About
Dotted Eighth is a boutique technology advisory firm based in New York working at the intersection of music, data, and emerging technology. The firm works with music publishers, rights organizations, and music technology companies to design and implement the infrastructure that supports music rights management.
The music industry is undergoing a fundamental technological transformation. Rights management, licensing, royalty processing, and distribution increasingly depend on complex data systems, automation, and emerging artificial intelligence technologies.
Many organizations recognize the need to modernize their technological foundations but struggle to translate that ambition into practical implementation. Dotted Eighth helps bridge that gap by combining deep industry expertise with technology strategy and systems design.
What We Do
AI Readiness
Helping organizations assess existing infrastructure and prepare their data for the next generation of AI-driven tools and analytics.
Technology Strategy
Defining and implementing technology roadmaps for rights management systems that improve operational efficiency and data integrity.
Product Strategy
Helping music technology companies build tools that align with real industry needs and workflows.
Our Point of View
The music industry is entering a period where technology infrastructure will determine how effectively rights can be managed, licensed, and monetized.
Several shifts are becoming increasingly clear:
Rights systems are data systems
Music rights are managed through fragmented systems that need to become interconnected.
Automation is becoming essential
Manual workflows are increasingly impractical. Licensing, royalty processing, and data reconciliation are moving toward automation.
AI depends on data quality
As artificial intelligence becomes integrated into music creation, distribution, and licensing, the importance of accurate data and attribution systems will only increase.
Organizations that build strong technological foundations today will be better positioned to navigate these changes. Dotted Eighth helps design and implement the infrastructure required for that future.
Leadership
Guy Barash
Founder & CEO
Music rights infrastructure, technology strategy, and AI readiness
Guy Barash advises music organizations on the data and technology infrastructure that powers music rights.
Before founding Dotted Eighth, he served as Head of Digital at The Music Sales Group (now Wise Music Group), where he led digital transformation initiatives across licensing, metadata, and delivery systems.
Through Dotted Eighth, he works with music publishers, rights organizations, and music technology companies to design and implement systems that support rights management and evolving digital operations.
His work focuses on structural challenges including attribution, data interoperability, automation of licensing workflows, and the role of artificial intelligence in rights infrastructure.
He brings a hybrid perspective combining a background in music with deep experience in technology strategy, allowing him to translate between creative, legal, and technical domains.
Sebastian Kessler
Chief Technology Officer
Data architecture, automation systems, and technical implementation
Sebastian Kessler is Chief Technology Officer at Dotted Eighth and a full-stack engineer with many years of experience building production-ready platforms.
He specializes in translating complex rights and data structures into reliable, scalable software architectures.
His work includes building AI-powered tools, data pipelines, and integration layers that enable organizations to automate workflows, surface insights, and operate at scale.
Sebastian has led engineering teams at multiple technology companies and brings a practical, systems-oriented approach focused on clarity, reliability, and long-term maintainability.
At Dotted Eighth, he leads the design and implementation of systems that support rights data, metadata workflows, and large-scale digital operations in the music industry.
“We have had the pleasure of working with Guy and his team at Dotted Eighth for several years. The unparalleled service, experience, precision, innovative insights, and expedience they provide has been a game changer for us. Our level of revenue and accuracy have increased tenfold due to their efforts.”
Jack Cyphers, Managing Director - Global Entertainment | Exactuals