Songbird

Songbird Technologies, formerly known as Passereaux S.A., is an Aciriani-based global audio streaming and media services provider. Songbird offers digital copyright restricted recorded audio content, including more than 100 million songs and five million podcasts, from record labels and media companies.

Founded in Trosseurs, Aciria in 2008 by three local music producers, the company began as a digital distribution service before branching out to record production and publishing in the latter years of the 2010s. As a freemium service, basic features are free with advertisements and limited control, while additional features, such as offline listening and commercial-free listening, are offered via paid subscriptions. Users can search for music based on artist, album, or genre, and can create, edit, and share playlists.

In addition to its streaming services, Songbird has hosted a week-long international art fair in April of every year since 2020 called the AVES Festival. In its inaugural year, the AVES was just a music festival that attracted more than 16,000 visitors across its two-day show. By 2015, the AVES attracted 93,000 visitors and had grown to a multi-day event featuring art exhibits, experimental and interactive sculptures, buildings, performances, and art cars, among other media.

Songbird initially planned to file an IPO as early as 2016 but was hindered when two of the co-founders left on hiatus. In 2018, Petalstone Music invested $45 million into Songbird, valuing the company at upwards of $700 million. In January 2023, Petalstone Music increased its stake to 10% - valuing Songbird at $2.63 billion - and attempted to leverage a full acquisition of Songbird, but negotiations regarding license deals and an antitrust investigation put the acquisition on indefinite hold.

Ezelio Serrarisi, a veteran figure in the music industry, has been serving as the Chief Executive Officer since 2016. Also in key leadership positions are two of the four original co-founders: Siginico Fontafeltro, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer, and Loredo Cattanardi, who holds the role of Chief Technology Officer. Both have been in these roles since 2016. The other two co-founders, Ferrigi Carusso and Salvana Grassinaldi, made their exit from the company's daily operations in 2016. However, they made their return in 2020 to assume the roles of co-chairs on the board. Songbird is a globally recognized music streaming service provider and is universally accessible, available in over 100 countries worldwide and supported on all major smartphone platforms, desktop operating systems, and browsers. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 500 million monthly active users, including 200 million paying subscribers. Songbird's estimated valuation stands around $50 billion.

Early development
In 2005, Ferrigi Carusso and Salvana Grassinaldi began producing electronic music as a duo and began touring together the next year. The two met Siginico Fontafeltro, a fellow Acirian musician, at the 2006 Solstice Arts Festival and the trio of unsigned independent artists began to collaborate. After releasing two critically acclaimed EPs independently, the group began developing a distribution platform for independent artists in 2008 called Passereaux. The promotion of Passereaux began in August 2009, while technical development of the platform was headed by Carusso's elder brother-in-law Loredo Cattanardi. As 2009 drew to a close, the trio began to pitch their concept to a series of venture capitalists, highlighting the potential for an independent artist-led distribution platform in the rapidly-evolving digital music landscape. The company closed their seed funding round in 2009 with $35 million, with Petalstone Music investing $5 million.

In the subsequent period, the Passereaux team, under Cattanardi's leadership, channelized this investment into developing the platform. Their objective was to deliver a seamless and engaging experience for both artists and listeners. On November 8, 2010, they introduced an invitation-only beta version of the app in Aciria. With a catalog of around 100 independent Acirian artists and groups, the app swiftly gained traction, bolstered by endorsements from independent DJs in Aciria's nightlife scene. Despite being solely dependent on a subscription model, the initial response was overwhelmingly positive. The limited release aimed to test and fine-tune the platform's functionality while gauging early user feedback. Artists appreciated the platform's commitment to fair remuneration and control over their work. Simultaneously, listeners were drawn to the diverse array of fresh, independent music that they might not have discovered otherwise. Despite minor technical glitches - which were swiftly addressed by Cattanardi's team, the initial reception was a promising indication of Passereaux's potential impact.

