Soulection
Soulection is an independent music collective, record label, and radio show operating since 2011, curating alternative R&B, electronic, and hip-hop through radio episodes, label releases, ticketed live events, and merchandise for a global listener and fanbase.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Soulection does
Soulection is an independent music collective, record label, and radio platform operating under the legal entity The Sound of Tomorrow Live Inc., headquartered in Encino, Los Angeles. Founded circa 2010–2011, the company has operated for roughly fifteen years curating and distributing alternative R&B, electronic, and hip-hop-adjacent music to a global listener and fanbase. It serves two principal customer groups: emerging artists seeking release infrastructure and editorial reach outside major-label channels, and fans of non-mainstream music seeking curation, live experiences, and branded merchandise.
The company operates four interlocking business lines: Soulection Radio, a long-running audio program with 735+ episodes distributed via Apple Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud; Soulection Records, an independent label releasing music from a roster of artists; Soulection Events, ticketed live experiences held across California, England, and Louisiana and distributed through DICE FM, Ticketmaster, and partners including Broadwick Live and Framework; and Soulection Supply, a branded merchandise line. The technical footprint is intentionally lightweight — Soulection runs no proprietary app, API, or SDK, and instead relies on third-party distribution and ticketing platforms for all consumer-facing surfaces.
Soulection monetizes primarily through event ticket sales, streaming royalties on label releases distributed to major DSPs, and direct-to-consumer merchandise revenue. The company has not raised external funding and remains privately held. It maintains a small operating team (1–10 employees) with no publicly disclosed leadership bios, board composition, or institutional investors, and operates without a mobile app or proprietary technology layer beneath its content and event businesses.
Soulection firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Soulection
- Legal name
- The Sound of Tomorrow Live Inc.
- Website
- https://soulection.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Soulection is an independent music collective, record label, and radio show operating since 2011, curating alternative R&B, electronic, and hip-hop through radio episodes, label releases, ticketed live events, and merchandise for a global listener and fanbase.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Soulection is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Soulection business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Event Ticketing: Soulection generates revenue through ticket sales for live events including their flagship Soulection Experience shows, festival appearances (Essence Festival), and special events in Los Angeles, London, and other cities. Events offer General Admission and VIP tiers.
- Music Releases & Streaming: Soulection Records releases music by Joe Kay and affiliated artists, generating revenue through streaming platforms and digital sales. Releases include mixtapes, singles, and collaborative projects.
- Merchandise Sales: Soulection Supply storefront sells branded merchandise including apparel and accessories, providing revenue from their dedicated fanbase.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Access to event venue |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | VIP - Enhanced event experience with exclusive amenities |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Soulection product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Soulection operates a curated weekly radio program (Soulection Radio), runs an independent record label (Soulection Records) that signs and releases music from emerging artists, sells branded apparel and goods through a direct-to-consumer store (Soulection Supply), and produces a recurring live music showcase (Soulection Experience) featuring its roster and affiliated artists. Together these form a music collective whose core output is curated recorded music, live performance, and related lifestyle merchandise.
Product overview
Soulection is a music platform and collective operating across multiple channels: Soulection Radio serves as the flagship podcast/show featuring curated music selections with full tracklists and timestamps available on SoundCloud and Apple Music; Soulection Records is the record label arm releasing music from various artists including albums, EPs, mixtapes, and the White Label series; Soulection Supply handles merchandise; and Soulection Events produces live experiences including anniversary celebrations and festival appearances. The company was founded by Joe Kay and has been operating for 15 years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Soulection Radio: The flagship radio show featuring curated music selections, guest artists, and tracklists spanning various genres including R&B, dancehall, Afrobeats, house, and more.
- Soulection Records
- Soulection Supply
Products and services
- Soulection Radio A weekly curated radio program/podcast hosted by founder Joe Kay, distributed across major streaming platforms, featuring a mix of emerging and established independent artists aligned with the collective's sound.
- Soulection Records An independent record label that signs, develops, and releases music from emerging artists, providing production, distribution, and promotion aligned with the Soulection brand identity.
- Soulection Supply A direct-to-consumer e-commerce store selling branded apparel, accessories, and lifestyle merchandise for fans and the broader Soulection community.
- Soulection Experience A recurring live music showcase/event featuring Soulection roster artists and affiliated acts, with ticketed admission sold to fans as a flagship experiential offering of the collective.
