Grow fast, make lots of money: what aspiring entrepreneur doesn't have this secret dream? And yet, while there are many good ideas out there, there are probably only a few that qualify for the inner circle of French unicorns. Such is the case with Deezer. 

How the idea was born, how the start-up has evolved over the years: that's what we see today. 

The idea that changed everything 

It all began, you might say, illegally, in 2006. Daniel Marhely, a genius coder and music lover, rightly thinking he wasn't the only one, wanted to make free music available to everyone, with the help of the Internet. 

This first project (Blogmusik) didn't last a year: the Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique, better known as SACEM, forced the site to close. 

Even so, Daniel feels that his project has potential. He's realized that even when it comes to music, people's habits are changing. It's no longer possible to wait until you're at home to insert a CD into your stereo. 

We need to offer instant music, to meet the needs of the Internet user. Music all the time, for everyone, everywhere, without waiting, just by going to a streaming site, following a favorite song, a conversation, to find a song you've heard on the radio, without buying physical media or needing to download the tracks. 

He joined forces with ESSEC student Jonathan Benassaya, with the support of a business angel none other than Free founder Xavier Niel. 

For the project to be legal, all that's needed is the support of SACEM, and therefore of the music rights holders, by remunerating them through advertising. 

In the beginning, Deezer was entirely free for Internet users. Whatever type of music they liked, they could find and listen to unlimited tracks. Within a week, the site was a huge success, with an audience 10 times larger than the first project. 

But why not offer higher-quality content, with paid options? 

The development and consecration of Deezer

Two years later, in 2009, Deezer went from free to paid options. While it's not always easy to get to know new songs, for example, Deezer is banking on personalization, with a premium offer costing less than 10 euros a month. 

After 3 years, an unprecedented and lucrative agreement with the operator Orange enabled it to become the default music service for all subscribers, i.e. 10 million people. 

2012 saw the company's first major fund-raising effort, with a €100 million investment by Ukrainian billionaire Len Blayatnik.

As Deezer became better known, it took the liberty of appearing on TV in 2013 in an advertising campaign. The spot left a lasting impression. However, the founders were undoubtedly afraid that their streaming site would be associated with the black universe that characterizes the illustrator, and preferred to smooth out their image the following year. 

The IPO expected in 2015 is not possible due to the emergence of Apple Music as a serious competitor to the platform. 

A new CEO takes the helm at Deezer in June 2021: Jeronimo Folgueira. Today, with its eclectic range of musical styles and millions of tracks available, Deezer appeals to over 10 million people in France and around the world. 

Deezer: key information

The real Deezer, as we know it today, was launched on August 22, 2007. 

By 2020, 600 people were working to make Deezer a company of quality and renown. 

Deezer's paradox is that, although it's listed at over a billion euros (which explains why it's one of France's unicorns), it's not a profitable start-up, even if it did attract enough interest for a (very) major fund-raising. 

However, this is not a foregone conclusion for the CEO, who intends to double sales by 2025. 

It almost happened in 2015. It has now been a reality for several months. Deezer went public on July 5, listing on Euronext.

 In fact, the pioneering music streaming site is no longer to be considered a unicorn, even if, like the mythical animal, its success is the stuff of dreams. 

Although it posted a loss of 123 million euros last year, the start-up intends to expand further and, as mentioned above, double its sales within the next three years. 

It represents 30% of the French market, but while international development is already on the agenda (the site is available in several languages, notably to offer lyrics synchronized with the music), it is unable to compete with the other market players, with only 2% of the global market. 

While many of its competitors are focusing on podcasts and audiobooks, Deezer is sticking to its first love: music, and intends to focus all its efforts on it. This is undoubtedly a wise choice, given that over 82% of French people listen to an audio medium every day, according to a study carried out this year. 

More modestly, this year Deezer intends to reward the loyalty of Internet users and music fans with golden tickets, enabling them to attend concerts. Artists eligible to attend include Mylène Farmer, Stromae and Harry Styles. It will also be possible to access statistics on the correlation between their musical listening and their mood over the course of a year, to draw any conclusions they wish, to find a musical soulmate or even to see if our nationality influences the type of music we listen to (even if it means changing nationality virtually with Deezer, without any formalities or visas!)

In view of last year's sales figures, Deezer could be a cause for concern. Yet the start-up has been a forerunner in a number of areas, including a ground-breaking agreement with a telephone operator. 

Often ahead of its time in terms of options and services for Internet users, including personalization of musical tastes, it has to contend with fierce competition. 

However, the platform doesn't seem ready to give up, and its recent IPO could help it realize its international expansion. 

Not really a maxim, but a riddle still unsolved at the time of writing, concerning the name of this French streaming site. 

According to Daniel Marhely, Deezer was simply a domain name that was short and therefore easy to remember, and above all, that was available (and inexpensive) when you bought it. 

Now, when we go back to the site's beginnings in 2013, we find a message posted, inviting followers to make puns "(the site) goes to 10h/month free on the web", then an offer at 10 euros (please make the connection, to understand) to launch the paid options. A way of never forgetting where it all started? 

We're talking about them!

Le Figaro.fr : " Streaming: "Deezer is an emblematic unicorn of the Paris marketplace" "

Le JDD.fr : "Companies: the doyenne of French unicorns Deezer goes public".