In this ongoing series, we share advice, tips, and insights from real entrepreneurs who are struggling with their business every day. (Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Martin Seidl is CEO of Austrian Audio, a company that makes premium headphones and microphones for musicians, content creators, and everyday people who want the best possible audio quality for the tunes they listen to on Spotify. He talks about the company’s growth and how being a musician himself has helped drive innovation to give customers exactly what they want.
Images/Photos Courtesy: Austrian Audio
Could you tell us about the origins of Austria Audio?
I could start with Adam and Eve, but I’ll keep it short. Austrian Audio was founded in 2017 by a team of talented audio engineers with decades of experience in the industry. That’s why I always refer to Austrian Audio as the first startup with over 400 years of experience. I had over 35 years of experience when I started my quest to achieve “fame and fortune”. I was trying to become a very famous singer, songwriter and musician. I did that for 20 years and then I decided, okay, now is the time to get serious.
So you’ve been your own customer for almost 20 years. What have you learned from that experience?
We learned what our customers want. And that’s what separates Austrian Audio from the 400-kilogram giants of the industry. Pro audio has a very long tradition. Analog is an important word. Digital has long been seen as more of a toy than the real thing. We’re bridging that gap. Our equipment suits both traditional producers and young up-and-coming producers who are still making music in their living rooms and bedrooms, where 80 percent of music is recorded today. We’re taking this very traditional technology and putting it into this modern workflow.
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What has been the reaction?
The response with new customers is usually a two-step process. First, they say, “I’ve never heard of your company.” Then they try out the product and get into post-production and you see the difference. We implemented a plugin for our recording system that allows you to change the direction the microphone was listening to after recording. You can make it omni (listen in all directions) or cardioid (targeted). You can change the sound of the room even long after the event is over. “Wow!” is a very frequent feedback we get when people realize this. They didn’t know it was possible and they wonder why no one thought of it sooner.
What is the most effective marketing tool you have used so far?
It’s word of mouth. There are products out there that create this amazing effect, and famous sound engineers introduce it to their colleagues and say, “You should try it.” Just recently, I went to the biggest venue in Austria, an open-air stadium that can hold more than 50,000 people. AC/DC came on stage and I saw our microphones attached to their guitar amps. I know that the sound engineer for the Rolling Stones recommended our microphones to the sound engineer at Muse. Now Muse uses Austrian audio everywhere. When you look at bands at this level, price is not an issue. They just want the best. They can pick and choose what they like. So when they choose my products, it’s because they do exactly what they want. I’m really honored and with this musician soul that will forever remain in my heart, I fully admit that when I look at the stage and see our products, I think, “Oh, I have to get on stage too!”
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Is there a difference between “Artist Martin” and “Business Martin” in terms of decision-making and company leadership?
Yes, it’s very simple. There is Artist Martin, who facilitates brainstorming sessions across all departments and disciplines within Austrian Audio. He lobbyes pretty hard to broaden the product range and introduce really cool features into every product – no matter who the target customer is. Then, sometimes by luck, Business Martin comes in. He brings some boring rationality and a bit of structured decision making to the process. Business Martin does a reality check (together with the management team), considers the target groups, the product mix and internal resources.
Do you think a CEO needs to be passionate about their product to be successful?
People always say that a great salesman needs to be able to sell everything. I don’t think that’s the case. I think especially in the pro audio industry, if you don’t love these products, you don’t realize that you’re not striving to get better every day. If you love music, you want to listen to music and you want to make better recordings. About 50% of our employees work in music production outside of the company, so it’s certainly an important thing.
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