Towards the end of 2010, rumblings about the company's planned rebranding began to circulate. Passereaux S.A. was on the verge of transforming into Songbird Technologies, aligning with its preparation for an international launch. Coinciding with the rebranding was the debut of the first public version of the Songbird app on March 9, 2011. The company started to include music from signed artists and began to build a catalog of international music. Simultaneously, the app introduced a freemium model, offering free users access to music with a reduced feature set and advertisements. However, this move led to speculation about the company's financial health, as critics saw it as a desperate attempt to expand their user base. As the company quietly rolled out into new countries and markets, it introduced a free trial period for the platform's full subscription features and catalog.

Global launch
Songbird's global launch on January 9, 2012, was a milestone event that echoed across the music industry. The launch synchronized with the announcement of an exclusive licensing agreement with Petalstone Music, augmenting Songbird's catalog by hundreds of thousands of songs. Consequently, the platform witnessed an explosive growth in user base - tripling in size within just half a year. The next two years saw Songbird focusing on the relentless expansion of its music catalog; the company reached out to artists from diverse genres and geographical regions, thereby curating a broad spectrum of music that catered to the eclectic tastes of global listeners. The variety and depth of their catalog became one of Songbird's strongest selling points, inviting an increasingly diverse user base to the platform.

In addition to conventional digital marketing campaigns, the company took to the streets and targeted major cities worldwide. Spectacular billboards adorned cityscapes from Trosseurs to Venceia, Urceopolis to the Cape, introducing Songbird to millions of potential listeners. Additionally, a strategic partnership was made with public transport systems in major cities, enabling Songbird to reach daily commuters with on-the-go access to its expansive music library. Songbird also recognized the potential of music and arts festivals as a promotional platform - they sponsored prominent events, such as the Solstice Arts Festival, where they initially found inspiration and collaborated with renowned artists to create exclusive festival playlists. These moves fostered a connection with music aficionados who frequented these festivals, thereby expanding Songbird's reach among its target audience.

In an innovative initiative, Songbird also launched a feature allowing independent artists to upload their music directly to the platform. This democratized music distribution, providing a platform for emerging talents who might not have had a conventional route to audiences. It not only fueled the growth of the platform's catalog but also underscored Songbird's commitment to fostering a vibrant and diverse musical ecosystem. By the end of this two-year period, Songbird had not only consolidated its position in the global music streaming industry but had also begun shaping the industry's future direction. The combination of aggressive expansion, savvy marketing, and a dedication to fostering musical diversity had established Songbird as a formidable player in the digital music landscape.

For its Series A round in late 2012, Songbird raised $150 million and its post-money valuation was $450 million.

Expansion and further developments
As Songbird pivoted into a new phase of growth, there were changes in the company's management: co-founders Ferrigi Carusso and Salvana Grassinaldi chose to step away from the corporate world in 2016, redirecting their creative energies back to their original passion - music. However, Loredo Cattanardi continued his role as the CTO, preserving the platform's innovative spirit, while Siginico Fontafeltro ascended to the position of COO.

The company also welcomed industry veteran Ezelio Serrarisi as the new CEO, injecting Songbird with an added layer of business acumen. With the management reshuffle, Songbird continued its trajectory of growth and diversification. The company moved beyond its core of music streaming, venturing into new domains such as live concert streaming, historic speeches, and educational content. Acquisition of smaller record labels and expansion into new markets globally were also key elements of Songbird's growth strategy during this period. By the mid-2020s, the company had managed to solidify its position as a force to reckon with in the music industry.

Songbird held a Series B round of funding in late 2018, raising $75 million, with Petalstone Music contributing $45 million. This placed Songbird's valuation at an estimated $1.4 billion.

Record label launch
In a major strategic move, Songbird launched its independent music label in 2018. With the new global offices serving as the operational hub, Songbird was set to sign independent musicians, providing a comprehensive package that included production, touring, advertisement, and merchandising. Moreover, the company ventured into physical media production for the first time. As on-demand music streaming became more popular globally, Songbird's appeal to mainstream artists started to increase. While Songbird currently holds less than 5% of the music industry market, industry experts predict that the company is on track to breach this threshold in the 2040s, eventually qualifying as a major music label.

As a music label, Songbird Media is also heavily involved in music production for its artists and commercial music. Solo artists whose careers take off may be easily matched with producers also under the employ of Songbird. The company also produces music for movies, television, and commercials.

