After spending more than 25 years wearing nearly every hat in the music industry, from producer and audio engineer to DJ, artist, and founder of Crown Digital Records Kyle Jekielek knows firsthand how much work goes into getting music from the studio to the fans. Now, the New York native turned Detroit entrepreneur is looking to simplify that process with the launch of Lutely, a new direct-to-consumer platform designed to help artists release music faster, earn more, and take greater control of their careers.
Built alongside former Google Director of Product Management Jonathan “JR” Rochelle, best known for co-inventing Google Sheets, Lutely is focused on putting ownership back into the hands of creators. Whether you’re an independent artist or signed to a label, the platform allows users to sell music directly to fans, keep 100% of their earnings, and automatically generate release assets from a single upload.
As today’s artists are expected to constantly create and release new content, Lutely aims to remove many of the time-consuming steps that often slow down a release. The platform automatically creates everything from transcribed lyrics and mastered audio to stems, lyric videos, Spotify Canvas visuals, Apple Motion Artwork, and standard cover art—making it easier for artists to stay consistent without sacrificing quality.
One of Lutely’s standout features is CleanCut, an AI-powered tool that detects explicit language and generates a customizable clean version of a song in minutes. That feature opens the door for more opportunities in sync licensing, radio, television, and brand partnerships, giving artists another avenue to monetize their music.
Leading the company as Chief Executive Officer, Jekielek is joined by Jonathan “JR” Rochelle as Chief Product Officer, Jon Jekielek as Executive Vice President, and Nick Schaubeck as Chief Technology Officer. Together, the team is building a platform that reflects where the music business is headed one where artists have more ownership, more flexibility, and a direct relationship with their audience.
The industry has already started taking notice. Artists including NEMS, Deante’ Hitchcock, Roc Marciano, Benny the Butcher, Ransom, Dave East, V Don, and ElCamino are among the early adopters embracing the platform.
As the music business continues to shift toward creator ownership and direct fan engagement, Lutely arrives at a time when artists are looking for more than streaming numbers, they’re looking for sustainable ways to build their businesses. By simplifying the release process while helping creators keep more of what they earn, Lutely is positioning itself as another tool that could reshape how independent music moves in the digital era.
