Discovering New Musical Artists While Making Connections Has Never Been Easier

What started as a web-based game to promote similar music tastes is now also a mobile app. Music League CEO and co-founder Eric West rediscovered the idea of Music League during the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea was originally created by a couple of software engineers and product managers at Workiva who had developed the game to play with friends and their coworkers. It was never intended to go viral or become an official business. Yet, West reimagined what a viable business model could be for Music League, focusing on creating a way to blend music discovery and creative competition for music listeners everywhere.

Music League is an interactive phone and web app that allows users to form teams to complete music comparison contests. Each round focuses on specific musical themes like “throwbacks” or “favorite songs you’ve seen in concert.” After each round is completed, a playlist is created on Spotify for the whole team to listen to. Users then listen to the playlist and cast their votes for their favorite tracks. West’s background in building and running businesses is what sparked an interest in growing Music League. Long-term, the goal is to turn Music League into a music-focused social media platform.

West’s day-to-day includes work at Gravitate Coworking where he balances an outside perspective in an industry that he is new to with his own personal experiences in running a business. He focuses on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, taking advantage of the productive energy that surrounds him at the coworking space. He does work from home at times, but the camaraderie and support at the Gravitate facility can’t be matched.

Researching and talking with different publishers and learning what they do has also allowed West to build relationships with the prospect of working together in the future. Most of his research for Music League has come from online searches, industry podcasts and books as well as those who sit on the Music League advisory board. Within DSM, the startup community has been an anchor and so helpful to West. He encourages other founders to reach out to this community because their willingness to offer support is one of the best things about the region.

The passion people have for Music League has made the business’ viability a safe venture, and West is encouraged to see it grow in DSM. The world might assume the business is in Silicon Valley or other tech havens, but he loves the fact that Music League is being built in DSM and that cool, cutting-edge things are happening here.

About Music League

Music League is a game where friends, family and coworkers can discover new music or re-discover forgotten favorites through competitions on the web and a new mobile app.

Founder: Eric West

Industry: Music, Tech | DSM County Location: Polk County

Contact

info@musicleague.com | musicleague.com

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