Photo Credits: Oleg Khoroshev
Alex Akimov, the founder of Sound (Sound.me) and Simple Social, brings a distinct background to the world of music management. Unlike many others in digital advertising, Alex began his journey on the other end of his respective industry. As opposed to entering music management as an outsider, he got his start as a touring guitarist with the love of music in his heart and the mentality of a creator at his core. His poignant journey from touring guitar player to music management and digital marketing leader is not simply a career path but an all-encompassing narrative of his evolving skills and relentless passion. Having been a musician himself, Alex understands the challenges and opportunities artists face, enabling him to create much more empathetic and effective strategies.
Upon migrating to the US at only 19—speaking no English—Alex fell into the mold of another musician following his dreams. While touring as a guitarist, he discovered a new path to utilize his complete, unparalleled skill set in music and marketing. Working alongside his wife, Lani, they began to leverage the emerging social platforms of the 2010s to breathe life into the flourishing boy band at the time, New District. After collaborating with the group, New District’s global reach skyrocketed, ultimately landing them a Teen Choice Award nomination and tours with well-known artists Bebe Rexha and Fifth Harmony.
Essentially, Alex spotted a glaring gap in the music advertising market. Armed with his success with New District, he effectively attracted industry giants such as Randy Jackson and Mike Caren. Astonishingly, Alex began working with the top music record labels on social media marketing campaigns for world-famous artists based on referrals alone. In 2017, Alex founded Simple Social, a digital marketing agency that is transforming how music artists are marketed to fans locally and worldwide. Simple Social offers music marketing services and analytics products from major record labels, artist managers, and talent agencies. With a deep understanding of music and data science, refined through L.A. Music Academy studies and MIT certifications, Alex uses avant-garde concepts like “trigger markets.” Additionally, his expertise in AI technology, social media promotion, music artist branding, and digital marketing have combined to set him apart.
By examining streams and social listening, Alex tactically allocates marketing budgets to these “trigger” areas, building momentum in smaller markets before breaking into major ones. This groundbreaking approach allows for a more global and organic growth trajectory for new artists, and in 2022, Alex founded his second company, Sound. Sound’s website, Sound.me, has grown into a leading creator marketplace uniquely positioned at the conjunction of music production, influencer collaboration, and disruptive technology. This is evident in its rapid growth to almost 1,000,000 users. The Sound platform is disrupting influencer collaboration by using fully trained AI technology to eradicate artist, agency, and influencer negotiations by routinely assessing creator value through analytics analysis. This world-shattering model sets transparent compensation rates, ensuring artists and labels obtain top-tier promotional value for their investment. From promoting a song in Brazil to hyping a show in New York, the platform’s geo-targeting capabilities empower users to create hyper-localized campaigns at the click of a button.
Inspired to improve music promotion by using social media worldwide, Alex’s journey from a touring guitarist to a music management and digital marketing leader is a testament to his passion and motivation. Sound.me is revolutionizing the creator industry, addressing critical challenges in the influencer market, and allowing clients to launch campaigns effortlessly. The platform grants clients complete control over spending while ensuring rapid posting so promotions can go live the same day they are created. Alex’s philosophy is simple, “if you do a good job, people will find you,” which is apparent in his unrivaled work ethic. Through Sound.me, Alex makes music promotion accessible to artists of any stature. Through Simple Social, he is effectively the man behind your favorite viral pop and hip-hop artists in the industry.
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