Music startup aBreak challenges AI playlists, relying on humans to handpick the next big artist

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Algorithms may rule modern music discovery, but some record executives say the future of finding new artists looks a lot like the past. 

At least that’s what Elkridge, Maryland-based startup aBreak Music is betting on. It wants to help artists cut through the noise with a human-curated playlist designed to reach industry ears — instead of an AI DJ deciding which artists get their big breaks.

Each week, the company convenes a group of music industry experts, including label execs, agents and distributors, to select new tracks for its aBreak58 playlist. Founded in 2023, the team has sifted through tens of thousands of songs to shape its chart. 

“We bridge the gap between artists who desperately want to be found and record label executives who want to find them,” Bruce Tyler, CEO of aBreak Music, told Technical.ly.

Over 60,000 tracks flood music streaming service Spotify every day. Not to mention, the countless acts vying for a viral hit on TikTok or Instagram, hoping the algorithm might take kindly to them. And sometimes, it does, like pop artist PinkPantheress who received her first Grammy nomination thanks to taking that chance years ago. 

While AI can simplify the curation process, hand-selected songs reflect the institutional knowledge that comes from years in the industry, according to Tyler, a Maryland native who previously served as an executive vice president at Sony Music. 

Metrics an algorithm doesn’t account for

As labels increasingly rely on platform metrics like monthly listeners or social media followers to book new talent, aBreak’s team takes an approach beyond clicks and streams to curate its playlist and decide how long artists remain on it. 

Beyond a track’s artistic merit, the team looks at how seriously an artist approaches their career, including their ability to market themselves on social media and their consistency as a live performer.

While engagement is a component, aBreak Music prides itself on featuring “under-the-radar artists” that haven’t blown up online, Tyler said. The playlist promotes artists from around the world and across genres, with plans to expand into genre-specific charts in the future. 

What the playlist doesn’t offer for artists is payment. It’s free to upload tracks and artists retain their copyrights, but there’s no opportunity to profit.

Tyler told the Baltimore Business Journal in 2023 that he plans to attach an independent record label to aBreak, with the goal of eventually moving artists into major-label contracts. The company would earn revenue by taking a percentage of those record deals.

“We don’t sell the fact that you’re going to get a lot of streams or followers,” Tyler said. “We’re selling exposure to the music business.” 

Self-released vs. label deals

Artists featured on aBreak Music’s playlist have already found success. Pop rock artist Zoe Ko topped the list in 2023 and signed with Big Loud the following year, a label home to country music heavyweights like Morgan Wallen and Miranda Lambert. 

The playlist has also helped acts secure brand deals and professional representation, according to Tyler.

“All kinds of moves are involved today in the growth and development of an artist,” Tyler said. “Getting to a major label is often the last thing that happens.”

But for some independent musicians, signing with a label is no longer appealing. As streaming has cut into artist profits, retaining creative ownership and promoting their work online — without a record label taking a cut — often makes more sense.

“There [are] so many scams out there and [independent artists] don’t trust anybody,” Tyler said. 

That shift has helped fuel an explosion of self-released music. While online distribution is often framed as a democratizing force for the industry, data suggests that standing out remains exceptionally difficult, even without traditional gatekeepers.

According to a 2024 report from music analytics platform Chartmetric, only 0.5% of streaming artists reach a “mid-level” or above stage of success, defined as ranking within the top 35,000 performers.

In an increasingly crowded landscape, Tyler still backs the power of labels, and he said artists can use industry backing to create a sustainable career. 

“We still believe in the major label community and the way they can build and make stars,” Tyler said.