About us

Our mission is to provide businesses with a comprehensive music service, that delivers unbeatable value. We do this by developing the world's best licence-free music catalogue and combining it with innovative technology, designed specifically to meet business needs.

We are passionate about delivering an innovative and valued service, drawing on the wide and varied experience of our team, and the feedback of our customers.

Origins, History & Team

Origins

The founders of the background music company (TBMC), of which MusicStream is the trading name, are Jeffrey Stewart, CEO and Fridrik Karlsson, Music Director.  Jeff still runs a record label called New World Music, which over the last 15 years has released over 250 CD's. Jeff remains the majority shareholder in New World. Fridrik is a professional musician with a successful 30 year track record as recording artist, session musician, writer and producer. Fridrik also ran his own record label, iChill, creating licence-free music for businesses.

In 2009, Jeff and Frissi conceived of a new business that would offer a credible alternative to expensive licensed music services, and thus save businesses very significant sums of money. Jeff and Frissi knew from their own music production experience that they could leverage their combined music assets, their networks of musical talent and digital production to create a great music catalogue, cost-effectively. They also felt that if the music could be combined with a proprietary digital music player, the service would be very cost-effective and easy to deliver to businesses anywhere in the world.

Jeff & Frissi then hooked up with Louis Langerman, A South African musician, engineer and web developer. Louis was known to Jeff and Frissi as a talented music producer who had also been producing original music for businesses for many years. Louis joined the business as technical director and MusicStream was born.

Brief Development History

The business was incorporated in 2010, and work started on the first version of the MusicStream Player, and the development of a sophisticated music management system designed to store, organise and deliver thousands of tracks via the internet. Over this time the existing MusicStream catalogue was loaded and supplemented by new music sourced and commissioned from around the world, and this music acquisition work continues.

After rigorous testing,  additional developments in response to beta test feedback and user interface refinements, the service was launched commercially in Summer 2011.

With very little marketing effort to date, the service is already used by a number retailers and spa businesses all of whom are very satisfied with the player, the music and the economics. (testimonials available)

The MusicStream Senior management team has grown along the way and now boasts a very experienced executive Board, all of whom are also shareholders.

Team

Neil Boote, Sales & Marketing Director

Neil is very experienced Board Director having held Board level positions in Sales, Marketing, Buying and Business Development at Virgin Retail, and Our Price Music, Business Unit Director for Entertainment at W H Smith, Sales Director at Bertelsmann Music Group UK, Business Development Director at Sony BMG and Managing Director of Firebrand Live Ltd, merchandiser to most of the U.K's major music festivals, including Reading & Leeds, Isle of Wight, T in the Park, Latitude, Bestival and Creamfields, and artists including Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Swedish House Mafia, Oasis, Take That, Mumford and Sons, Florence & The Machine and The Foo Fighters.

Stuart Dewey, CFO

Stuart is a business administration and finance specialist with over 30 years experience in retailing, international commodity distribution and commercial software development.  Stuart has been CFO of a high end retail and online fashion business and CEO of a software development and service business providing IT solutions to traders, stockists and converting service operators in the chemical and paper sectors.

Non-executive Director

Arsaell Hreidarsson

Arsaell is a Board member and shareholder. Arsaell is CEO of Genesis ehf., a private investment company investing in new technology businesses in business and consumer markets . Arsaell established Median, a card payment processing company in 1993, initially focused on the airline industry. Airline customers include: British Airways, Swiss International Airlines, British Midland, and Icelandair. Median provides processing services for Acquirer banking customers such as Teller Norway, and EuroConex Norway.

Arsaell also co-founded Tonlist.is, the first and only online music store in Iceland, he currently owns 22,5% shares in Avis and Budget car rental franchise in Iceland.

Company Information

The MusicStream service is operated and managed by: The Background Music Company Limited - a company registered in England. Registration number: 7388884.

Registered Office: 98-102 Station Road East Oxted, Surrey RH8 0QA, United Kingdom.

Address for correspondence: Unit 14A Highway Farm, Horsley Road, Cobham KT11 3JZ, United Kingdom.

Telephone: +44 (0)844 8010 710   Fax: +44 (0) 193 2860 970

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