Fer Isella was eight years old when he started hacking tape recorders to build his own recording studio.
Today, the Buenos Aires-born, Madrid-based, entrepreneur has just launched what he claims to be the music industry’s first AI MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for DSP analytics – a system that lets record labels and artists have ‘conversations’ with their streaming data through AI bots like ChatGPT or Claude.
His company, limbo/ music, which recently posted its “best year yet,” with $3.5 million in revenue for 2024, has spent two decades quietly building infrastructure for independent music companies, from APIs for catalog administration and royalty reporting to white-label distribution.
But it’s limbo/’s new AI-powered analytics tool that has Isella most animated.
He explains that the company developed the product, dubbed limbo/Chat, after identifying key pain points from its clients and the broader market:
“How do you interpret your data? What should you do with it?” asks Isella, CEO of limbo/ music, a “boutique” B2B distribution technology company he co-founded with his Cannes Lions-awarded creative director wife Cinthia in 2005.
“We understand the importance of intuitive UI systems and visualizations, but these formats often struggle to keep up with the vast amount of data constantly generated by DSPs for our catalog,” he adds.
“All DSP data flows through our API, creating a massive data lake ready to be explored. The challenge then becomes: how can we leverage that information in a smart and simple way?”
“We understand the importance of intuitive UI systems and visualizations, but these formats often struggle to keep up with the vast amount of data constantly generated by DSPs for our catalog.”
Fer Isella
The answer, says Isella, is “conversation, human conversation, written or spoken, powered by the most advanced LLMs”.
With this system, the company claims to have built “a bridge” between the user and their data, which Isella calls “a simple, human way” to interact with DSP analytics.
The company’s approach to music and technology stems from Isella’s own journey and innovation in the music tech space. Isella studied at Berklee College of Music on a Fulbright scholarship before returning to Buenos Aires to launch limbo/ music.
According to Isella, limbo/ became one of the first Latin American companies to sign a deal with iTunes. “In the early days, we used to rip CDs on a PC to deliver music for our artist friends,” he recalls.
“Twenty years later, we have built one of the most advanced RESTful APIs and a modular infrastructure called Music Blocks, which allows labels to build their own systems using only what they need.”
The technology underpinning limbo/‘s services arrives at a pivotal moment for the independent music sector, as companies increasingly seek alternatives to what Isella describes as the “one-size-fits-all model” of traditional distribution.
The company’s answer to that was Music Blocks – a modular music distribution system/API platform that functions, in Isella’s words, like “LEGO blocks” for the music industry, allowing businesses to build custom infrastructure.
“Businesses can launch a full label infrastructure in days instead of months,” Isella explains. “One client went from concept to distributing their first release in just 72 hours.”
Today, limbo/ operates across Spain, the United States, Mexico, and Argentina, serving B2B clients throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the US – all while remaining completely bootstrapped with a team of just 15 people.
Beyond its work on its proprietary Music Blocks and AI MCP platforms, limbo/ is taking on projects that align with the company’s values, including the Sounds Right initiative with Brian Eno’s EarthPercent, which generated over $250,000 in royalties for climate change initiatives.
“When it won the Grand Prix for Innovation at Cannes Lions, it validated our belief that technology companies in music have a responsibility that goes far beyond simply moving digital files,” says Isella.
Looking ahead, with a current year-over-year growth rate of 25%, Isella says that the company’s long-term vision is “to become the go-to infrastructure for forward-thinking labels while preserving the enjoyable, collaborative culture of a mid-sized company”.
Isella adds: “Within the next 24 months, we aim to have built the team and systems needed to serve 100 clients who aren’t just using our technology but actively pushing music forward alongside us, creating the best human-driven music and embracing change as it happens. We’re not here to follow trends, but to create them.”
Here, Fer Isella discusses the firm’s new conversational AI analytics tool, the future of music distribution infrastructure, and why he believes intellectual property will emerge “stronger than ever” in the AI age…
How is your company positioned in the music business today?
We are the tech partners for music companies that want to focus on their artists while we take care of everything else. limbo/ is a boutique company working with a curated group of B2B clients, adapting to their needs rather than the other way around.
