Soundlabs AI
Soundlabs AI develops MicDrop, a real-time AI voice and instrument transformation plugin for music producers, serving independent artists, major-label artists, and enterprise clients through desktop DAW and iPad workflows.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Soundlabs AI does
Soundlabs AI is a privately held audio technology company founded in 2023 and headquartered in New York, NY. It develops MicDrop, a real-time AI voice and instrument transformation plugin that runs as AU/VST3/AAX plugins in major digital audio workstations (Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Pro Tools) and as an AUv3 plugin on Apple M-series iPads. The product is built on proprietary hybrid voice models trained from public-domain and fully consented recordings, delivering 80+ hybrid vocalists and instruments with near-zero latency on Apple Silicon via Core ML and the Neural Engine. Capabilities include voice-to-voice transformation, MIDI-driven harmony and melody generation, voice-to-instrument mapping (e.g., voice to cello, trumpet, saxophone), speech-to-singing synthesis, voice-to-voice language translation, and one-click vocal restoration of low-fidelity recordings, with outputs cleared for commercial release.
The company monetizes through a multi-tier consumer model: perpetual licenses (MicDrop Classic at $79, MicDrop Suite at $149 with 40 models), monthly subscriptions ($9.99 for Classic, $14.99 for Unlimited), and individual expansion packs at $19.99 each, sold directly through its e-commerce site and the Apple App Store for iPad. A flagship partnership with Universal Music Group (June 2024) adds an enterprise revenue stream in which UMG artists receive custom, exclusive voice models trained on their own voice data, with full creative and commercial control. The Brenda Lee "Noche Buena y Navidad" collaboration (October 2024) served as the first public proof of concept for ethical AI voice translation under the UMG partnership.
Soundlabs AI is led by Grammy-nominated producer and software developer BT (Brian Transeau) as CEO/Co-founder, alongside Michael Hetrick (Lead Developer/Co-founder), Joshua Dickinson (CINO/Co-founder), and Lacy Transeau (COO). The team remains small (1–10 employees), with no disclosed venture capital or institutional funding rounds. The company has accumulated significant editorial credibility through coverage in Billboard, Rolling Stone, Bloomberg, Reuters, Wired, Fast Company, Good Morning America, and TechCrunch, and was featured on Apple's MacBook Pro M5 product page in October 2025. Expansion has been product-led, with major updates in late 2025 and early 2026 extending the platform to mobile iPad workflows.
Soundlabs AI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Soundlabs AI
- Legal name
- Soundlabs AI, Inc.
- Website
- https://soundlabs.ai
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Soundlabs AI develops MicDrop, a real-time AI voice and instrument transformation plugin for music producers, serving independent artists, major-label artists, and enterprise clients through desktop DAW and iPad workflows.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Soundlabs AI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Audio Production Software
- NAICS
- Other Sound Recording Industries (512290)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AI Music Creation & Assistive Tools (Generation, Separation, Mastering) (MPAIAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Audio Plugins & Virtual Instruments (VST/AU/AAX) (MPAIAIAB), Voice Cloning, Dubbing & Audio Generative Media (HDAAAFAK), Speech Enhancement & Noise Suppression (AEC/NR) (HDAAAFAG)
Keywords
Where Soundlabs AI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Soundlabs AI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Plugin License Sales (Perpetual): One-time purchase of MicDrop Classic ($79) or MicDrop Suite ($149), giving perpetual access to the plugin and included voice/instrument packs. The user owns the license forever after a single payment.
- Subscription - MicDrop Monthly: $9.99/month subscription providing access to MicDrop Classic with 12 Core Vocal & Instrument Models and monthly billing cadence.
- Subscription - MicDrop Unlimited: $14.99/month subscription providing access to all 36+ Core Vocal Models plus all released and future voice/instrument packs. New packs added monthly.
- Expansion Pack Sales: Individual vocal and instrument expansion packs sold separately for $19.99 each (e.g., Brass & Wind Titans, Cinematic Voiceovers, Rap and R&B Essentials Vol. 2, Pure Melodic Techno). Each pack contains 4-5 distinct voice or instrument models.
- iPad App: MicDrop for iPad distributed as a standalone app through the Apple App Store, bringing the same 80+ voice models and real-time AI processing to mobile creators using Logic Pro, GarageBand, or any AUv3-compatible host.
- Enterprise / Artist Licensing: Custom voice model licensing for major artists and labels through the Universal Music Group partnership. Artists receive exclusive, ethically trained vocal models of their own voice with full ownership and creative control. Revenue from per-artist licensing agreements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | MicDrop Classic - Perpetual License |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | MicDrop Suite - Perpetual License |
| Subscription | Monthly | MicDrop Monthly Subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | MicDrop Unlimited Subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Expansion Packs |
| Subscription | Monthly | MicDrop for iPad |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Soundlabs AI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Soundlabs AI develops MicDrop, a real-time AI voice and instrument transformation plugin for music production, distributed as native AU/VST3/AAX plugins for Mac/Windows DAWs and as an AUv3 app for Apple M-series iPads. The product transforms input vocals into 80+ studio-grade hybrid vocalist and instrument models trained on ethically sourced, consented recordings, enabling real-time voice morphing, MIDI-driven harmony creation, voice-to-instrument mapping, vocal restoration, and royalty-free commercial output. The company also offers custom AI voice model licensing for major artists through a strategic partnership with Universal Music Group.
