YogiTunes
YogiTunes is on a mission to uplift humanity through the power of yoga and music.
Finalist for:
Startup of the Year
Interviewee: Alex King-Harris,
Co-Founder & CEO
When – and how – was your company born?
Music and yoga presented themselves as being interrelated early on in my career. I apprenticed in a cancer therapy program that used tools from both disciplines in my early 20’s, straight out of music school. It was that training and my desire to find the roots of electronic music that drew me to Los Angeles, where I met my two original co-founders Craig Kohland and Amani Friend. We all shared the gift of creating contemporary but ancient music that was profoundly healing and transformative for people. We channeled our songs through yoga teachers by playing live in classes and scoring music for over 50 of the most influential yoga instructors in the world. YogiTunes was born from the response we got. There was a need for fresh, yoga inspired sequences of songs, specifically engineered for the yogic journey, and available at the touch of a button.
Who are some of your clients? What projects are you working on right now, and what do they do?
Yoga teachers and yoga studio owners are our core market focus, but we also cater to massage therapists, dance instructors, spas, eco-retail outlets, and a general population of mindful consumers who value the content of the music as part of their lifestyle choice. We also cater to independent record labels and artists. YogiTunes represents a turning point in streaming music, creating more value for all of our community members through a niche and very tailored service.
We are currently working on software development, which encompasses rebuilding our database, API, website, web streaming app and native mobile apps. Our new app provides teachers with long requested tools that make playlist discovery and creation fast and easy. We’re empowering teachers with what it takes to be a great yoga DJ, while helping artists by creating a more fair exchange in our royalty rates.
What was a pivotal moment for your company?
Probably joining VIATEC. We weren’t growing, had no access to investors and were having core technology problems. I was actually ready to throw in the towel, but joining the VAP program showed me immediately that there were resources in Victoria that I wasn’t aware of. Having only been back in Canada from 15 years in the U.S., I found it to be an amazing networking opportunity with experienced entrepreneurs who had open arms to newbies like me. Getting our EIR’s on board was miraculous in how it transformed us.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned along the way?
To believe. To be patient, humble and take better care of myself. To listen, practice stillness, envision success, be thankful and in a state of gratitude as often as possible. To reach out, ask for help, be willing to fail but also be willing to succeed. Don’t give up, never give up. Until it’s clear that it’s over, and then let go. Grieve and learn to go through loss. Then take that loss, find the gold and begin again.
What does the future 10 years look like for your company?
Expansion into every health and wellness related channel on Earth. Consumer and business. Harness the power of music for healing while supporting musicians. Give health and wellness professionals everywhere access to the best music for their particular discipline. Give yogis and meditators a consumer service that truly benefits their lives, enhancing their depth of mindfulness and compassion through the power of music. Be a partner brand with a community of brands doing good for the planet we live on, for generations.
Why Victoria?
I’ve lived all over the place and this city is where it’s at for me and for my company. It’s an urban paradise, my family emigrated here from England (via Newfoundland), I grew up here in my teens and oh by the way, there’s a kick ass tech scene as well to boot! After 15 years in the U.S., there’s nowhere I’d rather be building my company than here.