Apple is backing a startup led by a former Apple Music executive

Apple backs a music startup launched by one of its former executives.

The company, called Gamma, is the brainchild of Larry Jackson, former global creative director of Apple Music, and veteran music director Ike Youssef. It positions itself as an alternative to traditional record companies.

“Artists shaping today’s culture create not only music, but also videos, films, podcasts, fashion, and more,” Jackson said in a statement Wednesday. “They shouldn’t have to go through multiple stages to express themselves.

Gamma says it will support content creation – whether music, video or podcasts, and provide audio and video distribution through Vydia, a company acquired in December 2022.

Early projects will include work with Snoop Dogg and his Death Row catalog, Rick Ross and Naomi Campbell, Gamma said. He also plans to work with Todd Boehly’s Eldridge, whose investments include the Los Angeles Dodgers, which is a major backer.

The independent studio A24 is one of the start-up’s investors. Gamma declined to comment on a published report that it has access to around $1 billion (about Rs 8,200 crore) in capital.

Meanwhile, Humane, another startup founded by former Apple employees, said it raised $100 million (about Rs 800 crore) and will launch its first products this spring.

The company, founded in 2018 by Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, has now raised $241 million (roughly Rs. 2,000 crore) but has yet to reveal what it is building, saying only that it is a “software platform and consumer device built from the foundation of artificial intelligence.”

© Thomson Reuters 2023