At just 21 years old, Addison Hellum has created a new facet in the world of music. Founded in 2019, his company Starling specializes in digital music distribution, promotion, and artist management. With his technical skills and both parents in the entertainment industry, this achievement came naturally to this talented entrepreneur.

Hellum has quite the resume. He helped develop the games network “Hypixel, Inc.” which is now the world’s largest Minecraft server. He was taken out of high school his senior year to work with a team of professors to develop a prototype of surveillance drone for the U.S. Navy. He was an early contributor to the organization RiceUp which has opened over 30 schools in the Philippines. The real-world curriculum includes financial responsibility and technology to help farmers so they can better support themselves.

With a desire to make a living with his technical skills in an engaging area, Hellum looked to the music industry. With a father who is a sound designer and a mother who works for Disney Music, Hellum has been exposed to music all of his life and calls it a true passion of his. With a unique behind the scenes perspective of music and sound, Hellum realized how technically-intensive it is. The technology side has grown exponentially with the advent of streaming, creating a perfect opportunity for Hellum’s skills.

Enter Starling, an innovative service for musicians. With his company, Hellum successfully manages several artists and has presented debut projects to millions of streams. In 2019, the year Starling was founded, he was contracted by industry giant Sony Music to help break new artists and their projects. Due to its unique model, Starling enables independent artists to utilize the same tools used by major labels. This makes it easier for these musicians to earn a living through their craft.

Though his company is new, Hellum offers large-scale promotion. Ones of the ways he achieves this is by continuously developing technologies to improve the music industry. And Starling’s streaming interaction covers all major platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok. Backed up with advanced analytics, artists can reach new listeners on a massive scale and see royalties as quickly as 24 hours.

For record labels, Hellum offers invaluable services. These are a central hub for digital distribution, managing artists and catalogs in one place, and increased recognition. For promoters and influencers, Starling takes out the worry of copyright claims so these creators can not only use music in their content but earn more money by incorporating music for greater retention and engagement. Essentially, Hellum has considered every aspect possible to create a digital music management powerhouse.

Currently attending college, the future is very bright for Addison Hellum. Between his technical skills and the impressive capabilities of Starling, one cannot help but wonder what is next for this brilliant young man. As the world continues to transition online and new musicians want to share their work, the demand for services such as those Starling offers will certainly be there.