GRAI believes AI can make music more social, not replace artists

Source: TechCrunch

GRAI’s Vision

GRAi aims to give artists control over how their music is used while harnessing AI to transform consumer engagement. The founders—Belarusian entrepreneurs who previously sold their video‑creation app VOCHI to Pinterest—see music as one of the last major consumer categories that hasn’t gone “creator‑first.”

“We have problems — discovery is broken, listening is passive, and social context is almost non‑existent.” — Ilya Liasun, co‑founder & CEO

Products

GRAI is experimenting with AI‑powered music tools, currently offering:

• Music with Friends – a remixing app for iOS
• AI Music Playground – an Android app

These apps let users remix a favorite tune or change its style, creating a more interactive listening experience.

Artist Control & Legal Framework

GRAI is building a “derivatives pipeline” and real‑time audio systems that preserve the identity of original tracks while allowing transformations. The company’s goal is to work with artists and labels to make remixing legal and royalty‑generating.

“We don’t want to share new genAI slop to the streaming service. We actually focus on the interaction part.” — Ilya Liasun

The approach emphasizes opt‑in/opt‑out mechanisms: artists decide whether their music can be used in the platform’s social features.

Target Audience & Social Interaction

GRAI targets Gen Z and Gen Alpha users who discover music through culture, friends, fandoms, and short‑form content (e.g., TikTok). These users aren’t necessarily creators or producers; they want to participate in music experiences.

If remixing becomes popular, it could surface new artists and songs beyond larger platforms like Reels, TikTok, or YouTube.

Technology

To power its social apps, GRAI developed:

• A proprietary taste and participation graph
• Real‑time audio infrastructure
• A “derivatives pipeline” that maintains original track identity while enabling transformations

Funding

GRAI has raised a $9 million seed round co‑led by Khosla Ventures and Inovo VC. Other participants include:

• Tensor Ventures
• Tiny.VC ()
• Flyer One Ventures
• a16z Scout Fund
• Angel investors such as Andrew Zhai, Greg Tkachenko, Rob Reid, and Dima Shvets

The company is co‑founded by CTO Dima Kamarouski and President Andrei Avsievich.

References

• GRAI website
• LinkedIn company page
• TechCrunch article on VOCHI acquisition