In the subsequent two decades, Songbird Media has continued to expand its reach and audience but the core elements of the business have remained stable save for the introduction of a few features. These include live-streamed music concerts for subscribers, including video and mastered audio, and the acquisition of several other small record labels, expanding the company's physical footprint internationally in the process. The company also began to platform historic speeches and various lectures in a new "Education" genre in 2023. While the bulk of the service's platform is still music provided by musicians since 2023 numerous renowned academics now regularly publish lectures and interviews on various subjects on the platform.

AVES Festival
In 2020, the duo of Carusso and Grassinaldi returned to the company, this time to launch the associated Songbird Festival. The festival, hosted in the city of Trossera - the birthplace of Songbird, was an extravagant two-day musical gala. The inaugural event was a resounding success, ushering in an annual tradition that was subsequently branded as the AVES Festival.

The AVES Festival grew beyond just music, evolving into a multi-faceted event featuring art exhibits, experimental sculptures, performances, and interactive installations. The festival came to symbolize the ethos of Songbird - celebrating creativity, diversity, and a love for music. The festival, which attracts artists and audiences from around the globe, serves as an annual reminder of Songbird's roots and its ongoing commitment to fostering a vibrant, dynamic musical community.

Failed acquisition from Petalstone
By 2022, Songbird was generating annual revenues of approximately $750 million, leading to a valuation of over $3 billion. In 2023, Petalstone Music acquired a 10% stake in the company and began an aggressive takeover strategy, aimed at gaining full control over the music platform. Petalstone Music initiated their strategy by extending offers to the board of Songbird, attempting to coax them into negotiations for a full buyout. These letters, characterized by their "friendly yet assertive nature", detailed the benefits of the acquisition for both the shareholders and the future growth of Songbird, while subtly reminding them of the potential consequences of refusal.

Meanwhile, Petalstone launched a strategic charm offensive aimed at winning over Songbird's shareholders. They extolled the virtues of a combined operation, emphasizing the potential synergies, and shared vision for the future of the music industry. Other executives from the companies of the Petalstone Group even reached out to the Songbird executive team in an attempt to show solidarity and unity. In addition to the bear hug tactics, Petalstone Music took steps to appeal to the employee base of Songbird, which was critical to the success and continued operations of the company. They publicly committed to maintaining Songbird's corporate culture and independence, ensuring job security for its employees, and retaining its brand, all in an attempt to reduce potential internal resistance to the deal.

In the latter half of 2023, Petalstone Music proposed a massive $5 billion deal - a 33.3% premium over Songbird's $3.75 billion valuation. The offer was structured as a half-cash, half-stock transaction, giving Songbird shareholders an enticing opportunity to not only cash in on their investment but also hold a stake in one of the largest music corporations in the world.

As negotiations moved forward, however, they were marred by the complexities surrounding licensing deals; the unique nature of Songbird's artist-centric platform required a careful restructuring of licensing agreements, a process that proved more complicated and time-consuming than either party had initially anticipated. These intricate negotiations, combined with differing views on the strategic direction of the new entity, stalled the acquisition process. Meanwhile, the proposed deal caught the attention of antitrust authorities. Regulators were wary of the potential for market domination by Petalstone Music following the acquisition, leading to an investigation to assess the impact on competition within the music industry. While both Petalstone and Songbird maintained that the acquisition would foster innovation and promote a diverse music ecosystem, the investigation further delayed the deal. The combination of the complex licensing negotiations and the unexpected antitrust investigation eventually brought the acquisition process to an indefinite halt.

Despite the stalled acquisition, Songbird continues to grow and innovate as a private company. Its commitment to empowering independent artists and providing a platform for diverse music resonated with a growing global user base, driving steady revenue growth.

Petalstone, while unable to complete the acquisition, remained a key partner for Songbird. Their initial investment and ongoing financial and strategic support played an instrumental role in Songbird's growth and success. Today, Petalstone holds a 10% stake in Songbird and continues to advocate for its innovative approach to music distribution and artist empowerment.

