The perfect choice for a digital success story

Wednesday 25th October, 2017

RouteNote is a digital music distribution service, which works with top music stores and streaming services including Spotify and iTunes to share millions of song tracks worldwide.

Since its launch in 2008, RouteNote has grown from just two members of staff to 27 employees based at Newham & The Port of Truro with a further 20 engineers based in India. The organisation doubled in size last year and looks set to grow by the same amount again this year.

And Newham was the perfect choice for the firm, using the Truro business hub’s superfast internet access to support independent artists and labels around the world.

"Newham is the perfect place for us," said Steven Finch, CEO of RouteNote which purchased Kernow House, the former GE Money building on Gas Hill, Newham at the end of last year.

"Because of the banking done here previously, the internet speed had to be quick. So we now benefit from the fastest internet speed in the country, we have the same as Wembley Arena. This is such a great asset because we work with people in 193 countries."

The company has come a long way from its beginnings in Redruth almost a decade ago with just Steven and James Bennett, RouteNote COO, driving the business idea.

"We had a recording studio in Redruth and had music but didn’t know how to make money from it," said Steven. "We came up with this idea and it grew from there."

Supporting 175,000 artists around the world, RouteNote currently boasts a catalogue of 1.2 million distributed song tracks as well as offering an artist management service, labels and YouTube Network opportunities.

The company has also recently started working in China with an 'amazing growth' of 140 million plays a month of RouteNote's music catalogue.

Growing quickly over the past couple of years has seen the company need to find itself an office base to suit and support its global reach.

Newham was the perfect fit for the growing firm, transforming its new home into a creative working hub complete with offices, chill out space and meeting rooms. A recording studio, sound booth and gym are also on the cards for the RouteNote HQ. 

The riverside business district is just a short walk from Truro city centre and is home to more than 100 quality businesses, employing more than 1,000 people.

"We have been asked why we choose to stay in Cornwall and not relocate to London but with the internet speeds we have here in Newham, and the fact that we are so central to Truro, there is no need," said Steven.

"We are growing at a rapid pace and are keen to employ as many local people as possible. There is a real creative industry growing in Cornwall and we want to help support that."

And the popular music service is using its own success to help boost the prospects of other Cornish firms.

Launching Our Distrikt, RouteNote provides a selection of workspaces available to rent for small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs on a flexible monthly or daily basis with parking, internet access and use of facilities.

Steven said: "It is a co-working environment that is all about opening up the extra space we have here and allowing companies to spend time in a vibrant working environment while they work hard at boosting their business.

"We are in the lucky position that we can help others and see if we can help them to grow something exciting."

For more information about RouteNote visit www.routenote.com