Retronyms Labs

What Retronyms Labs does

Retronyms Labs is a San Francisco-based design, engineering, and strategy firm founded in 2007 that builds integrated technology experiences across software, hardware, machine learning, and blockchain. The company operates two parallel businesses: a portfolio of consumer mobile music products, anchored by the iMPC beat production app and the AudioCopy audio interoperability platform (which includes the largest royalty-free sound pack store on mobile and an SDK for plugin developers), supported by additional iOS synth and touch-instrument apps (Synth, iMini, iProphet, Stryke, VOX 3000, Dopplerpad); and a custom software consulting practice that augments client engineering teams on machine learning, search, cloud, and connected hardware projects. The technical stack spans iOS/Android/Web, AWS and Azure, TensorFlow, ElasticSearch, and Ethereum/Solidity, with applied AI demonstrated by a TensorFlow-based vehicle identification model trained on approximately one million images to roughly 95% accuracy for client Wheelwell, and ElasticSearch e-commerce indexing that reduced search latency by 75%.

The firm monetizes through three streams: one-time mobile app license sales on the iOS App Store (and Google Play for AudioCopy/Team RWB), transactional content sales through the AudioCopy in-app sound pack store, and project-based professional services for enterprise and startup clients. Customer segments are horizontal and include mobile music producers (persona) plus technology companies, community organizations, and blockchain platforms (business units). Named client engagements include Reddit (RPAN live streaming platform, 2019), Wheelwell (automotive ML and search), Team RWB (200,000-member veteran fitness community app, 2019), and Ethex (decentralized exchange). The company is privately held, founder-operated (JohnPaul as primary contact), headquartered in San Francisco's North Beach, and reports no external funding, parent company, or subsidiary relationships.

Name

Retronyms Labs

Legal name

Retronyms Labs

Website

https://retronymslabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Retronyms Labs is a San Francisco design, engineering, and strategy firm founded in 2007 that publishes mobile music apps (iMPC, AudioCopy) and provides custom software, machine learning, and blockchain consulting to clients such as Reddit, Wheelwell, and Team RWB.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Music Production Software

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAEAJ

Integration, API & Middleware Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Technology & Digital Consulting

Keywords

• Mobile music production
• Audio app development
• Software consulting
• Machine learning services
• Cross-platform mobile apps

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mobile App Sales: Direct consumer sales of iOS apps including iMPC (drum machine/sampler), AudioCopy, Synth, iMini, iProphet, Stryke, VOX 3000, and Dopplerpad through the iOS App Store.
2. Sound Pack Content Store: AudioCopy features the largest royalty-free content store on mobile platforms with hundreds of sound packs across dozens of genres, generating revenue from content sales to mobile music producers.
3. Software Consulting Services: Custom development engagements with enterprise clients for product development, machine learning implementations, blockchain applications, and cloud infrastructure projects. Revenue generated through project-based consulting.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Retronyms Labs operates two integrated lines of business: (1) a portfolio of consumer-facing iOS music production apps (notably AudioCopy for audio interoperability and iMPC for beat production) sold through the App Store, and (2) custom software consulting services delivering machine learning, search optimization, live streaming, mobile, and blockchain engineering for enterprise clients such as Wheelwell, Reddit, Team RWB, and Ethex.

Product overview

Retronyms Labs is a design, engineering, and strategy firm that combines design, software/hardware engineering, and emerging technologies (ML, blockchain) to build integrated-technology experiences. The product portfolio centers on mobile music production tools including AudioCopy (audio app interoperability and royalty-free sound store) and iMPC (beat production sampler), along with additional synthesis apps (Synth, iMini, iProphet, Stryke, VOX 3000, Dopplerpad). Beyond their own products, the company executes client projects across sectors including automotive (WheelWell), social media (Reddit RPAN), veterans fitness (Team RWB), and blockchain finance (Ethex), providing machine learning, search optimization, live streaming, and cloud deployment services. The company operates from San Francisco since 2007.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AudioCopy: Mobile audio interoperability app enabling producers to move sounds between audio apps, featuring royalty-free sound packs across multiple genres.
• iMPC

Products and services

• AudioCopy Mobile audio interoperability application for music producers that enables sounds to be moved between audio apps on iOS, integrated with a royalty-free content store offering hundreds of sound packs across multiple genres.
• iMPC Mobile beat production app for iPad and iPhone that replicates classic hip hop sampler hardware with a 4x4 drum pad layout, Audio Units support, and intuitive sequencing for hip hop, trap, UK Grime, and future bass.
• Synth Synthesizer application for iOS.
• iMini
• iProphet
• Stryke
• VOX 3000
• Dopplerpad
• Software Consulting Services Custom software development consulting engagements covering machine learning, ElasticSearch search optimization, mobile and web engineering, live streaming, cloud infrastructure on AWS/Azure, and blockchain applications for enterprise and startup clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% accuracy in vehicle identification from single photographs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Team RWBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Designed and built cross-platform mobile app (React Native/Salesforce) for veteran fitness community. Delivered simultaneous iOS/Android launch with full support during launch window handling millions of prospective user emails.
• WheelwellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAugmented Wheelwell's in-house developers for machine learning and ElasticSearch projects. Retronyms provided specialized expertise in vehicle identification ML and search optimization that became core platform components.
• RedditcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration with Reddit's development team on the Reddit Public Access Network (RPAN) live streaming platform. Contributed to product development, backend infrastructure, streaming technology, and server optimization.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Native Instruments: Music production software and hardware company (Massive, Kontakt, Komplete). Comparable to Retronyms' portfolio of music creation apps (iMPC, Synth, iMini, iProphet) targeting producers across genres.
• frog design: Design and engineering consultancy with a similar integrated approach spanning design, hardware, and software. Retronyms' multi-disciplinary capability and 15+ years of cross-platform work parallels frog's positioning.
• ThoughtWorks: Technology consultancy delivering custom software, ML, and platform engineering for enterprise clients. Closely comparable to Retronyms' project-based consulting model and ML implementation work for clients like Wheelwell.
• Big Spaceship: Independent digital product agency building platforms, apps, and connected experiences for brands. Comparable to Retronyms' integrated product development approach combining design, engineering, and emerging tech.
• Image-Line: Developer of FL Studio, a leading digital audio workstation. Comparable to iMPC as a beat production environment with sequenced workflow and genre coverage (hip hop, trap, etc.).
• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy that combines design, engineering, and strategy to deliver integrated technology experiences. Closely comparable to Retronyms' end-to-end product development model, though at significantly larger scale.
• Pivotal Labs: Software product development consultancy pairing with enterprise teams to build and ship software. Directly comparable to Retronyms' 'augmented development team' model used on Reddit RPAN and Wheelwell.
• Algoriddim: Developer of djay, a leading music production and DJ app on iOS. Directly comparable to Retronyms' iMPC beat production app as a mobile music creation product targeting producers and DJs.

Broad incumbents

• R/GA: Large global digital agency combining design, technology, and consulting for enterprise clients. Comparable service model to Retronyms but at significantly greater scale with broader portfolio offerings.

Emerging players

• BandLab: Social music creation platform with mobile-first DAW and content marketplace. Comparable to AudioCopy as a mobile music interoperability/content platform, though with a stronger social and community layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/retronyms
• GitHubgithub.com/retronyms
• YouTubeyoutube.com/retronyms
• Facebookfacebook.com/retronyms

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 Retronyms Labs