Social Music Remix App Hook Adds Key Music and Social Media Executives to Its Leadership Team
December 6, 2023
Expansion establishes company presence in Los Angeles and London
Hook, the revolutionary new AI-powered social music app that allows music fans to create, share and discover authorized remixes and mashups of their favorite songs, has added four key executives to its leadership team, filling newly created roles in AI, audio development, business development and artist/creator strategy. With these experienced music and social media executive appointments, the New York-based startup has expanded its presence to Los Angeles and London, where the company has named a UK General Manager. Hook officially launched in Apple’s App Store this fall. Download the app for iOS for free HERE.
Katerina Kosta, PhD joins Hook as Head of AI, where she builds ethically-trained AI tools that enrich music creativity while ensuring fair treatment for artists and creators. She previously worked as a senior research scientist at TikTok/ByteDance as part of its Speech Audio Music Intelligence team and as a machine learning researcher at the London-based startup Jukedeck. She earned a PhD in electronic engineering and computer science from Queen Mary University of London and also holds degrees in classical piano and mathematics. Kosta is based in London.
Prash 'Engine-Earz' Mistry joins Hook as Head of Audio Development & UK GM. Mistry is a multiple GRAMMY-nominated, Billboard No.1 and Mercury Prize-nominated mixing & mastering engineer and producer. He is known for working with artists across different genres, including Kali Uchis, Jorja Smith, Skepta, Olivia Rodrigo, The Prodigy, SZA, Nathy Peluso, d4vd, Ethel Cain, Subfocus, Burna Boy, RAYE and many more. After receiving his first Grammy nomination for ‘Best Immersive Audio’ back in 2018, Mistry and his team set up one of the earliest active Dolby Atmos studios in London at Tileyard Studios and have stayed on the cutting edge of audio technologies ever since.
Karan Bhatnagar joins Hook as Head of Artist and Creator Strategy. In this role, he works closely with labels, managers and talent to build in-app and off-platform campaigns that drive revenue, virality, and consumption for artists, celebrities, and creators. Prior to Hook, he served as the Head of Digital at Three Six Zero management, supporting the full roster of clients, including Calvin Harris, Kid Cudi, Jaden and Willow Smith. Bhatnagar is based in Los Angeles.
Ed Pak joins Hook as Head of Business Development and Partnerships with more than a decade of experience negotiating deals and content licenses as a lawyer in the music industry. He was previously VP of Legal and Business Affairs at Saavn and played an instrumental role in the sale of the company to Reliance Jio, when it became JioSaavn, at that time the largest music streaming service in India. Pak is based in New York.
Hook is a first-of-its-kind platform for creators and everyday music fans that uses cutting-edge, ethically-trained AI technology to realize the future of music listening in which fans become collaborators – using music to express themselves by creating sped-up, slowed-down, mashed-up or different genre versions of songs with just a few taps. Hook also opens up a new revenue stream for artists and rights holders, enabling them to monetize the infinite derivative versions their fans create and consume on Hook and social platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Hook is led by Founder and CEO Gaurav Sharma, who has experience building innovative music technology that integrates and aligns with the needs of the larger music industry. Sharma previously served as Chief Operating Officer for JioSaavn, India’s largest music streaming platform and one of the first platforms to secure global streaming licenses with record labels. Sharma and his team grew JioSaavn to more than 100 million active monthly users by the time he departed. Hook’s experienced leadership team also includes Chief Product Officer Simmi Singh, who has launched and scaled consumer and creator products at Spotify and JioSaavn.
