In 2021, around the world people were trapped in their homes, under quarantine from the COVID-19 pandemic. Work continued remotely as creatives took to virtual platforms more than ever. That same year Cyphr launched. The innovative application is equal parts LinkedIn and Soundcloud. Producers upload their created beats onto the platform. Artists can then pick out their favorites and perform over them, inviting others to collaborate. As of today, the platform boasts thousands of users, over 1000 uploaded beats, and over 500 unique songs created.
According to Dylan Brennan, co-founder and CEO of Cyphr, the timing could not have been better.
“I had this idea to build out this kind of Skype, but for rap,” Brennan explained over the phone. He envisioned a beat playing, and people rapping back and forth over it — a virtual version of the classic Hip Hop cipher. Network latency and timing issues made it impossible to guarantee a consistent experience that they could be proud of. But, the bones of the product were ironclad. “[During quarantine] many people couldn’t record in a studio, but they owned a smartphone,” Brennan explained. “Luckily the mics in these phones have gotten so good that they rival studio quality. Every musician has access to a career.”
A Money-Making Business
Cyphr follows through on the promise of providing a career. It allows aspiring artists and producers to cut out the middleman when it comes to distributing their work. A song made on Cyphr can be published to 20+ streaming platforms, including Spotify and Tidal, for only $10 USD. The artists and producers own 100% of the rights, and can track the performance of each song collected directly in the application. At any point, the creator can ask for disbursement through Paypal, Cash App, or Venmo. The producer is entitled to 50% of the revenue and the rest is divided up among the artists.
Brennan is no musician himself, but he has spent his entire life surrounded by creativity. He is the grandson of Perry Henzel, the legendary filmmaker and novelist who directed and scored Jamaica’s first feature film, ‘The Harder They Come.’
“In Jamaica, we have excellent music, but we’re not reaching the same commercial levels, and it’s not clear why,” Brennan ponders out loud. “Some say the music is too violent or the marketing isn’t good enough.” Brennan notes how Afrobeats is experiencing a moment as the biggest music genre in the world. There’s obvious respect between the artists in Reggae/Dancehall and the Afrobeat superstars as shown by the increase in collaboration and tours in each other’s territories.
Jafrobeats Competition
The Jafrobeats competition is Cyphr’s stab at deepening this collaboration. Brennan sees the marriage of the two genres as a way to supercharge both on the global stage.
“It’s about seeing what we can accomplish if we work together,” he explained. To participate in the competition, a Jamaican artist/producer needs to collaborate with an African/producer. On July 1st, the song with the most plays on the app will win the 1st place cash prize. There’s one stipulation — no violent lyrics.
Cyphr is only available on iOS, but an Android application is in development and is the top priority of the team. The application is free to use and is in the fundraising stage, as the team seeks out further funding from venture capitalists.
