K-Content News

A Music Platform that Finds Composers, Rhoonart

One essential element when making video contents such as movies and games is music. If you are a content creator, you will need to spend a long time choosing music that fits your content. Is there any way other than asking other creators if they know any good composers? The startup Rhoonart came up with a business that connects contents creators with composers. Rhoonart provides services that allow any creator, regardless of country or language, to hire their desired composer to make music through its music platform. Rhoonart got its name by combining the English words “croon” (sing) and “artist”. Rhoonart CEO Kwon Jae-ui was humming an original melody while walking in Han River Park in August of last year, and thought that it would be nice if his song could be published as a digital track. After his walk, he came home and surfed the Internet to see if it was possible to turn a simple melody into a sound track. That was the basic idea of Rhoonart. Kwon thought about the advantages of linking a person like himself who was unable to compose a song to a composer to make new music. His idea gradually took form while surveying the market for about three months. He came up with the idea of creating a platform that could connect content creators who needed commercial music with composers. As the entire process up to the final track could be performed online, it is free from all time and spatial constraints.

How the Paralympic cheer song was made

Opportunity came by chance. Rhoonart, a small startup that was not yet even incorporated, hosted the official cheer song contest for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics, as well as the medal plaza BGM song contest. Kwon said, “The Olympics had an official cheer song, but the Paralympics did not, so it seemed like it was being ignored.” He added, “We had the idea of solving this issue so we called the Korean Paralympic Committee. But there was no response.”

As the Korean Paralympic Committee did not respond, Mr. Kwon decided to visit their office. He explained, “I just went to their office and told them that I would like to propose a contest for an official cheer song, and asked if there was anybody I could talk to about this.”

“Just as I did with the Korea Paralympic Committee, I also hunted down the Olympic Organizing Committee and gave them my business proposal. I explained why an official cheer song was needed for the PyeongChang Winter Paralympics and why the Olympic Organizing Committee should do this. They told me that they actually had been looking for music.”

Rhoonart was established as a corporation in December 2017. Rhoonart was incorporated after their proposal to start a contest was approved. It won the contract for the contest before the company was even registered, only doing so after receiving its first investments. Some initially questioned why Rhoonart, ostensibly a ‘music platform,’ would host the contest. But Kwon saw the contest as an opportunity to gather information on composers and the style of music they made. Through two contests for the Paralympics, Rhoonart was able to gather information on more than 300 composers. Composers of both genders, all ages, and with all composition periods, costs and genres flocked to Rhoonart. Kwon made a database for the composer pool, and hosted other meaningful contests through Rhoonart to create opportunities for more composers and creators to do business together. He also proposed releasing tracks, saying, “Some of the tracks that were not picked for the contest were good tracks, but just didn’t fit the contest.” These tracks can currently be listened to through music distribution websites. Kwon Jae-ui said that when a VR content production company was having difficulty finding a composer, helping them through Rhoonart “was the most fulfilling and exciting feeling ever.” Rhoonart identified the type of music that the VR content producer needed immediately and found a suitable composer, solving the issue in just a day or two. Mr. Kwon said, “This is the ultimate role and reason for existence of Rhoonart and what we do best.” He added, “Music is an essential element for audiences to experience more in-depth VR.”

One Person, One Music Era

One of the biggest goals of Rhoonart is to open the doors to an era of one music for one person. Just as the age of one PC for one person came quickly, Rhoonart believes that the age of one music for one person will also come soon. Rhoonart’s goal is to build a stable foundation in the commercial music market, and procure the personal music market. Just as 100 people have 100 different identifies, Rhoonart believes that 100 people should have 100 different pieces of music. Kwon believes that when an individual makes a track by working with a composer through Rhoonart, the earnings from streaming that track can also go to the individual. What would it be like for your own melody to become music, and be released as a digital track? The future that Rhoonart dreams of is full of countless songs that will one day be made.

Article by OhmyNews Reporter Yoo Ji-young (alreadyblues@gmail.com)