What Happened To Songlorious After Shark Tank?
When it comes to giving gifts, the pressure is on: What can you get that's within your budget, something they'll use, and thoughtful? Well, turns out that finding a unique, thoughtful gift doesn't have to be so hard with Songlorious. Fans may remember the two business owners who serenaded our beloved Sharks, calling Kevin O'Leary's bald head "sexy" in their memorable pitch.
Ellen Hodges and Omayya Atout arrived on Season 13 of Shark Tank in 2021 with a guitar and microphone in hand. They sought investment in Songlorious, a clever music site that allows customers to get custom-made songs for their loved ones in as little as two days. Songlorious also gives customers relative creative control, with the choice to select their preferred music genre and subject matter. For brands, jingles can even be made with no restrictions so that they can use their Songlorious melody in business promotions.
Songlorious has different pricing tiers, from acoustic to full-range production, allowing customers of all budgets to take part. Needless to say, the Sharks were impressed. But with the short-lived success of many internet and social media sites, even something as clever as Songlorious could be a one-hit-wonder — after all, even the Mark Cuban-backed Hater App was short-lived. Here's how Songlorious is doing after their big TV moment.
Songlorious hit it big on Shark Tank
Ellen Hodges and Omayya Atout approached the Sharks seeking $400,000 for 10% equity in Songlorious — quite a steep ask. But, as they got into their pitch, the investors were seeing green. The entrepreneurs explained that they already had 100 freelance musicians on deck, and that their first-year sales reached $700,000. Their goals with investment included producing songs in non-English languages and marketing toward the wedding sector. After playing an amusing tune, they ask the Sharks: "Which one of you wants to rock and roll with us into the future of gift-giving?"
Guest investor Peter Jones quickly offers up $400,000 in exchange for 33%, which FUBU-founder Daymond John counters with the same amount for 20% equity. Then, Kevin O'Leary and Marck Cuban jumped in with a joint offer: $400,000 for 25% of Songlorious. The power team explains that between Cuban's experience with AI voicing and O'Leary's connections in the wedding industry, they could go a long way.
Ultimately, four of the five sharks — excluding Lori Greiner — come together on a mega-deal: $500,000 in exchange for 40% equity, split evenly. Ellen and Omayya initially combat this offer with a hefty ask of $800,000 for 40%, which the Sharks decline. The music entrepreneurs ended up accepting the four-Shark deal at $500,000, with 10% each for Peter, Daymond, Mark, and Kevin.
Songlorious after Shark Tank
At the time of filming in 2021, Songlorious had already achieved relative success. Before "Shark Tank," the company had a valuation of $1.1 million and received coverage from Good Day LA, the Today Show, and more. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, their music startup took off running and hasn't looked back since. Today, Songlorious has already surpassed $2.5 million in sales, via CNBC.
A custom song ranges from $45 for a 30-second clip to $230 for a more thorough song. Currently, their website boasts over 7,000 public reviews, with an overwhelming amount of positive feedback for musicians. In their pitch, Ellen Hodges and Omayya Atout explained that artists received 35 to 55% of the profit from their songs, in addition to any tips. In an interview with Forbes in 2022, they revealed that their independent singers have made over $800,000 from orders. The Songlorious Instagram page also posts reaction videos of customers hearing their song for the first time, which often gets emotional.
Poised for further success, the now-married co-founders are hoping to add Spanish and Arabic to the Songlorious catalog. "There are a lot of big things coming," Omayya told Forbes. "We're now known as the premier custom song company and we are in the process of expanding into other languages. A lot of growth as more people hear about us, and a lot of fun making our customers happy and supporting music artists."