SAN FRANCISCO, CA (CelebrityAccess) – The world of music streaming takes a significant leap forward today with the official launch of Rythm, the pioneering community-based group listening platform. Initially founded in 2016 by then-14-year-old Yoav Zimet, Rythm started as a modest music app on Discord. Now, eight years later, it’s returning to its roots with robust backing from top venture capital firms and music industry leaders, and with newly secured global licensing rights from leading music companies, Rythm is set to stream the latest hits from today’s most significant artists.
“I originally created Rythm as a way for me and my friends to connect over our mutual love for discovering and sharing music while gaming, but it quickly grew to become much more than that,” shared Zimet, CEO and Co-Founder of Rythm. “We’ve created the new experience with the goal of bringing Rythm back better than ever, reuniting the previous community, and further expanding to new listeners. We were able to do this thanks to our team, our partners and our amazing community, who stuck with us. I’m so excited for what’s to come; this is just the beginning.”
From a teenage passion project to Discord’s most beloved music app, Rythm has always aimed to bring people together through music. The platform hit a snag in 2021 and had to shut down, but Zimet’s vision never wavered. He teamed up with Chief Technological Officer (CTO) and co-founder Oliy Barrett, and together, they orchestrated the relaunch of Rythm.
Over the past two years, the Rythm team has secured substantial investments from top-tier VCs, including Corazon Capital, Mucker Capital, and CRUSH Ventures. They also gained support from heavyweights in the music industry, such as Laffitte Management Group, Black Squirrel Partners, and Q Prime’s Peter Mensch. With this robust backing, Rythm is on a mission to build the largest global community for group music listening, directly engaging people where they spend most of their time—online.
“Yoav created an innovative consumer experience that will revolutionize the music industry, building one of the most successful apps on Discord and proving the power of social music listening,” said Sam Yagan, Co-Founder of Corazon Capital and Director at Rythm. “In my time as a founder and investor, I can’t remember another community as large and engaged as Rythm’s anticipating the return of a beloved product. I look forward to supporting this new chapter in Rythm’s growth.”
Rythm users can explore a catalog of over 50 million songs spanning all genres. Key features include “Sessions,” where users can stream and share music in real-time while chatting via text or video. There are also genre—and mood-themed radio stations curated by the company and its user community.
Rythm offers a tiered subscription model: a free and premium tier at $4.99 per month plus tax. Free users can listen along to premium-tier friends’ Sessions and access curated radio stations. In contrast, premium members can host Sessions for up to 20 listeners, manage who can add songs to their Sessions, and enjoy unlimited access to Rythm’s extensive music library. Rythm ensures fair compensation for artists and songwriters thanks to its licensing agreements. When a song is played in a session, each listener counts as a separate stream, which could significantly boost revenue and exposure for artists.
Rythm plans to launch a mobile app later this year, further expanding its reach. Music enthusiasts can join the waitlist here to be among the first to experience this next phase.
