There is music inside all of us. That is what Norwegian superstar DJ Kygo believes. And through a new collaboration between him and Telia Company, anyone can create, save and share music – all through the app Telia Soundmaker.
The idea behind Soundmaker is partly to celebrate culture and technology – and to create fun. In short, the app aims to lower the threshold into music production and perhaps even into fame, by providing rhythms, base lines and chords that the user can turn into his or her own hits.
Kygo, a.k.a. Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, has a total of a billion listeners on Spotify and received the “Newcomer of the year” award at a major radio and TV music award show in 2014. Now, both Kygo and Telia want to give back to society.
“We hope that Soundmaker can inspire people to learn how to make their own music, and to explore the possibilities in this kind of technology,” says Ingvild Stubhaug Steg, Telia Norway Head of Marketing and head of the project. “It is also very exciting to collaborate with Kygo, because we have common core values. He wants to give something back and teach others how to make their own music and we want to make technology accessible to everyone, so that everyone has the same opportunity to do just that. The app is free and easy to use, so there is room for a lot of experimentation and musical fun.”
Learn from the best
Via the app, Kygo also offers tips and tricks regarding the basics of making a hit. Furthermore, Telia has produced six short videos with the DJ, called Sessions, in which Kygo explains the principles of producing music.
“There is music inside of all of us, and everyone should have the chance to let it out,” Kygo says. “I only stopped playing the piano when I discovered that I could use the computer for making music. Starting out, I would spend all night in from of the computer. I found a melody that I liked and added chords, beats and effects. But I also spent a lot of time on You Tube trying to learn how to use the different tools. I believe that Soundmaker will make it easier for young people to start something of their own, as a first step towards the rest of the world.”
