AI music technology company LifeScore raises £11m in a Series A round led by Octopus Ventures
LifeScore, an AI music technology company, today announces that it has raised a further £11m in funding as it seeks to soundtrack your life. LifeScore creates adaptive music on demand that is algorithmically tailored to the context and needs of the listener, to relax or focus or energize, or to support the emotional narrative of a performance or immersive experience.
The round was led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from Warner Music Group, IDEO and 4 Good Ventures. Additional investment was received from existing investor Metaplanet Holdings OÜ, an early backer of the company. This brings the total funding raised by the company to £12m.
LifeScore offers a platform for adaptive music, music that is assembled by AI in multiple layers from original, recorded cells to adapt to the context and needs of the listener. The LifeScore breakthrough lies in a way for a computer to generate music in real time that sounds as if it were created by talented human composers and played by virtuoso players. It is not a replacement for human-created music. On the contrary, it is a new way for human-composed and performed music to be algorithmically produced on demand. It addresses the fundamental problem of how to incorporate the musical creativity and expertise of composers and musicians in the production of music by a machine — on demand and at scale.
LifeScore’s Cellular Composition™ is a patented way to transform the building blocks of a composition — artists’ recorded ‘cells’ — into adaptive music by algorithmically selecting, combining, layering, sequencing, mixing, and playing out the final product in real time. The result sounds like music created by talented artists because it is generated from musical raw materials that are composed and performed by world class musicians. Because it can adapt the music in real time, LifeScore can offer the benefits of music to entertain, inspire, relax, energize, and evoke emotion – and keep adapting as conditions change.
LifeScore was founded by Philip Sheppard, prolific film and video game composer, Tom Gruber, co-inventor of Siri and world renowned AI expert, Ian Drew, a serial technology entrepreneur, and Chris Walch, former attorney at Latham & Watkins. Together their vision is to augment musicians with technology that allows their work to be produced on demand at scale and automatically adapted to the needs of the listener. The company is also a graduate of Abbey Road RED Incubator 2019 programme where it received advice and client introductions from expert mentors.
The potential impact of its technology is immense, as Tara Tan of IDEO notes, “LifeScore is creating music for the Metaverse, and is building the future of creative collaboration bridging man and machine.” LifeScore’s technology has applications across AR and other simulated environments, live streaming, gaming, automotive, sleep, fitness, health and wellness. LifeScore has already attracted attention from some of the world’s leading companies, having recently signed a ground-breaking licensing agreement with Audi.
LifeScore intends to use the £11m investment to accelerate its traction in Europe, the U.S and Asia by strengthening its technical, audio and operations teams, expanding its customer base, and further investing in its proprietary adaptive music technology.
Philip Sheppard, co-founder and CEO of LifeScore, commented: “Music isn’t just a luxury, it’s an essential part of life. Whether for sleep, mental wellbeing, exercise or a much needed adrenalin rush, music is there to soundtrack our lives. LifeScore wants to bring the composer into the action, using Augmented Intelligence to surprise and delight, rendering music reactive and dynamic in real time. We are thrilled to have found such supportive partners in this investment round, and believe that this will enable us to bring an entirely new music platform to fruition whilst creating many opportunities for musicians.”
Akriti Dokania, investor at Octopus Ventures, said: “LifeScore has made truly pioneering advances with its music technology. Music is central to our way of living and mood and by creating adaptive music on demand, the technology is algorithmically tailored to the context and needs of the listener. Philip Sheppard and the team have a huge vision for the future of music and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be supporting them on this journey”
Oana Ruxandra, chief digital officer & EVP, business development, Warner Music Group, said: “Interactivity is at the core of the music ecosystem’s evolution and adaptive music will be a key driver of this interactivity. Fundamental to the investment is the importance that LifeScore places on the artist. Adaptive AI, held at the fingertips of our artists, will provide powerful opportunities to tailor and personalize experiences for fans. We’re excited to get started.”
