One performance can affect a musician’s whole career.
So when Professional opera singer and entrepreneur Nadine Levitt, who has performed with David Foster, Roger Daltry, Christina Perri and Steven Tyler, encountered a great performance opportunity on short notice, she lamented about not having the proper tools to rehearse. The only recording she could find of the song was in a key that put the song out of her range.
It was that experience that inspired Levitt to found
, a free mobile app that allows users to record and share custom cover songs on their phones.
The app launched on iOS in June 2015 and on Android earlier this month. Since the initial launch, more than 300,000 users have joined Wurrly and collectively produced more than 1.5 million recording sessions — also known as Wurrlies.
Make it your own
The easy-to-customize nature of Wurrly makes it unique. Users browse Wurrly’s collection of songs, all of which are provided legally thanks to its in-house licensing team.
When they select a song they want to cover, users can adjust the key and the tempo with the tap of a button.
Elise Gabriel, senior marketing director at Wurrly, said the startup has patents out on that technology.
Users also choose the backing track, selecting either an acoustic guitar or piano version, which Gabriel said are recorded by “best of class” studio musicians. A variety of third parties provide a full band option, as well.
Audio and visual filters can be applied to Wurrlies, with users choosing from options like rockstar, vintage, diva and radio. Additionally, users can monitor their mic levels and adjust the balance between their vocals and the backing track. If they are just using the app for practice, users could keep the Wurrlies private. But as the Wurrly team has seen, users of all skill levels love to share their creations.
“It’s really sprouted from this tiny seed and this personal need of how do we empower singers and musicians with powerful technology on their phones that’s not thousands of dollars,” Gabriel said. “And now it’s grown into an artist community and a place for new talent to share their voice and be discovered.”
Gabriel said she made it the "company's mission” to ensure the app encourages two-way conversation. People can comment on and like Wurrlies, and more established users can direct followers to more of their music. Gabriel said A&R and talent scouts have reached out to users after viewing their Wurrlies.
The app’s home screen displays Wurrlies created by the people a user follows. The feature screen displays the newest and trending Wurrlies.
Community extends to the office
Gabriel attributed the early success of the Santa Monica-based app to the team’s musician-first philosophy and its desire to listen to user feedback.
“We are a technology team that also is filled with musicians,” Gabriel said, adding they have a core team of about 15 people. “So we like to think we really empathize with musicians and what they want, and are creating a platform as one of them.”
Such musician-friendly intentions are further manifested in the iTunes button located next to each song, enabling users to support the original creators.
Wurrly also has ambassador programs in which students at UCLA and USC immerse themselves in music and technology through digital marketing strategies, choir competitions and fundraising efforts for sororities and fraternities.
Gabriel said Wurrly cares deeply about musicians, and that sense of appreciation carries over to its Los Angeles office.
“We really are striving to build an app that is for everyone. We don’t at all want any licensing deals that are bad for labels or musicians or for the industry,” Gabriel said. “We really want to be honest and open and transparent and build great relationships with artists. We invest a lot of time into that as a company, and I think that because we care so much for our artists and we genuinely care about our users, that also is the same within the company. We care about people.”
Gabriel said Wurrly is always looking to hire tech talent, and that its employees are empowered to share their ideas and perspectives. They're also continuously looking to raise money and build upon their undisclosed angel investment, according to Gabriel. The company currently earns revenue from in-app advertising, though Gabriel said a premium, ad-free version is in the works.
You can download the app here!
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