In Norse mythology, Skíðblaðnir, the finest of all ships, was a gift from the gods, which brought those on board to safety when they were disoriented. Hoping that their music licensing platform would embody this spirit and lead the music industry to a healthier place free of legal concerns, the Amouyal brothers shortened the Viking spelling for a more edgy flair and named their business SKIO Music.
When SKIO Music started in January 2014, people said to the Amouyals that starting a music tech business in Vancouver would be difficult. Yet the Amouyals saw the potential and set their mind to achieve growth not just in this community, but also with it. Passionate and resourceful, they reached out to UBC Sauder School of Business and, after a series of referrals, had Jordan “DJ Swivel” Young come on board as a co-founder. Young is regarded highly in the industry and has collaborated with Beyoncé, Kanye West, Rihanna and Jay Z.
Today, SKIO Music is patronized by 10,066 users in around 120 countries. The force behind this accomplishment is a core team of 18 working from a spacious basement in Gastown. Upon entering the Vegas themed underground space a historic bank vault is the first thing that one sees in an office which is adorned with monkey, flamingo and coconut tree decors. The place is a charming fusion of antiquity and modernity.
With a global reach, SKIO Music has bridged intercultural collaborations and celebrated music as the universal language, facilitating the success of Israeli-Brazilian remix track Funk Yourself, which was supported by high-profile artists including Hardwell, The Chainsmokers, Fedde Le Grand and Michael Woods.
CEO and UBC alumnus Zohar Amouyal credits his media & entertainment law professor John Festinger with inspiring him to explore copyright law from the perspective of an artist. He compares the struggle for music creators in the digital era to the Titanic hitting the iceberg, describing the interaction between technology and copyright law as a rough clash rather than a smooth complement.
SKIO operates on the premise that musicians should not have to be forced to choose between sharing and protecting, seeking to ensure the survival of creativity by making it a professional probability.
Having been music enthusiasts since they were young, this is a mission that the Amouyals hold dear to their hearts. They recalled flying to a music festival in rural Mexico to perform to an audience of 4,000 on a Saturday during reading break, and returned to school on Monday for exams.
“I think that trying to democratize the [music] system is about making sure that creators are the ones that are driving the industry forward,” said VP Business Development Omri Amouyal.
SKIO Music is indeed the Skíðblaðnir of the music industry in the digital world today. The company set sail from the murky waters of copyright nuisance and storms along the way did not deter it from its mssion to take the music industry to a transparent ocean full of vast possibilities.