Hearby.com

Hearby.com, operating under the parent company Area4Labs, is an online platform focused on the discovery of local live music events. The company was co-founded by Gary Halliwell, a serial data entrepreneur, and Ian Condry, a Professor of Cultural Anthropology at MIT. Their combined expertise in big data and cultural studies forms the foundation of the platform, which aims to solve the challenge of discovering smaller-scale, local music events that constitute a large portion of the live music market.

The business addresses the difficulty music fans face in finding comprehensive listings for shows in their area, particularly for less mainstream artists and smaller venues like restaurants and brewpubs. By doing so, Hearby's mission is to support local artists and venues by increasing attendance at their shows. The platform operates by utilizing artificial intelligence and data cleaning techniques to aggregate and present a vast collection of local music listings across numerous cities in North America and the United Kingdom. Hearby's expansion plans include further reach into European and global cities.

The core of Hearby's service is its AI-powered discovery engine, which makes local event information accessible to music enthusiasts. A key feature is "Ask Hearby," an AI chatbot designed to provide personalized live music recommendations, simulating a conversation with a knowledgeable friend. This tool allows users to make specific inquiries, such as finding a jazz performance or a restaurant with live music, to receive curated suggestions. The company has secured $3 million in total seed funding, with investors including Namier Capital and Simon Murdoch, an early investor in Shazam, to support its expansion and technological development.

Keywords: live music discovery, local music, event listings, AI chatbot, concert finder, music technology, data analytics, cultural anthropology, local venues, artist support