Riff is cursor for music production — AI-native DAW hits 400 DAUs with songs already on Spotify
Sep 10, 2025 with Adith Reddi
Key Points
- Riff, an AI-native digital audio workstation built from scratch, has reached 400 daily active users with songs already live on Spotify.
- Founder Adith Reddi targets 80 million people who release music online, positioning the tool as a cheaper alternative to hiring producers for non-studio musicians.
- The seed round filled completely with investor demand, though early traction raises questions about whether 400 DAUs signals real product-market fit or remains a demo-stage metric.
Summary
Riff is building an AI-native digital audio workstation from scratch rather than layering features onto Ableton or another existing platform. Founder Adith Reddi trained proprietary models and built a custom editor that resembles GarageBand, letting users generate sounds, access a community sample library, and hum melodies that the tool plays back on an instrument of their choice.
Reddi targets anyone who releases music online, not just studio producers. The 80 million people who put music on the internet represent the real addressable base. A singer currently paying thousands for a producer could instead make music themselves.
Riff has reached 400 daily active users, and songs made on the platform are already live on Spotify. The seed fundraise filled quickly with investors competing for allocation, though no amount was disclosed.
Whether 400 DAUs signals genuine traction or remains a demo-stage metric is an open question. Cursor had a clear wedge into existing professional workflows. Riff asks users to abandon their DAW entirely, a higher switching cost even if the product is simpler for non-producers.