What Open Ear Music does

Open Ear Music is a London-based music agency founded in 2007, specializing in music strategy and playlist design for the hospitality, leisure, and retail industries. The firm operates with a small headcount (11-50 employees) serving clients in commercial environments where music shapes customer experience. Associated company data positions the business within a broader operational scope as an in-store music and media solutions provider covering 166 countries, delivering a 360-degree service that combines human-curated playlists with proprietary technology and in-house creative production.

The technology stack comprises proprietary hardware (Download Player, Download Player Remote) and software (Dashboard, Discover Music) that enable centralized audio and digital signage control across national, regional, and individual sites. The service portfolio spans music consultancy, royalty-free music licensing, music profiling, sector-specific background music (stores, restaurants, hotels, bars/pubs), brand and retail radio, messaging and content creation, motion graphics, video, podcast and voiceover production, studio hire, and audiovisual system installation. Digital signage is offered as an integrated on-screen media extension to the audio core.

The revenue model is multi-stream: music licensing and royalties form the primary recurring base, supplemented by subscription-based technology (Dashboard, digital signage), professional services (AV installation, creative production), and quote-based enterprise contracts. Go-to-market is exclusively B2B enterprise direct sales, with account management covering multinational retail chains, hospitality brands, and telecommunications retailers. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is delivered through custom quotations tailored to client footprint and geographic scope.

Name

Open Ear Music

Legal name

Imagesound

Website

https://openearmusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Open Ear Music is a London-based music agency specializing in music strategy and playlist design for the hospitality, leisure, and retail industries. Operating across 166 countries, the firm delivers human-curated audio experiences and integrated media solutions to enterprise brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Music Licensing & Royalties: Imagesound provides music licensing services to businesses, handling royalty payments and music rights for in-store background music playback. This is their primary revenue stream, enabling legal use of music across retail, hospitality, and other commercial environments.
2. Technology Solutions (Hardware & Software): Sale and licensing of proprietary music players (Download Player, Download Player Remote), software platforms (Dashboard, Discover Music), and associated technology solutions for audio management and digital signage.
3. AV Installation Services: Professional audiovisual system design and installation services, including sound system setup, speaker installation, and AV strategy consulting for commercial spaces.
4. Creative Media Production: In-house studio services including Brand & Retail Radio production, in-store messaging, TV/Radio advertising, audio messaging, voiceovers, and content creation across all platforms.
5. Digital Signage Solutions: Digital signage software and content management services for scheduling and delivering visual content across multiple formats including signage, posters, menu boards, and animated digital screens.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Open Ear Music is a music agency specializing in music strategy and playlist design for the hospitality, leisure, and retail industry. The company transforms commercial spaces through curated in-store background music, music profiling, licensing, creative media production, proprietary audio and digital signage technology (Dashboard, Discover Music, Download Player), and audiovisual installation services delivered across 166 countries.

Product overview

Imagesound is a comprehensive in-store music and media solutions provider operating across 166 countries globally. The company offers a platform-plus-modules architecture centered around three core pillars: Music Services (consultancy, profiling, licensing, and royalty-free music), Creative Media (studio services, radio advertising, messaging, video, and motion graphics), and Technology Solutions (Download Player, Dashboard, Discover Music, and Digital Signage). The company differentiates itself through in-house music experts who curate bespoke playlists rather than relying on algorithms, combined with market-leading software players (Dashboard and Discover Music) that enable businesses to control audio and digital signage remotely. Additional offerings include AV installation services and sector-specific background music for retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and bars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Consultancy Professional music advisory service where real-life music experts partner with brands to deliver tailored in-store background music solutions.
• Music Profiling Customized music profiling service that matches music to specific brand identities and customer demographics.
• Music Licensing Music licensing services for businesses to legally use music in their commercial establishments, handling royalty payments and music rights.
• Royalty Free Music Access to royalty-free music catalog for commercial use in retail and hospitality environments.
• Background Music Services Specialized background music programming for retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and bars/pubs, with dynamic playlists adapted to time of day and venue atmosphere.
• Brand & Retail Radio Custom branded radio content for retail environments, produced in-house across all platforms including TV, in-store, and out-of-store.
• Messaging & Audio Production Audio messaging, voiceover, and content creation services for TV, radio, in-store, and out-of-store platforms, produced in-house.
• Content Creation, Motion Graphics & Video Media content creation, animated graphics, and video production services for engaging brand messaging across multiple platforms.
• Studio Services & Hire Professional recording studio facilities available for hire, including podcast production and radio advertising production services.
• Dashboard Market-leading centralized software platform that enables businesses to take control of their audio and digital signage at the touch of a button across national, regional, and individual sites.
• Discover Music Market-leading music discovery and management solution that enables control of audio and digital signage, integrating music curation and scheduling.
• Download Player Proprietary hardware music player enabling delivery of curated music content to retail and hospitality environments.
• Download Player Remote Remote management capability for the Download Player hardware, allowing centralized control of music playback across multiple locations.
• Digital Signage Solutions On-screen media software supporting signage, posters, menu boards, 3D animation, and digital screens with flexible scheduling across national, regional, and individual sites.
• AV Installation Audiovisual system design and installation services, from speaker setup to multi-channel systems, delivered on budget and on time.