Platform
Songbird has been available on all major smartphones, desktop operating systems, and browsers since its global 2012 launch. Accounts and features are also cross-platform, capable of transitioning between the desktop app, smartphone app, and browser app seamlessly, though the latter does not allow users to save tracks offline to listen to without internet access. The other two implements are capable of doing so through with strict digital rights management (DRM) software to protect against illicit duplication of the music. Songbird also offers a proprietary protocol known as "Nest Connect", which lets users listen to music through a wide range of entertainment systems, including speakers, receivers, TVs, cars, and smartwatches

Features
In Songbird's apps, music can be browsed or searched for via various parameters, such as artist, album, genre, popularity, playlist, or label. Users can create, edit and share playlists, share tracks on various social media platforms, and contribute to playlists together with other users.

In addition to the addition of a native video player, Songbird also made it possible for other applications to be integrated into their apps in 2016. This allows for the streaming of lyrics in time with a song, reviews and ratings of a given track or album to be displayed, and recommendations for similar music or content to be displayed during a track. Development tools for Songbird's platform also allowed for the web player to be embedded in other sites and mobile applications, expanding the versatility and accessibility of the platform even further. Other customization options include user-made themes or the alteration of the application's theme according to the art or colour scheme of the track or album that is being listened to.

Along with the aforementioned parameters, Songbird can also generate playlists to suit a user's tastes if permitted to do so (which is enabled on all accounts by default). Ten different playlists curated by genre and industry specialists at Songbird are also made available for all listeners weekly.

In 2014, Songbird revealed its "Nest Player Button", an embeddable music player that can be added to blogs, websites, or social media profiles, that lets visitors listen to a specific song, playlist, or album without leaving the page. The following November, the company began rolling out a web player, with a similar design to its computer programs, but without the requirement of any installation

Exposure
Despite explosive growth since its launch, Songbird's creative direction has continually supported small and independent musicians. In keeping with this priority, lesser-known artists are able to have their music pushed to wider audiences through curated playlists which select work based on geographic proximity to the listener, filtering out more popular artists. In addition, independent artists are both featured at the AVES Festival and Aciriani artists can have travel fees to other major music festivals subsidized by the company.

In addition to supporting independent musicians and attempting to push their work to broader audiences, even mainstream musicians who are signed to other labels may be pushed to listeners in regions where their work is less popular. Songbird Media has explained that its objective is to truly expand music universally and minimize regional and market differences around the globe.

Business model
Songbird collects revenue both by direct subscriptions and also through ad revenue. In turn, royalties to artists are disbursed from 70% of the revenue in proportion to the number of streams their content had. Many artists have criticized the process as their own record labels retain a portion of the royalties received from Songbird. However, artists who are signed with Songbird directly or are unsigned completely receive their full allotment directly without the company taking more than the 30% portion.

The Songbird service operates under a freemium business model, providing basic services to users for free while offering additional ones to paying subscribers. Revenue for the streaming service subscriptions is supplemented by advertising revenue gathered from free users. Songbird keeps 30% of its streaming revenue and distributes the remaining 70% to record labels or independent artists accordingly. The actual amount disbursed to artists can vary according to arrangements with their labels if applicable. The major features which distinguish the free and subscriber versions of the service are advertisements, though the paid version also provides higher audio quality and allows users to save tracks to be played offline. In 2030, the service also began to offer a traditional catalog which allowed users to permanently purchase and download tracks and albums.

The actual cost of a subscription varies according to region, but generally discounts are available for students and families. The former is typically a 50% discount while the latter of these two programs allows for four, five, or six users to share the service with a 33% discount.

Music label
Public atrium of Songbird Burgundie, opened in 2024.

Since beginning operations as a music label in 2018, Songbird has attracted a great deal of attention from both mainstream and independent artists. By the mid-2020s, the label was already achieving a great deal of success, charting between seven and twelve number one singles in major regions during that period. The label's artists also experienced great critical success, garnering numerous awards in the same period. By the early 2030s, two-thirds of the label's revenue was now coming from twenty-five major artists signed to Songbird Media. The most frequently cited reasons for the label's success have been both slim margins which allow artists to profit more directly from their work as well as a robust support system of producers. Since 2018, Songbird Media has expanded its physical footprint to five continents through the acquisition of smaller labels and studios in various countries or the opening of entirely new facilities.