Product overview
Soundlabs AI offers a unified product ecosystem centered on MicDrop, a real-time AI voice and instrument transformation plugin. The portfolio spans desktop (Mac/Windows as AU/VST3/AAX plugins) and mobile (iPad as AUv3), with multiple licensing tiers: MicDrop Classic (perpetual, 16 models, $79), MicDrop Suite (perpetual, 40 models, $149), MicDrop Monthly ($9.99/mo, 12 models), and MicDrop Unlimited ($14.99/mo, all models + monthly additions). MicDrop for iPad brings the same 80+ model library to Apple M-series iPads via Logic Pro, GarageBand, Cubasis, and other AUv3 hosts. Individual expansion vocal/instrument packs (e.g., Pop & Electronic, Rap & R&B, Brass & Wind, Cinematic Voiceovers, Vocoder Love) are sold separately and bundled in the Suite. Core capabilities include real-time voice transformation, MIDI-driven harmony control, vocal restoration, and royalty-free output ownership. The company also partners with Universal Music Group for artist-controlled voice modeling.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MicDrop Classic: Flagship VST plugin for real-time voice and instrument transformation with 16 Core Vocal & Instrument Models. One-time purchase at $79.00.
- MicDrop Suite
- MicDrop Monthly
- MicDrop Unlimited
- MicDrop for iPad
Products and services
- MicDrop Classic Entry-level perpetual license of the MicDrop plugin offering 16 core vocal and instrument models with royalty-free voice outputs, real-time voice transformation within any DAW, and seamless integration for music producers and beatmakers.
- MicDrop Suite Complete MicDrop package with perpetual license at $149, bundling 40 hybrid vocalists and instruments including 16 core models plus 24 additional models across 6 premium expansion packs (Chants & Chips Vol 1, Folk & Indie Essentials Vol. 1, Hybrid Harmonics Vol. 1, Island Essentials Vol. 1, Pop & Electronic Vol. 1, Rap and R&B Essentials Vol. 1).
- MicDrop Monthly Subscription Subscription tier at $9.99/month providing access to MicDrop Classic with 12 core vocal and instrument models, billed monthly with flexibility to cancel, for music creators who prefer recurring access over perpetual ownership.
- MicDrop Unlimited Subscription Premium subscription tier at $14.99/month providing immediate access to 36 core vocal models plus all released and newly released voice and instrument packs, with new packs added monthly, for users seeking the broadest library access.
- MicDrop for iPad AUv3 plugin version of MicDrop for Apple M-series iPads, enabling real-time AI voice transformation in mobile DAWs including Logic Pro for iPad, GarageBand, Cubasis, and AUM, with 80+ voice and instrument models and MIDI control for on-the-go music creation.
- Vocal and Instrument Expansion Packs Individual expansion packs sold separately for $19.99 each, each containing 4-5 distinct voice or instrument models across genres such as pop, electronic, folk, indie, country, hip-hop, R&B, cinematic, orchestral, robotic, vocoder, and beatbox. Examples include Pop & Electronic Essentials, Cinematic Voiceovers, Brass & Wind Titans, Pure Melodic Techno, and Rise of the Robots. Most packs are bundled in MicDrop Suite.
- Custom Artist Voice Model Licensing Enterprise offering providing major label and recording artists with exclusive, custom AI vocal models trained on their own voice data through the Universal Music Group partnership. Artists retain full ownership of their voice data and creative/commercial control, with ethically trained models usable for commercial releases, voice-to-voice translation, and bespoke vocal tools.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80+ voice and instrument models available
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Soundlabs AI
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Soundlabs AI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability3 records
Feature8 records
Soundlabs AI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Brenda LeecoreSoundlabs collaborated with legendary artist Brenda Lee and UMG to create 'Noche Buena y Navidad,' a Spanish-language ethical AI reimagining of 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.' Using MicDrop, Brenda Lee's team created a new vocal performance based on her original voice recordings, now singing in Spanish while preserving her vocal identity and character. Brenda fully reviewed and approved the process and result. This collaboration served as the first public demonstration of the UMG-Soundlabs partnership and a proof of concept for ethical AI voice translation. The project was featured in Rolling Stone.
