Jazz Is Dead

What Jazz Is Dead does

Jazz Is Dead is a Los Angeles-based independent jazz record label co-founded by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, operating a horizontal model that pairs legendary jazz and funk artists (Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz, João Donato, Tony Allen, Marcos Valle, Brian Jackson, and others) with contemporary collaborators to release a numbered series of limited-edition vinyl records (JID001 through JID025+), supported by curated streaming playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, a direct-to-consumer shop for vinyl and merchandise, and a recurring membership subscription. A 2017-founded entity with 1-10 employees, the label records and distributes studio sessions, live concert tapings, and touring performances, generating revenue through one-time vinyl and merch transactions, streaming royalties, and membership dues.

The company's most distinctive technology is the "Played By Humans" initiative, developed with agency partner TBWAChiatDay LA: a blockchain-backed certification stamp paired with an AI audio fingerprint scanner (described in capability terms as "anomaly_detection" across the audio modality) that has processed over 1.6 million tracks to flag AI-generated music. This certification is positioned as an industry-wide standard for human-made music and is being commercialized as a separate revenue stream via licensing/royalty mechanics. The launch is anchored by a human cover of "Through My Soul" performed by Adrian Younge's Midnight Hour band with vocalist Loren Oden, which generated 11+ million YouTube views.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: marketing leans on earned media coverage in Rolling Stone, NPR, Downbeat, Jazz Times, LA Times, Variety, and The Guardian, alongside curated streaming playlists (Acid Jazz, Latin Jazz, Cosmic Jazz, and others), an extensive on-site video library, email newsletters, and benefit concerts. Distribution is global through shop.jazzisdead.com (vinyl subscription included) and through Spotify/Apple Music, while touring events such as "The Psychedelic Soul Tour" and "Jazz Está Morto: Marcos Valle summer tour" extend the label's reach. Customer base is horizontally distributed among jazz enthusiasts and vinyl collectors, with no enterprise concentration or named institutional customers disclosed.

Name

Jazz Is Dead

Legal name

Jazz Is Dead

Website

https://jazzisdead.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jazz Is Dead is a Los Angeles-based independent jazz record label, co-founded by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, that releases limited-edition vinyl collaborations with legendary jazz and funk artists and operates the Played By Humans blockchain-based certification for human-made music, serving jazz enthusiasts, vinyl collectors, and artists seeking authentication.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vinyl Record Sales: The label releases limited-edition vinyl records featuring legendary jazz artists collaborating with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Records are sold through shop.jazzisdead.com with a vinyl subscription option available.
2. Merchandise Sales: The label sells branded merchandise including t-shirts, ringer tees, and baseball tees through its e-commerce store.
3. Streaming Royalties: Music is available on Spotify and Apple Music, generating streaming revenue. Playlists are maintained on both platforms.
4. Membership Subscription: The label offers a membership program that provides exclusive access and benefits to subscribers.
5. Played By Humans Certification: Blockchain-backed certification service for artists to verify their music was created by humans, supporting human artists amid industry concerns about AI's impact on musicians' income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Jazz Is Dead is a Los Angeles-based independent jazz record label co-founded by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad that produces collaborative albums and limited-edition vinyl records featuring legendary jazz and funk artists. The label operates an e-commerce shop (shop.jazzisdead.com) for vinyl and merchandise, a membership subscription program, curated streaming playlists, and the Played By Humans blockchain-backed certification initiative that verifies human-created music through AI audio fingerprint scanning.

Product overview

Jazz Is Dead is a Los Angeles-based jazz record label founded by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, operating as a collaborative platform that pairs legendary jazz musicians with contemporary artists to produce new albums. The label's core offerings include the JID Album Series (vinyl records featuring artists like Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz, João Donato, Azymuth, and Marcos Valle), the Played By Humans certification initiative (a blockchain-backed verification system that distinguishes human-created music from AI-generated content), a merchandise shop, membership subscription program, and video content library. The label has also launched the Played By Humans tool which scans tracks for AI audio fingerprints to verify authenticity, addressing industry concerns about AI's impact on musicians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Played By Humans: A blockchain-backed certification initiative that verifies music was created by humans, helping distinguish AI-generated content from human artistry.

