials, video games, and songwriting projects. Targeted at independent artists seeking sync and label placements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Artists have secured record deals with labels including Eleven Seven and Columbia Records through the platform
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• feature.fmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital advertising platform for music. Music Gorilla members receive a 25% match on feature.fm advertising campaigns, helping artists promote their music through streaming platforms.
• SongtrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMusic publishing royalty collection platform. Music Gorilla members receive 10% off Songtrust services for registering songs and collecting international royalties.
• Whiplash PR & ManagementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPR and management company serving musicians since 1996 across multiple continents. Works with Music Gorilla to provide promotional services to artists.
• Unsigned OnlyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational music competition for unsigned artists. Music Gorilla refers artists to the competition which offers $10,000 and mentoring from major label executives.
• International Songwriting Competition (ISC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual songwriting competition with $150K+ in prizes. Judges include prominent artists and label executives. Music Gorilla promotes the competition to its artist community.
• Adam Hirshfield (AEH Law)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEntertainment and music law attorney with 15+ years experience. Offers free initial consultation and mentions Music Gorilla as a preferred referral source for artists.
• Cheeky PromominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media marketing service for musicians. Helps connect artists with fans through online platforms.
• 4x4 (4x4mgmt.com)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDirect-to-fan social media marketing company. Music Gorilla members receive special rates for growing fanbase with real fans.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Songtradr: B2B music licensing marketplace connecting artists and catalogs with brands, films, and streaming platforms. Directly comparable to Music Gorilla's sync/licensing focus with significantly larger scale and capital.
• Artlist: Subscription-based music and SFX licensing platform serving video creators, agencies, and brands. Overlaps Music Gorilla's film/TV/commercial placement mission with a fully digital, scaled product.
• Soundstripe: Subscription music licensing service for video producers and brands. Targets the same content creators and ad agencies Music Gorilla reaches through sync submission opportunities.
• SubmitHub: Premium submission platform connecting indie artists with bloggers, playlisters, and labels — directly mirroring Music Gorilla's online-to-industry submission workflow with a tech-first product.
• Epidemic Sound: Music licensing platform built for YouTube, podcast, and social video creators with a large catalog of pre-cleared tracks. Competes for the same indie-music-for-content use cases Music Gorilla facilitates.
• Musicbed: Sync licensing marketplace focused on film, TV, and advertising placements curated for quality. Closely aligned with Music Gorilla's premium positioning around independent artists in film/TV sync.

Broad incumbents

• ReverbNation: Long-running artist development and discovery platform with distribution, promotion, and label-A&R outreach tools. Operates broadly across the same indie-artist-to-industry space as Music Gorilla.

Others

• Bandcamp: Direct-to-fan marketplace for independent musicians to sell music and merchandise. Serves the same indie artist supply pool Music Gorilla targets but focuses on distribution and fan monetization rather than industry placement.
• LANDR: AI-powered online audio mastering service. Music Gorilla partner offering members discounted access; serves the broader indie-artist production workflow rather than competing in licensing.
• Songtrust: Global music publishing administration and royalty collection platform. Listed as a Music Gorilla partner, operating in an adjacent (publishing admin) rather than directly competing role.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MusicGorilla
• YouTubeyoutube.com/musicgorilladotcom
• Facebookfacebook.com/MusicGorilla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/music-gorilla-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Music Gorilla