Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike LaTour.
Hi Mike, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Soundwave Art was born in 2012 because of a question my friend Justin asked me: “Do you think it would be possible to turn sound into a piece of art?” I had recently left a position as project manager for Slackers, a local chain of record stores. I spent 17 years working in and managing record stores, and I’m very passionate about music, so that question stuck with me.
After that conversation, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I started researching to see if I could find anything like it. My search came up blank, so I thought, “This really could be something.” At the time, I knew enough to start building a website, but finding a way to record and display a sound wave pattern wasn’t happening. I’ve always subscribed to “fake it ’til you make it,” so I set up a way for customers to upload an audio file and use a simple color selector for them to choose a background color and sound wave color. It was enough to launch the site. Our first sale came about 10 days later, and the best part? It wasn’t from anyone we knew; it was from a person in Ohio who randomly found our website. That was the only sale that month. The next month, we had 10 orders. It wasn’t much, but it proved people were interested in this concept, and it was great to see, considering we weren’t doing anything to promote it as I was still developing the website. Once I felt comfortable with officially launching the site, I set up social media profiles for everything that was available at the time and started posting. People started to find us, and the business started to grow.
Justin had his own business, which took a lot of his time, so we agreed that I would take 100% ownership, and I bought him out a few years into our journey. The business has changed quite a bit since then. I started working with two jewelry manufacturers in the United States to offer a line of jewelry. I launched an augmented reality app so my customers could scan and watch or listen to the audio they used to create their artwork. The process of creating Soundwave Art on the website is now interactive. You can see your actual voice pattern and style it using the design software.
I purchased a laser engraver so I could start making the jewelry myself. I always loved woodworking, so the laser has allowed me to get back into that and expand my product line.
Looking back at that question, it’s hard to believe what Soundwave Art has become.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the biggest struggles I faced was how to make the artwork playable. I always knew I wanted a way for my customers to play the artwork they create. After all, some of the most popular recordings are voicemails from a loved one who passed away, a baby’s heartbeat or giggle, or simply saying “I love you.” I knew I could place a QR code on top of the artwork, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to tell my customers, “Here, I’ll print this QR code on top of this personal piece of art you just created, so you can scan it and open a link to play the audio.” I always felt that would take away from their art. It took a few years, but in 2017, I launched the Soundwave Art app. I used image recognition and augmented reality to make the art playable. By doing it this way, there was no need to print a code on top of the art. The art itself is the code, so nothing takes away from your design. You simply scan your art with the Soundwave Art app, and it instantly plays.
The next hurdle was making jewelry and wood playable. Jewelry is too small to work with the app, and it has a hard time scanning laser engravings, so wood was a struggle as well. After a lot of testing, I started using NFC tags, which I embed in the wood. I also made a charm with an NFC tag inside. Using NFC technology, you can now tap your phone to the wood or the charm to play the audio. Since the necklaces themselves aren’t playable, I decided to create the charm to complement the necklace, which I include for free with the purchase of a necklace.
I wouldn’t say any of this has been smooth at all. I had a lot to learn, and I learn best by doing. I was never great at learning by listening to someone teach me how to do things. Not because I didn’t want to learn or wasn’t interested—that’s just not the way my brain works. So in a way, the struggles I faced with this business are the reason I was able to grow and learn.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Soundwave Art™?
Soundwave Art is known for creating personalized keepsakes from your voice and meaningful audio, turning those moments into playable artwork and jewelry. When we started, there was nothing like it. As we grew, people noticed, and others started creating this style of art. This kept me motivated to innovate, which led me to create the Soundwave Art app. This was a way to set Soundwave Art apart from the new competition. The app enhanced the art by introducing augmented reality. It’s a unique and meaningful way to bring your memories and special moments to life. Little did I know, this would lead me to being a finalist for the .ART Digital Innovation in Arts & Culture Award. The award recognizes pioneers blending technology with art. It was an honor to be nominated, let alone being a finalist. It was a really cool moment.
I continue to expand upon the customizable art I offer, giving you a lot of options to create a personal piece of art. You can create music-inspired designs, like vinyl-style art, by taking a personal message or lyrics and forming them into a “vinyl record” where your words form the grooves of the vinyl. You can also create personalized Star Maps that capture the exact night sky from a specific date and place. I also offer many options for various occasions, such as wedding gifts, anniversary gifts, memorial gifts, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day.
I developed software so you can see your art live as you create it. No guessing at what your voice pattern will look like, or how the stars align based on a date and location. You see it happen in real time. I also offer a “we design it for you” option if you aren’t tech-savvy. Though I do encourage you to try out the software to get the full experience.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
This is both a good thing and a bad thing. I can get obsessed and hyperfocused when it comes to creating or building something. If I have an idea for a new product or need to make changes to my software, it’s the only thing on my mind until I accomplish it. It can be great to help expand and grow, but it can hurt in other areas if I don’t dial it back.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://soundwaveart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundwave_art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoundwaveArt
- Twitter: https://x.com/soundwaveart
