What does it take to modernize an industry where opportunities are often hidden behind networks and connections?

In this episode of Sound of Startups, Taj speaks with Emanuele Sanfelici, Founder & CEO of HAT Music and Forbes Under 30 Italy honoree, about building the future of career development for musicians.

HAT Music is creating a platform that helps artists connect with producers, managers, designers, and other industry professionals, bringing modern networking and opportunity discovery to the music industry.

Emanuele shares his entrepreneurial journey, from validating the idea before writing a single line of code to raising a pre-seed round and growing the platform to more than 14,000 users. He also discusses the realities of fundraising, building a startup from Italy, overcoming rejection, and developing the mindset required to succeed as a founder.

Whether you're a founder, investor, creator, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode offers practical insights into startup growth, resilience, and building a company from the ground up.

Subscribe to Sound of Startups for more conversations with founders building the future.

Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

If you want to learn more about HAT music, visit here:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hat-music
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hat.music/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hat.music

Hear Episode #11 of Sound of Startups.

In this conversation, we speak with Chiara Santoro, Strategy Advisor in Content, Music and Tech, Speaker, and former EMEA YouTube executive. During her 13 years at YouTube, she helped launch the Partnership Program in Italy, worked across Europe, the Nordics and Sub-Saharan Africa, collaborated with major record labels, supported the rollout of YouTube Premium, and guided digital growth for top football clubs like Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Serie A.

Today, she advises music tech startups and contributes to AI policy discussions. We explore platform economics, scale, cultural relevance, and why founders must master the art of saying no while balancing speed with direction.

Listen now and subscribe to stay close to the real stories behind creative growth.

Hosted by Taj and Produced by Amplitude Ventures AS.

We are celebrating our 10th epsiode with Bradley Orford‑Hall who left high finance at JP Morgan to follow his passion for music and the creative economy.In this episode, the former Spotify strategist with a background from Cambridge shares how his experiences shaped his view on building in music and technology. We look at the shift from content scarcity to abundance and how AI is democratizing global music production as he explains why startups must leverage industry networks and relationships to gain traction in a relationship‑driven market.This is a thoughtful conversation on making music a sustainable and strategic business.Find out more about xRave here - https://www.xraveventures.com/Join the conversation and learn how thoughtful founders are shaping music’s next chapter.Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more raw stories and creative lessons._____________________________________________________________Produced by Amplitude Ventures Consulting: Partners in Early-Stage Startups00:00 Welcome and Intro03:59 Pivot From Banking to Music08:16 Investing in Creative Innovation10:26 Navigating AI and Abundance19:10 Raising Capital for Startups22:19 Power of Industry Networks26:19 Strategy for Future Investments