Companies 14 September 2 min read
Music startup raises $5.5 million for remixing apps beyond prompts
A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya, founded by former Spotify innovation chief Máuhan M. Zonoozy, is building tools for manipulating music directly. Its apps now also include prompt-based sound creation.
Investors in the round include Mantis VC, SV Angel and BoxGroup, alongside former Spotify executive Dawn Ostroff, who has joined as an adviser. Ivan Mehta reported the funding and product details for TechCrunch.
The startup’s main iOS app, bop, lets users arrange instruments and effects on a grid to remix a base song, change its tempo and add one-off effects. Finished mixes can be exported to TikTok or Instagram.
Remixing first, prompts alongside
Its smaller tools offer different ways to play with sound. Speed Surfer changes the speed and filtering of browser audio through a Chrome extension. Stacks lets users switch parts of a mix on and off in a three-by-three grid, while Sampler turns YouTube videos into beat-based music samplers.
This is not a blanket rejection of generative AI. The company has added a prompt-based sound-creation feature, and Zonoozy says he is open to using AI to build products and support their infrastructure. His stated approach is not to put it into every interaction.
A multiplayer version of bop is in development, rather than part of the described existing experience. The company also aims to release a broader music-making sandbox during 2026, including tools for creating instruments.
Sources & publication notes
Published in our 15/09/2026 edition. Source dates are shown above.
The AI Street Journal · Free to read
Make this your morning paper.
Three AI stories, clearly explained and illustrated. Free in your inbox.
Prefer to listen? Try three personal briefings, free →