An award-winning classical music composer, Aidan Vass, has developed a generative ambient music platform called Cleome for spas, hotels, yoga studios and wellness spaces.
The platform produces continuous, non-repeating music in real-time, requiring no playlists, loops or manual correction from staff.
Vass, who is based in the US, told Spa Business that Cleome reduces persistent pain problems for wellness operators everywhere, including the cost and complexity of music licensing and listener fatigue: “For many businesses, the cost and complexity of music rights can be significant and ongoing.
“Separately, pre-made playlists inevitably loop, and once a client begins to recognise the music, it can subtly interrupt the relaxation state,” added Vass. “Even shuffled playlists can create abrupt transitions that disrupt the atmosphere. Over time, therapists themselves also grow tired of hearing the same tracks.”
Cleome also addresses another issue Vass highlights: musical content. “Much of the music written for spas is built on a rhythmic grid or noticeable pulse, which can draw attention to itself,” continued Vass. “In a setting designed for relaxation and stillness, even small musical patterns can pull someone back into full awareness. A lot of spa music also suffers from inadequate mixing, which makes certain musical features stand out too much. This takes listeners out of their relaxation state even further.”
Cleome’s algorithm, which is based on two years of compositions by Vass, produces evolving soundscapes with certain tools that allow operators to make adjustments to suit spaces and treatments.
Each Cleome subscription includes a professional-use license, allowing operators to stream music commercially in their facilities without additional licensing concerns.
Pricing is scaled depending on the size of the business. At the lowest end, the Personal Tier costs US$19 (€18, £15) per month or US$190 (€175, £148) per year for personal use or a business with one location. For businesses with 16–40 locations, the Professional Tier C costs US$1,200 (€1,104, £936) per month or US$12,000 (€11,040, £9,360) per year. For companies with 50 or more locations, the sales department should be contacted.
The platform is accessible via web and mobile browser and the underlying algorithm is also available for hardware integration – for example, with spa equipment that enables connectivity.