“Our work is guided by three core pillars: music innovation, economic transparency, and client-centricity.”
Partners interested in working with us go through an application process to ensure we share a long-term strategic vision. Our team of fifteen is fully bootstrapped, with no external investment. (Our clients are our natural investors.)
Our work is guided by three core pillars: music innovation, economic transparency, and client-centricity.
How has being 100% independent/bootstrapped affected your product roadmap and client relationships, and are you considering raising capital/taking on investment?
We value our freedom; no one tells us what to do or how to do it. Our flexibility allows us to pivot through collaboration between our team and our clients’ needs. We test, iterate, gather feedback, and build features that benefit not only one client but our entire network of partners.
“We value our freedom; no one tells us what to do or how to do it.”
Although it can be financially challenging, we continuously reinvest our earnings into the product because our long-term vision is to build the most innovative music tech company. In these times of fear, rapid change, and unpredictability, we are ready to adapt.
It’s exciting and fulfilling work, but it also requires taking calculated risks to protect our copyright holders from the disruptions transforming the media landscape.
You claim to have built the first AI MCP server for DSP analytics. How does conversational analytics change decision-making for artists and labels compared to traditional dashboard-based tools?
Customization is handled on a case-by-case basis. There’s still a gap in the market when it comes to truly understanding how to make data-driven decisions.
With LLMs and your company’s private data, which always remains secure since AI calls are made through our API and your information stays local within your chosen client, you can make real-time decisions aligned with your marketing strategy, using daily active data from all DSPs through our conversational connector directly linked to your data pool.
Want to go further? Through your AI chat client, you can generate custom reports, predictions, and marketing insights, and even receive intelligent suggestions to improve your catalog’s performance.
Which AI models are you integrating with beyond Claude and ChatGPT, and how do you see it evolving?
Any MCP client that supports our MCP server protocol ensures full privacy and complete data control. ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, VS Code, and others are all compatible, allowing you to keep working within your existing environment without ever leaving your chat.
The MCP protocol is here to stay as the open AI alternative to proprietary systems. Every major AI company is adopting it, and we’re already seeing more connector integrations that are not LLM-dependent.
This means that, in the future, we’ll be able to move freely across infrastructures, taking our data with us, without being locked into outdated systems that restrict data transfer when switching distributors or data platforms.
What are your predictions for the impact that AI will have on the music industry in the coming months and years?
If we, as humans, do things right, intellectual property will emerge stronger than ever. The next stage will involve legal battles over licensing and proper recognition for original rights creators and holders. No investment firm will bet on systems that lack clear attribution and licensing models.
“We are living through challenging times, with AI not only creating music but also consuming it through artificial streaming.”
We are living through challenging times, with AI not only creating music but also consuming it through artificial streaming. This is a transformative moment, one that mirrors every major technological shift in history.
Could you explain how the Music Blocks music distribution system/ Modular API Platform all works, and who is it targeted toward?
Flexibility is essential. Music Blocks addresses a core problem in today’s music industry: the one-size-fits-all model no longer works. Traditional distributors often force labels into rigid packages, making them pay for services they don’t need.
Music Blocks is a modular API platform that allows music businesses to build custom infrastructure by selecting only the components they require, like LEGO blocks. Everything connects seamlessly through our unified platform via RESTful API, DDEX XML delivery, or our white-label web app.
“Music Blocks addresses a core problem in today’s music industry: the one-size-fits-all model no longer works. Traditional distributors often force labels into rigid packages, making them pay for services they don’t need.”
The platform is designed for music businesses that have outgrown traditional distribution but still need enterprise-level infrastructure. This includes independent labels ready to scale, distributors seeking white-label technology, music tech companies and music apps requiring a robust backend, and rights holders in need of advanced fraud protection and monetization tools.
You pay only for what you use, scale at your own pace, and maintain complete independence. Businesses can launch a full label infrastructure in days instead of months; one client went from concept to distributing their first release in just 72 hours.