Quantifiable outcome
- 735+ radio episodes produced and distributed globally
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Soulection
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Soulection technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Soulection partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DICE FMcorePrimary ticketing platform for Soulection events, handling ticket sales and distribution. DICE FM provides the technical infrastructure for event ticketing including mobile ticketing and entry management.
- TicketmastercoreMajor ticketing partner used for larger events and festival appearances, particularly for Essence Festival and major market events.
- KaboodleminorPayment plan provider offering installment payment options for event tickets, enabling accessibility for higher-priced VIP tiers.
- Broadwick LivecoreEvent production partner for Soulection Experience events, specifically managing the Magazine Open-Air venue in London. Handles event logistics, venue operations, and VIP amenities.
- FrameworkminorLost and Found contact for Soulection events, managing lost property inquiries and logistics for venue-based events.
- Apple MusiccoreDistribution platform for Soulection Radio content and artist profile. Soulection serves as a curator on Apple Music, reaching listeners through the platform's global reach.
- SoundCloudcorePrimary audio hosting and distribution platform for Soulection Radio episodes, enabling free and subscription-based listening.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Soulection competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Boiler Room: A live music streaming platform and brand hosting DJ sets, performances, and events globally. Comparable to Soulection Events as a curator-channel for emerging and underground electronic music experiences with strong brand identity.
- Brownswood Recordings: An independent UK label run by Gilles Peterson releasing curated global music across jazz, soul, and electronic genres. Comparable to Soulection Records in its global beat curation and artist discovery mission.
- Dublab: An LA-based non-profit online radio collective broadcasting curated music programming and producing live events. Closely comparable to Soulection Radio as a curated weekly radio platform with a mission-driven community ethos and live event layer.
- Brainfeeder: An independent record label founded by Flying Lotus, releasing forward-thinking electronic, jazz, and experimental music. Comparable to Soulection Records in its role as a creative-catalyst label with a distinctive curated sound and global following.
- COLORS Studios: A Berlin-based music platform producing curated live performance videos and artist showcases across genres. Comparable to Soulection in its role as a tastemaker elevating emerging artists through high-quality, curated content experiences.
- NTS Radio: A global online radio platform with resident DJs, curated shows, and live event programming across London, Manchester, Shanghai, and other cities. Directly comparable to Soulection Radio in format, weekly curated programming, and event-driven community building.
- Majestic Casual: An independent music collective and curator featuring curated playlists, original releases, and artist showcases across YouTube and streaming platforms. Direct parallel to Soulection as a tastemaker-driven content and label operation targeting similar alternative and global beats audiences.
- Stones Throw Records: An independent LA-based record label with a long-running catalog of curated releases and artist development. Directly comparable to Soulection Records as a niche independent label with strong brand identity and tastemaker positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Ninja Tune: A long-established independent electronic and hip-hop label with a broader catalog and larger infrastructure than Soulection. Comparable as a curator-label operating in adjacent electronic/beat-driven genres but at meaningfully greater scale.
- Red Bull Music: A global music platform backed by Red Bull, hosting curated programming, documentaries, and live events. Comparable to Soulection as a tastemaker-driven music platform with live experiences, but operating with substantially larger marketing and capital resources.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Soulection social profiles
Digital presenceSoulection financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Soulection leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Soulection funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Soulection 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 Soulection
What does Soulection do?
Soulection operates a curated weekly radio program (Soulection Radio), runs an independent record label (Soulection Records) that signs and releases music from emerging artists, sells branded apparel and goods through a direct-to-consumer store (Soulection Supply), and produces a recurring live music showcase (Soulection Experience) featuring its roster and affiliated artists. Together these form a music collective whose core output is curated recorded music, live performance, and related lifestyle merchandise.
Is Soulection a public or private company?
Soulection is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Soulection founded?
Soulection was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Soulection based?
Soulection is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Soulection make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Event Ticketing is the primary driver. The others are music Releases & Streaming and merchandise Sales.
Who are Soulection's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boiler Room, Brownswood Recordings, Dublab, Brainfeeder, COLORS Studios, NTS Radio, Majestic Casual and Stones Throw Records. Broad incumbents are Ninja Tune and Red Bull Music.
Does Soulection have an API?
No public API is recorded for Soulection.