Chordify – The Music e-learning platform that automatically transforms music into chords
Please introduce yourself and your startup Chordify to our readers!
My name is Tijmen and I am one of the co-founders at Chordify – The Music e-learning platform that automatically transforms music into chords. Like magic! Well, not really… It’s actually done through AI technology that can recognize even the most obscure songs and then produce the chords to that song so that you can play it on guitar, piano, or ukelele. So not magic at all really, just state-of-the-art music technology, which I think is even cooler in a way.
How did you get the idea of Chordify?
I used to play in a band with Bas, our CEO, and a few other guys, some of whom still work with us at Chordify. With our combined interest in music and programming, we saw a chance at revolutionizing the world of chord recognition technology – and so we did!
Why did you decide to start with Chordify?
As musicians, we used a lot of chords platforms and we never really thought any of them lived up to their full potential. There was always the issue of chords missing for less known songs and sometimes the chords weren’t even right. We wanted a platform that was easier to use and had any song you’d search for.
What is the vision behind Chordify?
Seeing the world is living its music, that has always been our vision.
We just love seeing the millions of users that jam along with us at Chordify. Music can both be a way to deal with stress and emotions but it can also let you escape from everyday life for a while – I think that’s something everyone needs from time to time. We also strive to see people connect through music, whether that’s with friends, an audience, or with your old self by playing something nostalgic. Finally, Chordify can be a great way to develop as a person considering how learning something new gives you a sense of confidence and achievement.
How difficult was the start and which challenges did you have to overcome?
We faced a bunch of challenges, like any start-up we struggled with time, funding, and structure. It’s, unfortunately, true that nothing worth having comes easy. It really comes down to expecting mistakes to be made, learning from them, and then remembering why you did all this in the first place so you don’t lose hope. It helps to have friends as colleagues who love music as much as you do.
Who is your target audience?
One of the best things about Chordify is that everyone from novice players to self-made professionals can make good use of our platform. When you’ve decided which song you’d like to play, the chords are provided to you in progression with the song, and the platform shows you how to play every chord. Then there’s a bunch of groovy features that help those who are still just starting out, like slowing down the tempo so you can follow the song at your own pace. We’ve really put a lot of effort into making it a platform for all music lovers – no matter your previous skills.
What is the USP of your startup?
First and foremost, our cutting-edge technology really sets us apart as it makes it possible to get the chords to any song, without being dependent on anyone else having manually entered the chords before. Without getting too nerdy with the tech details, we built an AI robot that could do both chord recognition and beat tracking. After feeding it with thousands of song examples, it can now figure out the chords to any song in the world, all by itself! We’re very proud robot parents.
There are obviously other chord and music e-learning platforms out there and right on them for helping people connect with music, that’s the most important thing. But Chordify has a unique technology and a combination of features that together gives the user a better all-around experience and accommodates a wider range of music lovers.
Can you describe your typical workday?
Most days at Chordify are quite upbeat (pun intended) since we are in the scaleup stage of things. No day is the same, but it’s usually coffee, meetings, coffee, listening to some good music, coffee, tech stuff, and then finishing the day with some physical puzzle solving at the bouldering gym.
I feel very lucky to have so many amazing people in our big band and I think they are what makes our company culture so great. More than that, we all love music so we often share our favorite new releases and even our own creations. We also meet up at concerts and festivals and like to jam together, even if it sounds horrible sometimes.
Where do you see yourself and your startup Chordify in five years?
I am hoping that more music lovers join us in chordifying music. Starting off in the Netherlands, Chordify has seen fast and organic growth in the last 10 years but we’ve always had our eyes on expanding internationally so that’s where our focus lies right now.
What 3 tips would you give to founders?
You most likely built your business around something you’re passionate about, so my recommendation would be to keep that passion in mind throughout the good and the bad times.
This is a little bit of a cliche, but don’t underestimate the value of hiring the right person. Your employees are what will make or break your business.
And last but not least, ROCK ON!
More information you will find here
Thank you Tijmen for the Interview
Statements of the author and the interviewee do not necessarily represent the editors and the publisher opinion again.