- Universal Music Group (UMG)flagshipSoundlabs and Universal Music Group announced an official partnership in June 2024 to bring ethical AI voice technology to UMG artists worldwide, powered by MicDrop. The partnership provides UMG artists with access to MicDrop and the ability to create custom, exclusive vocal models trained on their own voice data. Artists retain full ownership of their voice data and control every creative and commercial decision. Chris Horton, SVP of Strategic Technology at UMG, stated the goal is keeping artists at the center of AI strategy. The partnership was publicly celebrated as a landmark in ethical AI in music. The first public expression was the Brenda Lee 'Noche Buena y Navidad' collaboration (October 2024).
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Soundlabs AI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Output: Premium instrument and effects plugin company (Arcade, Co-Producer) widely used in Logic, Ableton and FL Studio. Comparable DAW-plugin distribution model and producer target customer, though Output focuses on instruments/effects rather than AI voice transformation.
- Antares Technologies (Auto-Tune): Creator of Auto-Tune, the industry-standard pitch-correction and vocal-effects plugin. Overlaps Soundlabs AI on vocal processing inside DAWs and shares the same core customer (music producers, singers) but is a much larger, more established incumbent with broader reach.
Emerging players
- Sonible: AI-driven audio plugins for mixing, mastering and vocal processing (e.g., smart:EQ, entropy:EQ). Comparable as an AI-first plugin vendor selling into the same producer workflow and leveraging AI for vocal/music processing tasks.
Direct peers
- Acon Digital: Developer of audio-restoration and processing plugins (e.g., Acoustica, Deverberate). Comparable on the vocal-cleanup and restoration features inside MicDrop (one-click muddy-to-studio-quality) and shares the plugin/DAW distribution model.
- Hit'n'Mix (RipX): AI-driven audio-to-MIDI separation, remixing and vocal-processing DAW tool. Comparable as an AI audio-production plugin for music producers with a similar ethical/clear-output narrative, though focused on stems and remixing rather than voice-to-voice.
- Dreamtonics (Synthesizer V): Developer of Synthesizer V, an AI-powered singing voice synthesis VST plugin used inside DAWs. Most directly comparable to MicDrop in product form, target user (music producers), and underlying AI-singing technology, though Dreamtonics focuses on vocal synthesis from lyrics/MIDI rather than voice-to-voice transformation.
- ElevenLabs: AI voice generation and cloning platform focused on speech, dubbing and voice conversion. Comparable on the underlying voice-cloning technology and enterprise/licensing motion, though ElevenLabs targets speech and dubbing rather than music production.
- LALAL.AI: AI-powered vocal and instrument source-separation tool used by music producers and rights holders. Highly comparable on AI-for-music production positioning, ethics-led marketing, and producer target audience, though focused on separation rather than voice transformation.
- iZotope (VocalSynth): Major audio plugin company whose VocalSynth line delivers AI-assisted vocal transformation and effects inside DAWs. Closely comparable target user and use case (vocal processing in Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools), with a much broader plugin portfolio and established brand.
- Emvoice: AI singing voice synthesis plugin that turns lyrics and melodies into sung vocals. Closely comparable on AI-vocal-generation inside DAWs and music-producer target market, though Emvoice synthesizes from text/MIDI rather than transforming an input vocal signal.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Soundlabs AI social profiles
Digital presenceSoundlabs AI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Soundlabs AI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Soundlabs AI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Soundlabs AI 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 Soundlabs AI
What does Soundlabs AI do?
Soundlabs AI develops MicDrop, a real-time AI voice and instrument transformation plugin for music production, distributed as native AU/VST3/AAX plugins for Mac/Windows DAWs and as an AUv3 app for Apple M-series iPads. The product transforms input vocals into 80+ studio-grade hybrid vocalist and instrument models trained on ethically sourced, consented recordings, enabling real-time voice morphing, MIDI-driven harmony creation, voice-to-instrument mapping, vocal restoration, and royalty-free commercial output. The company also offers custom AI voice model licensing for major artists through a strategic partnership with Universal Music Group.
Is Soundlabs AI a public or private company?
Soundlabs AI is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Soundlabs AI founded?
Soundlabs AI was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Soundlabs AI based?
Soundlabs AI is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Soundlabs AI make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Plugin License Sales (Perpetual) is the primary driver. The others are subscription - MicDrop Monthly, subscription - MicDrop Unlimited, expansion Pack Sales, iPad App and enterprise / Artist Licensing.
Who are Soundlabs AI's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Output and Antares Technologies (Auto-Tune). Sonible is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Acon Digital, Hit'n'Mix (RipX), Dreamtonics (Synthesizer V), ElevenLabs, LALAL.AI, iZotope (VocalSynth) and Emvoice.
Does Soundlabs AI have an API?
No public API is recorded for Soundlabs AI.
What industry is Soundlabs AI in?
Soundlabs AI's product category is AI Audio Production Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAIAG, AI Music Creation & Assistive Tools (Generation, Separation, Mastering), with a secondary code of MPAIAIAB, Audio Plugins & Virtual Instruments (VST/AU/AAX). Its NAICS code is 512290.