While many contemporary AI music startups, such as Suno and Udio, focus on leveraging artificial intelligence for generating music from scratch, a new entrant named GRAI posits a different vision. GRAI believes that most users are less interested in creating music from the ground up with AI, and more inclined towards interactive activities like remixing existing tunes, sharing them with friends, or playfully altering a track's style for enjoyment.
Crucially, the decision of whether and to what extent an artist permits such interactions with their creations should unequivocally rest with them.
GRAI, a music innovation lab, has successfully secured $9 million in seed funding, and its core mission is to empower artists with this control while simultaneously harnessing AI's potential to revolutionize consumer engagement with music.
The company, founded by a team of Belarusian entrepreneurs known for previously selling their video creation app VOCHI to Pinterest, is actively developing and testing novel AI music products. Currently, their offerings include "Music with Friends," a remixing application for iOS, and another AI music playground designed for Android. These applications, along with future releases, are intended to provide GRAI with critical insights into how consumers wish to interact with music beyond mere AI-driven creation or passive listening.
Ilya Liasun, GRAI's co-founder and CEO, who is based in Poland with a significant portion of the team, articulated the company's foundational concept: "The idea that we’re building the company around is what the next thing can be in music AI interaction and consumption." He further explained that a primary motivation for establishing GRAI stems from music being one of the few major consumer categories yet to fully embrace a "creator-first" approach.
Liasun highlighted several existing challenges within the music landscape, noting, "We have problems — discovery is broken, listening is passive, and social context is almost non-existent."
Contrary to the fears of some, Liasun does not foresee AI threatening artists and labels. Instead, the GRAI team firmly believes that AI can unlock innovative avenues for music engagement that extend far beyond simply generating a song using generative AI technology.
GRAI intends to direct its products towards Gen Z and Gen Alpha users, demographics that typically discover new music through cultural channels—be it friends, fandoms, or short-form content platforms like TikTok. These users are generally not aspiring creators or music producers; their desire is simply to participate in some capacity.
To support its social applications, GRAI has engineered its proprietary taste and participation graph, alongside its unique infrastructure. The company is developing a "derivatives pipeline" and real-time audio systems specifically designed to preserve the fundamental identity of original tracks while enabling their transformation.
As Liasun articulated, GRAI's objective is to collaborate with artists and their labels to ensure the legality of these interactive activities. The ultimate aim is not to proliferate unwanted AI-generated music.
"We don’t want to share new genAI slop to the streaming service. We actually focus on the interaction part," Liasun stated emphatically.
The underlying concept is that users can manipulate tracks within GRAI’s apps, perhaps by remixing a beloved tune or altering its stylistic elements. Potentially, these modified tracks could evolve into a fresh revenue stream for artists and labels through royalty payments.
The company clarified that it did not commence building its social applications prior to seeking permission from labels. Instead, as Liasun emphasized, the initial step involves engaging in discussions with the labels.
Liasun underscored a core tenet at GRAI: "The main idea here is that we want to build a future system in which artists will have the ability to opt in and opt out." He reiterated this belief, stating, "first, ask owners, and then integrate it." (Liasun chose not to disclose whether any agreements are currently in place or with which companies.)
Should this form of music remixing gain traction, GRAI anticipates it could facilitate the discovery of new artists and songs, extending beyond the reach of major platforms such as Reels, TikTok, or YouTube.
Through its inaugural applications, GRAI aims to gather comprehensive consumer feedback—including negative input—to discern effective strategies and identify areas for improvement.
GRAI, co-founded by CTO Dima Kamarouski and President Andrei Avsievich, has secured $9 million in seed funding. This round was co-led by Khosla Ventures and Inovo vc, with additional participation from investors including Tensor Ventures, Tiny.VC, Flyer One Ventures, a16z Scout Fund, and a roster of angel investors. Notable angels include Andrew Zhai (ML in Cursor, co-founder of Genova Labs, ex-Pinterest), Greg Tkachenko (founder of Unreal Labs, ex-Snap), Rob Reid (Founder of Rhapsody), and Dima Shvets (of MirAI and Reface).
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