Could you share any stats on the number of independent labels and distributors who have built distribution businesses using your tech?
limbo/ operates in Spain, the United States, Mexico, and Argentina, serving B2B clients across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the U.S. Because all our relationships, with clients, providers, our team, and partners, are built for the long term, we’ve seen many of them grow from a simple idea conceived by a musician or music industry professional into fully independent record labels.
Some have gone on to secure their own DSP contracts or build their own frontends, with limbo/ adapting to their needs, not the other way around, by selecting the Music Blocks that best support their growth and evolution.
We love watching our clients grow. They talk directly with our team, not with bots. At limbo/, no one is just another number. We’ve been there from the beginning, facing all the challenges of running a small company, starting as two people 20 years ago, navigating the complexities of curation, distribution, infrastructure, business, marketing, team building, and systems development.
Everything we’ve learned goes into building a resilient, adaptable business prepared to withstand any black swan event.
What specific technical capabilities or industry relationships does Music Blocks provide that other players in the market can’t replicate?
Adaptability and flexibility are at the core of what we do. We review applications to partner with new clients because each has its own story and vision for the present and the future. As they grow, they can trust that they won’t be penalized with unexpected costs.
They know they have a true partner in us, one that takes care of their infrastructure needs, customizes every Music Block module as their business evolves, and ensures that economic transparency and flexibility remain constant and predictable. This allows them to operate with confidence and trust.
How did the NATURE project with Brian Eno’s EarthPercent come about, and what was Limbo’s specific technical contribution?
During the pandemic, In Place of War invited me to create an album using recordings of bats and frogs from the Colombian rainforest to raise funds. The result was Cucusonic, released through The Vinyl Factory and featuring Brian Eno, Matthew Herbert, and other musicians. That project is how I met Brian and became involved in the mission he and his co-founder built with EarthPercent. Their vision aligned closely with the urgencies and values we hold at limbo/, so we became founding members and offered our support.
UN Live developed the Sound Right project alongside EarthPercent and partners such as Spotify, AKQA, and other NGOs, aiming to grant NATURE the rights it deserves as the world’s original artist. It took significant effort to convince DSPs to approve NATURE as a verified artist and to bring major labels, like those representing David Bowie, on board to include it as a featured collaborator.
Through limbo/Distribution, we released songs under this initiative, generating over $250,000 in royalties. One hundred percent of these funds were donated to a UN Live fund supporting NGOs that fight climate change. It has been a deeply successful and inspiring project, demonstrating how artists, organizations, and companies working together can make a genuine difference. In the end, actions and measurable results speak loudest.
Beyond the Cannes recognition, how is environmental impact becoming part of your core business strategy?
Sounds Right isn’t just a campaign we supported; it marks a shift in our role within the music ecosystem. When it won the Grand Prix for Innovation at Cannes Lions, it validated our belief that technology companies in music have a responsibility that goes far beyond simply moving digital files.
The modular architecture of Music Blocks embodies this philosophy. It promotes reduced waste, intentional resource allocation, the responsible use of AI only where it adds real value, and optimized token management for greater efficiency and control.
Could you share any stats or info on Limbo Music’s financial or user projections for 2025/2026?
limbo/ was incorporated five years ago in Spain, and since then, we’ve experienced consistent revenue growth, with 2024 marking our best year yet at $3.5 million. We’re growing at a steady rate of 25% year-over-year, although we reinvest most of our profits back into product development. We’re selective about taking on new clients, especially as we work to combat fraud, fake artists, and artificial streaming methods, because our growth must stay aligned with our team’s capacity to maintain a high-quality customer experience and technological adaptability.
“We’re selective about taking on new clients, especially as we work to combat fraud, fake artists, and artificial streaming methods.”
We’re very satisfied with our current B2B clients and remain focused on helping them grow rather than expanding too quickly. As many companies grow increasingly concerned about market concentration among large legacy players, there’s significant movement toward finding independent partners who act as true collaborators rather than mere service providers.
We plan to continue expanding our client base gradually, taking on only projects that share a long-term vision and a willingness to adapt to an unpredictable market.
Music Business Worldwide