Products and services

• JID Album Series Catalog of collaborative vinyl record albums featuring legendary jazz and funk artists (Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz, João Donato, Marcos Valle, Azymuth, Tony Allen, Brian Jackson, Lonnie Liston Smith, Carlos Dafé, Dom Salvador, and others) produced with co-founders Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad; sold as limited-edition vinyl records.
• Played By Humans Certification Blockchain-backed certification service that verifies music was created by humans, providing artists an authenticated, definitive, industry-wide standard to set their work apart from AI-generated music; includes a Track Scanner tool that has processed over 1.6 million tracks for AI audio fingerprints.
• Jazz Is Dead Membership Recurring subscription membership program providing exclusive access and benefits to subscribers, including exclusive content, merchandise, and access to the Jazz Is Dead community.
• Jazz Is Dead Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including t-shirts, ringer tees, and baseball tees featuring the Jazz Is Dead brand, sold through the e-commerce shop at shop.jazzisdead.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.6 million tracks processed by Played By Humans verification tool
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TBWAChiatDay LAcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 February 2024Jazz Is Dead partnered with advertising agency TBWAChiatDay LA to develop the 'Played By Humans' movement and campaign. The initiative provides blockchain-backed verification for human-created music and offers a tool that scans tracks for AI audio fingerprints. The partnership was created in response to the increasing use of AI-generated music in streaming platforms and aims to support human artists amid industry concerns about AI's impact on musicians' income.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stones Throw Records: Independent LA-based label with strong vinyl catalog across soul, jazz, funk, and hip-hop. Comparable independent label operating in similar genre space with vinyl-centric distribution and event-driven marketing.
• Daptone Records: Independent Brooklyn-based soul/funk label with a similar model: vinyl-first releases, live recordings, collaborations with legacy artists, and a dedicated collector community. Operates at a slightly larger scale but mirrors Jazz Is Dead's aesthetic and audience.
• Brainfeeder: LA-based independent label founded by Flying Lotus, focused on jazz, electronic, and experimental music. Comparable independent label serving genre-adjacent audiences with similar vinyl and streaming distribution model.
• Origin Records: Seattle-based independent jazz label with a focused catalog of contemporary jazz recordings and limited-edition releases. Comparable independent jazz label serving a dedicated collector and enthusiast audience with similar scale.
• International Anthem Recording Co. Chicago-based independent label focused on contemporary jazz and experimental music, with strong vinyl releases and critical acclaim. Comparable independent label serving a niche jazz audience with similar press profile and DTC vinyl model.
• Now-Again Records: LA-based independent label and reissue imprint specializing in archival funk, soul, and jazz recordings. Comparable focus on legacy artist recordings and vinyl collectibles, though more archive-driven than Jazz Is Dead's new-collaboration model.
• Colemine Records: Ohio-based independent label focused on soul, funk, and jazz with a vinyl subscription service and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Highly comparable business model and customer overlap with Jazz Is Dead.
• Big Crown Records: NYC-based independent label specializing in soul, funk, and R&B with limited-edition vinyl releases and collaborations with veteran artists. Closely comparable to Jazz Is Dead in catalog focus, artist profile, and vinyl-led business model.

Broad incumbents

• Concord Records: Major independent music group with significant jazz catalog (including Ropeadope and others) and established vinyl distribution. Comparable genre overlap but operates at portfolio scale across multiple genres and acquired labels.
• Blue Note Records: Iconic jazz label founded in 1939, now part of Universal Music Group, with a vast jazz catalog and significant vinyl presence. Comparable genre focus but operates at massive scale as part of a major label group; provides context for what Jazz Is Dead's catalog could become over time.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/user/sxyf067fl0jfkzi7wgwh6k8ml
• Xx.com/jazzisdeadco
• Facebookfacebook.com/JazzIsDeadOfficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jazz-is-dead

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 Jazz Is Dead