Overhead.fm
Service that licenses popular music for businesses to play, and also offers a curated selection of music that is updated regularly.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
N/A | Seed | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Established in 2012, Overhead.fm operates as a music streaming service tailored for commercial use, addressing the specific needs of businesses for background music. The company was co-founded by Parker Wells and Stephen Hebson. Wells, who has a background in engineering from Brown University and experience at Google Special Projects, initially served as CEO. Hebson, with a dual degree in economics and history and experience at ATO Records, took on the role of CTO. Today, Greg Alexander, who has a background in engineering and business development, leads the company as CEO, while Wells and Hebson serve as board members.
Overhead.fm's core business revolves around providing a subscription-based platform that gives businesses access to a large, fully licensed music library. This model absolves clients of the need to negotiate public performance licenses directly with performing rights organizations. The service is structured with tiered monthly plans, starting from around $16.95, with no long-term contracts, targeting a wide range of small to large businesses, from single cafes to retail chains with hundreds of locations. Revenue is generated directly from these recurring subscription fees.
The service allows for deep customization and control. Clients can use expert-curated playlists, mix playlists for variety, or, on enterprise plans, request custom-built playlists. A key feature is the scheduling tool, which enables businesses to program different music for specific times or days, ensuring the ambiance matches the context, like a Sunday brunch versus a Saturday night. This control extends to multi-location management from a central dashboard, allowing a headquarters to manage music across all its venues. For an additional fee, the service also offers the creation and scheduling of in-store promotional messages. The platform is accessible via web browsers and apps for iOS and Android, and while clients can use their own devices, Overhead.fm also sells a dedicated streaming player for a one-time fee.
Keywords: business music, background music streaming, commercial music licensing, playlist curation, in-store audio, multi-location management, music scheduling, promotional messaging, retail audio solutions, subscription music service