YACHT

What YACHT does

YACHT is an independent music and art collective founded in 2002 and based in Los Angeles, California, comprising three members: Jona Bechtolt, Claire L. Evans, and Rob Kieswetter (the acronym stands for Young Americans Challenging High Technology). The collective's primary output is recorded music — seven full-length albums plus singles, EPs, and special ephemera, the bulk released through New York–based DFA Records — alongside live performance, commissioned compositions, art installations, publications, and merchandise. Revenue is generated across multiple streams: album and single sales (via DFA Records and direct Bandcamp sales), music sync licensing for film, television, and commercials (represented worldwide by Low Profile), live performances and touring (booked by TBA Agency in the Americas and WME elsewhere), bespoke art projects and installations (clients include Dolby, Apple, Instagram, Facebook, MTV, The Getty, and LACMA), and merchandise including eyewear, fragrance, and unplayable compact discs.

Technically, YACHT's most notable innovation is the seventh album Chain Tripping, composed in collaboration with machine learning researchers and tools, which received a 2020 GRAMMY nomination for Best Immersive Audio Album. The collective operates lean — three core members handling all creative, compositional, and operational roles — and extends its reach through Claire L. Evans's parallel career as a published author (Broad Band, Penguin Random House, translated into six languages) and contributor to VICE, WIRED, The Guardian, and other major outlets. The 5 Every Day app, co-founded by Evans and Bechtolt, ran for seven years producing curated Los Angeles events at major cultural institutions.

The go-to-market model is community-led and event-driven, relying on touring, social media presence across multiple platforms, press coverage generated through Evans's writing, and selective high-profile sync placements. The collective has toured with major acts including LCD Soundsystem, M83, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, and Hot Chip, and has performed at venues ranging from small DIY spaces (The Smell) to cultural institutions (Centre Georges Pompidou, MoMA PS1, The Hollywood Bowl). YACHT is privately held with no disclosed outside investment, funding rounds, or institutional ownership; the collective is operated directly by its three members as an independent entity.

Name

YACHT

Legal name

YACHT

Website

https://teamyacht.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

YACHT is an independent Los Angeles–based music and art collective of three members that releases albums through DFA Records, composes for film/TV and brands like Apple and MTV, tours globally, and creates installations and art objects since 2002.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Music Sales and Releases: Sale of full-length albums, singles, EPs, and special ephemera. Seven full-length albums released primarily through DFA Records.
2. Sync Licensing: Music placement in films, television, and commercials internationally. Represented by Low Profile for sync licensing. Jona and Rob also compose for film, TV, commercials, and podcasts with clients including Apple, Instagram, Facebook, and MTV.
3. Live Performances and Touring: Revenue from touring and live shows. Booking handled by TBA Agency (The Americas) and WME (Rest of World).
4. Merchandise and Souvenirs: Sale of souvenirs, merchandise, and special items including unplayable compact discs.
5. Artistic Projects and Collaborations: Revenue from creating and selling art objects, installations (62-foot video installation for Dolby), designing eyewear collections, creating fragrances, and other artistic projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YACHT is a Los Angeles-based music and art collective that produces and releases indie electronic music (seven full-length albums plus singles, EPs, and ephemera primarily through DFA Records), performs live shows booked via TBA Agency and WME, licenses music for film/TV/commercial sync through Low Profile, and accepts commissioned composition and installation work for brand clients including Apple, Instagram, Facebook, MTV, and Dolby.

Product overview

YACHT is a Los Angeles-based music and art collective consisting of Jona Bechtolt, Claire L. Evans, and Rob Kieswetter. Founded in 2002, the group creates music, art installations, publications, and merchandise. Their primary offerings include seven full-length albums (including Chain Tripping, composed with machine learning), an app called 5 Every Day, various art objects such as unplayable compact discs and a 62-foot video installation for Dolby, as well as merchandise including eyewear and fragrance. The collective also composes for film, TV, commercials, and podcasts. YACHT stands for Young Americans Challenging High Technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YACHT Music Releases

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DFA RecordscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary record label partner. The bulk of YACHT's releases have been for DFA Records, New York City-based label known for dance-punk and electronic music.
• Low ProfilecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorldwide sync representation for music placements in films, television, and commercials.
• TBA AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBooking agency handling live performances in The Americas.
• WME (William Morris Endeavor)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal entertainment agency handling booking for the Rest of the World.
• Machine Learning ResearchersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with machine learning researchers and tools for the creation of the album Chain Tripping.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hot Chip: UK electronic/indie band with comparable touring tier and dedicated festival/club audience. YACHT toured with Hot Chip across the US in 2012.
• Dirty Projectors: Experimental indie act with comparable art-school aesthetic and overlapping touring circuit. YACHT toured with Dirty Projectors in the US in 2007 and EU in 2008.
• Chairlift: Indie electronic duo with a comparable scale of operation, art-leaning creative output, and sync placements. YACHT toured with Chairlift in the US in 2009.
• The Postal Service: Electronic-leaning indie act with similar niche positioning and shared audience demographics. YACHT toured with The Postal Service across the US in 2013.
• LCD Soundsystem: Dance-punk/electronic act also releasing through DFA Records; YACHT toured with LCD Soundsystem in the EU in 2010 and US in 2007, sharing the same label ecosystem and overlapping audience.
• M83: French electronic/shoegaze act at a comparable career stage with sync licensing reach into film and TV. YACHT toured with M83 across the US in 2016.
• Vampire Weekend: Critically acclaimed indie act with comparable touring tier and audience profile. YACHT toured with Vampire Weekend in the US in 2007 and 2008.
• Tune-Yards: Art-leaning experimental act with comparable multidisciplinary practice spanning live performance, visual art, and grassroots touring — closely aligned with YACHT's interdisciplinary ethos.
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Art-leaning indie/electronic act operating at a similar experiential scale with major-label backing. YACHT toured with Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the US in 2009.

Emerging players

• Sylvan Esso: Electronic/indie duo with similar sync-licensing profile and WME-level agency representation, positioning them as a peer in the modern indie-electronic touring and sync economy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yacht
• YouTubeyoutube.com/yacht
• Facebookfacebook.com/yacht
• Instagraminstagram.com/teamyacht

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 YACHT