A THING BY
A THING BY is a Milan-based, 7-person creative production studio founded in 2020 that produces commissioned music videos for Italian artists, long-form documentaries co-produced with broadcasters and streaming platforms, and non-commercial YouTube content that has reached tens of millions of viewers globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersMilan, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What A THING BY does
A THING BY is a Milan-based creative production studio founded in March 2020 that produces music videos, long-form documentaries, and non-commercial YouTube content. Its commercial work centers on commissioned music videos for Italian and international recording artists and their labels — including repeat engagements with Tananai, Fedez, Annalisa, Articolo 31, and Francesco Gabbani — often co-produced with Borotalco TV. The company also produces documentary content for streaming and broadcast partners, most notably the JUNK docuseries co-produced with Will Media and Sky Italia, and feature-length titles distributed on Amazon Prime Video such as Red Valley and Not Everything is Black.
The underlying operation is a small professional services studio with 7 employees, generating revenue through project-based production fees, co-production budgets, and licensing arrangements rather than rights ownership or recurring SaaS contracts. A parallel non-commercial YouTube channel, launched at the start of Italy's COVID-19 outbreak, has produced interviews with figures such as Yuval Noah Harari and David Quammen and content on immigration, climate change, and homelessness, generating tens of millions of views and coverage by The Atlantic, CNN, and ABC. This YouTube presence functions as a brand-building and lead-generation asset that feeds inbound commercial commissions, but is not a revenue stream in itself.
The business model is entirely B2B and project-based: artists, labels, streaming platforms, and broadcasters commission production work on a per-project basis. There is no disclosed pricing, no public funding, and no evidence of institutional investment, with contact handled through a gmail.com address. The company is privately held, independently operated, and headquartered in Milan, with a stated ambition of reaching global audiences despite its small scale.
A THING BY firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A THING BY
- Legal name
- A THING BY
- Website
- https://athingby.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- A THING BY is a Milan-based, 7-person creative production studio founded in 2020 that produces commissioned music videos for Italian artists, long-form documentaries co-produced with broadcasters and streaming platforms, and non-commercial YouTube content that has reached tens of millions of viewers globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A THING BY industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music & Performance Branded Content (Sessions, Artist/Brand Collabs) (MPADAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Music Producers & Production Teams (MPAIAHAB)
Keywords
Where A THING BY is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milan
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
A THING BY business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Music Video Production: Commissioned production of music videos for Italian and international recording artists. Directors and producers are credited per project, suggesting production fee-based compensation rather than rights ownership.
- Documentary Content Production: Produces long-form documentary content for streaming platforms (Amazon Prime Video), broadcasters (Sky Italia), and co-production partners (Will Media). Revenue likely comes from production budgets, licensing fees, or co-production deals.
- Non-Commercial Documentary Content: Produces investigative and thought-provoking documentary content on world news topics (COVID-19, climate change, immigration) without commercial intent. This content generates significant viewership and brand recognition that supports commercial production work.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
A THING BY product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A THING BY is a Milan-based creative production studio that produces commissioned music videos for Italian and international recording artists, long-form documentaries on social and global issues for streaming platforms and broadcasters, and non-commercial YouTube content including interviews and thought experiments. Revenue is generated through per-project production fees from artists, labels, and media companies such as Amazon Prime Video and Sky Italia.
Product overview
A THING BY is a creative production company based in Milano, Italy, offering three interconnected content production services: music videos production for commercial artists, long-form documentary filmmaking on social and cultural topics, and non-commercial YouTube content including interviews and thought experiments. The company collaborates with Italian musicians, international media outlets, and streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Sky Italia for distribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Music Video Production Commissioned music video production service including creative direction, cinematography, and post-production for Italian and international recording artists and their labels. Notable clients include Tananai (Tango, Abissale, Cialde, Sesso Occasionale, 10k Scale, Giugno, Calcutta), Fedez (La Dolce Vita with Tananai and Mara Sattei; DISCO PARADISE with Annalisa and Articolo 31), and Francesco Gabbani.
- Documentary Production Long-form documentary production covering social issues and global current events for streaming platforms and broadcasters. Notable titles include One Day One Day (immigration in Puglia, Italy), Junk - Armadi Pieni (fast fashion industry, co-produced with Will Media and Sky Italia), Not Everything is Black (blind photographers, on Amazon Prime Video), and Red Valley (on Amazon Prime Video).
