Some people love music but struggle to find fellow musicians. "Where can I find a place?" "Where can I find someone to play with?" "Where can I find a place that fits my team? It's always a struggle to find a place to play with and adjust…" These are common concerns for many who enjoy music as a hobby.
"Pajama Jam," developed by Song Young-il, CEO of The Baton Co., Ltd., stemmed from this very question. Declared "a social media service that allows people to team up and enjoy ensemble performances anytime, anywhere," Pajama Jam is an ambitious project that aims to overcome the limitations of the existing music ecosystem through technology.
From Branding Expert to Music Tech Entrepreneur
CEO Song Young-il's background is quite unique. He worked in the branding field for five years, from 2014 to 2019, rising to the position of Assistant Manager at Kent & Jaymon. From 2017 to 2018, he was in charge of database planning and technical sales at Hancom Frontis, Inc., and from 2010 to 2016, he served as a senior member of the overseas business team at Wintech, accumulating global business expertise.
But he has another side. He's currently active in a crossover band for office workers in the Bundang and Suwon areas, and in 2017, he placed third in the finals of the Yongin Citizens' Orchestra's Living Music Festival. He's a multi-talented figure who even participated in the planning of the Gumi Sunflower Tourism Farm project for three years, from 2007 to 2009.
"I believe my unique background connects naturally with my current business," explains CEO Song. His branding and technical sales experience has been instrumental in service planning and marketing strategy development, his overseas business experience has been instrumental in global market entry planning, and, most importantly, his direct experience in music activities has been a key driving force behind service development.
In fact, the inspiration behind CEO Song's idea for Pajama Jam was "to address the inconveniences of playing musical instruments as a hobby." Having continued his music hobby while working, he personally experienced the challenges musicians commonly face: scheduling conflicts, the difficulty of finding suitable team members, and limited practice space.
New possibilities for ensemble that transcend time and space
The core of PajamaJam's solution is "overcoming constraints of time and space." CEO Song explains the service's fundamental philosophy, saying, "We wanted to create an environment where participants can participate in team ensemble recordings at any time, even if it's not in real time."
This approach fundamentally changes the paradigm of traditional ensemble music. Traditional ensembles required all participants to gather at the same time and place. However, Pajama Jam proposes a new method: combining parts played at different times and locations to create a complete ensemble piece.
This idea has gained even more attention, especially with the spread of contactless culture following the COVID-19 pandemic. With social distancing restrictions restricting offline ensemble activities, demand for online musical collaborations has skyrocketed. Pajama Jam not only responds to this pressing need, but also provides a new opportunity for those who previously gave up on music activities due to scheduling constraints.
A 5-year arduous journey and a turning point toward the global stage
However, the process of bringing the idea to reality was anything but smooth. CEO Song candidly admits, "I faced many challenges during the five-year startup process."
From the very beginning, the company faced a series of challenges. In its second year, it faced the challenge of completely rebuilding its team. The complexities of technical implementation, the difficulty of market validation, and, most importantly, the difficulty of raising funds, continued to hinder its progress.
"After several development failures, we even had to abandon the PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) registration process," recalls CEO Song. With even the plan to patent their innovative idea falling through, the founding team's morale plummeted.
But we didn't give up. Finally, in the third year of the government-funded project, we were selected, marking a turning point. The funding and mentoring secured through government support, combined with the expertise accumulated over the years, finally began to yield tangible results.
Pajama Jam's recent achievements have been remarkably positive. Beginning with the completion of its European trademark registration in July, the company is steadily laying the groundwork for global expansion.
A particularly noteworthy achievement was the successful meeting with the IT manager of the Berlin Philharmonic. Meeting directly with the IT manager of a world-class orchestra and discussing its services was a symbolic event that demonstrated PajamaJam's potential. Receiving recognition in the birthplace of classical music is expected to significantly contribute to securing credibility and brand power in the global music market.
Amidst this trend, Thebaton participated in a global market research program in collaboration with Innovation RCA last June, laying a practical foundation for its expansion into Europe. Ahead of the establishment of a German subsidiary scheduled for this year, the company is focusing on building a local network and anticipates establishing a bridgehead for its entry into the European market.
Currently, the Android app registration process has begun. After five years of ups and downs, we've finally reached the stage where actual users can experience the service. CEO Song expressed cautious anticipation, saying, "I think this is the real beginning."
The global popularity of K-pop and the growing trust in Korea's IT capabilities create a favorable environment for PajamaJam. Being a music technology service with a proven track record in Korea is likely to be a positive factor in its overseas expansion.
The potential for use in the music education market cannot be ignored. With the widespread adoption of online education following COVID-19, demand for new tools is growing in the music education field. The asynchronous ensemble function offered by PajamaJam appears poised for practical use in music education institutions and private lessons.
A new world connected by music
The future envisioned by Pajama Jam goes beyond mere technological innovation. It's a vision of a world where musical dreams once abandoned due to time and space constraints can be rekindled, a platform where people can communicate and collaborate through music, no matter where they are in the world.
The day when musicians who once wondered, "Where can I fit in?" can say, "Here's a place where we can always be together." The day that CEO Song and the Pajama Jam team dream of is likely to soon become reality.
PajamaJam is a company that combines the power of music as a universal language with technology to open up new possibilities. Five years of perseverance and challenge have created this innovative service, and all eyes are on what changes it will bring to the music ecosystem.
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