Quantifiable outcome

• No extra admin or work involved once system and licenses are in place - playlists update automatically every month
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImagesound worked hand-in-hand with Co-op to produce and distribute live Radio content designed to entertain, inform, and educate both customers and staff, bringing them closer to the brand. This represents a deep co-development relationship going beyond standard music licensing.
• Fred PerrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImagesound creates an in-store music environment perfectly suited to the heritage of this iconic British fashion brand, understanding that music is a connecting force between the brand and its customers. Bespoke playlists span past, present, and future subcultures.
• Caffè NerocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA long-standing relationship where Imagesound curates dynamic, changeable playlists to bring Caffè Nero's brand to life through background music. Every track is appropriate to the time and day part, with music appreciated by customers and staff.
• Domino'scoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImagesound installs sound systems and music players in Domino's new stores and refit stores, working with shop fitters to ensure proper installation. Provides monthly-updating playlists to specified music profiles with managed licenses.
• VodafonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImagesound has been Vodafone's partner for audio experience since 2015, providing technology solutions ideal for their needs and creative support with in-store messaging.
• HamleysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImagesound created a soundtrack for Hamleys that signals fun to customers both big and small, aligned with the iconic toy store's brand identity.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• TouchTunes: Provider of jukebox and in-venue music solutions for bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Adjacent to the subject company's bar/pub music services but with a different commercial model (jukebox hardware/operator revenue rather than licensing).
• Alfi: AI-driven digital signage and out-of-home advertising platform. Adjacent in the retail media technology space where the subject company's digital signage solution competes, though Alfi focuses on advertising-driven screens rather than music.

Direct peers

• PlayNetwork (now part of Mood Media): Previously a major independent in-store music and media provider for global brands including McDonald's and Starbucks, now operating under Mood Media. Directly comparable to the subject company's curated in-store music + AV + digital signage model and a benchmark for enterprise brand wins.
• Cloud Cover Music: Licensed background music streaming service for businesses including restaurants, retail, and hotels. Provides comparable music licensing and curation services, primarily serving the North American market with a similar B2B SaaS-plus-content model.
• Rockbot: US-based in-store music and digital signage platform serving restaurants, retail, and fitness. Combines curated music with venue-controlled technology, closely paralleling the subject company's Dashboard and Download Player stack with a similar integrated model.
• Soundtrack Your Brand: B2B music streaming service (originally backed by Spotify/Telenor) providing licensed background music for businesses globally. Competes head-to-head on music curation and licensing, though more tech-led and algorithm-driven than the subject company's human-expert model.
• Mood Media: Global market leader in in-store music, messaging, scent, and digital media solutions for retail and hospitality. Operates in 100+ countries serving many of the world's largest enterprise brands — the closest direct competitor and natural scale benchmark for the subject company's end-to-end offering.

Emerging players

• Qsic: AI-powered in-store music and audio advertising platform for retail and grocery. Uses data and AI to optimize playlists and integrate audio advertising — an emerging tech-led approach that competes directly with the subject company's human curation model on cost and analytics.

Regional players

• Auracle Sound: In-store music and messaging provider primarily serving Canadian and North American retail and hospitality markets. Similar B2B music curation and licensing model with a regional focus, useful as a comparable for unit economics in North America.

Broad incumbents

• Spotify for Business: Background music service from Spotify targeting businesses. A major platform-driven competitor that commoditizes music access at lower price points and puts pricing pressure on human-curated agencies like the subject company.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OpenEarMusic
• Facebookfacebook.com/Imagesoundplc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imagesound
• Instagraminstagram.com/imagesound

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 Open Ear Music