- YouTube Content Production Non-commercial digital content production published on YouTube covering world news, thought experiments, and interviews. Notable projects include 10 Days (COVID-19 messaging during Italy's outbreak), An Interview with Yuval Noah Harari, A Plan to Stop Climate Change: Carbon Pricing, One Meter Away (filmed inside Milan's Polyclinic during COVID-19), An Interview with David Quammen, and A Concert for No One. Content has been picked up by The Atlantic, CNN, ABC and other outlets, garnering tens of millions of views.
Companies that use A THING BY
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
A THING BY technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
A THING BY partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Will MediacoreCo-production partner for the JUNK docuseries on the fast fashion industry. JUNK is coproduced by Will Media and Sky Italia, exploring the truth about clothing production and its environmental/social impact across Ghana, Chile, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, and Italy.
- Sky ItaliacoreItalian broadcaster and co-production partner for the JUNK docuseries. JUNK explores the fast fashion industry's impact through stories and images of people and ecosystems directly affected.
- Amazon Prime VideocoreStreaming distribution partner for A THING BY documentaries. Red Valley and Not Everything is Black are available on Amazon Prime Video, providing global distribution for their documentary content.
- Borotalco TvcoreProduction partner for multiple music video projects including La Dolce Vita and Sesso Occasionale. Co-produced under 'A THING BY & Borotalco Tv' branding.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
A THING BY competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Buddy Film: Italian production studio producing music videos, commercials, and branded content. Comparable as a fellow Italian creative production house in the music video and branded content space.
- Borotalco Tv: Italian music video and creative production studio. Already a co-production partner with A THING BY on music videos including La Dolce Vita and Sesso Occasionale — directly comparable in scale, geography, and offering.
- London Alley Entertainment: Music video and content production company working with major recording artists. Comparable as a music-video-specialist production studio serving top-tier artists, albeit US-focused.
- Younuts!: Italian creative production house producing music videos, commercials, and branded content. Comparable as a domestic Italian peer in the music video production category.
- BRW Filmland: Italian commercial and music video production company working with major brands and artists. Comparable in offering (commissioned video production) and target market (Italian creative industry).
- Pulse Films: London-based production company producing music videos, feature documentaries, and branded content. Closest international peer given the hybrid music-video-plus-documentary model with global platform distribution.
- Think Cattleya: Italian film and TV production company producing music videos, commercials, and feature content. Comparable as a Milan-based creative production house serving the Italian music and entertainment industry.
Broad incumbents
- RSA Films: Ridley Scott-owned global commercial and film production company. Comparable in producing premium commercial and documentary content for global brands and platforms, but at much greater scale and breadth.
- Vice Media: Global documentary and digital media producer with extensive YouTube and streaming presence. Comparable in the documentary/YouTube content vertical, though at vastly larger scale and with owned distribution.
Emerging players
- Will Media: Italian digital-native media publisher and co-production partner on the JUNK docuseries. Comparable as a documentary production partner targeting streaming platforms, with overlap in socially-conscious content.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
A THING BY social profiles
Digital presenceA THING BY financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A THING BY leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
A THING BY funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A THING BY 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 A THING BY
What does A THING BY do?
A THING BY is a Milan-based creative production studio that produces commissioned music videos for Italian and international recording artists, long-form documentaries on social and global issues for streaming platforms and broadcasters, and non-commercial YouTube content including interviews and thought experiments. Revenue is generated through per-project production fees from artists, labels, and media companies such as Amazon Prime Video and Sky Italia.
Is A THING BY a public or private company?
A THING BY is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was A THING BY founded?
A THING BY was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is A THING BY based?
A THING BY is headquartered in Milan, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does A THING BY make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Music Video Production is the primary driver. The others are documentary Content Production and non-Commercial Documentary Content.
Who are A THING BY's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Buddy Film, Borotalco Tv, London Alley Entertainment, Younuts!, BRW Filmland, Pulse Films and Think Cattleya. Broad incumbents are RSA Films and Vice Media. Will Media is listed as an emerging player.
Does A THING BY have an API?
No public API is recorded for A THING BY.
What industry is A THING BY in?
A THING BY's product category is Creative Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAEAH, Music & Performance Branded Content (Sessions, Artist/Brand Collabs), with a secondary code of MPAIAHAB, Music Producers & Production Teams. Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.