Ted Kane

now

stem.fm

stem · · · ·

I built stem.fm from concept to launch and was involved in raising the funding behind it. It is the first product to let people generate new music from licensed major-label recordings, using music information retrieval to analyse, separate and recombine tracks. Built on a first-of-its-kind label agreement, it reached 60,000+ downloads in its first ten weeks.

Came up with the initial concept for stem.fm and helped shape it into the company's product.

Built real-time browser playback and time-stretching in WebAssembly for four independently controlled stems. TypeScript · React · WebAssembly · Web Audio

Helped build the iOS version of the four-stem player, including recording, upload and export. Swift · SwiftUI · AVFoundation

Helped build the backend for song retrieval, streaming and stem extraction across the catalogue. Python · AWS · Step Functions · Docker

Helped build the models for stem separation, beat and key detection, and song matching, from selection through training and deployment. Co-authoring a paper on beat detection. PyTorch · TensorFlow · SageMaker · GPU inference

the chat: a prompt, the plan it made, and the stems it built

two songs on the timeline, every stem on its own lane

Describe what you want to hear and create a new track or listening session from licensed major-label recordings. stem.fm/chat

Edit the result in a browser DAW with direct control over the stems, tempo, key and arrangement. stem.fm/daw

Stream, create and remix music with four controllable stems on iPhone. App Store · Instagram

now

Founder, reference

chrome extension · web app

Reference is a better way to collect the design references you like and turn them into context for a coding model. It pulls more than a screenshot: the real code, fonts and colours of anything you point it at, kept in one place and distilled into a brief the model can build from. Code with taste.

a collection on a phone, and the reference wall on a laptop

2026

Project, scent space

embeddings · 24,000 fragrances

Turning high-dimensional fragrance data into an interactive map of 24,000+ scents, where proximity represents similarity and nearest neighbours reveal what to try next.

2023

Hardware engineer, stem 2

stem · · · ·

A portable speaker that lets you remix and manipulate music on the device: the idea that became stem.fm. Thirty seconds of me talking through it.

Worked on the core product concept, remixing a song live from its stems, an idea that later grew into stem.fm.

Worked on the audio system in SigmaDSP and on custom-driver concepts for more bass.

Worked on the patented multitouch surface, combining capacitive sensing and dome switches in one component.

Built the prototype that was demoed to Justin Bieber and investors.

explaining the Stem 2 to Emma Orhun, from 4:52 of her film.

2022

Hardware engineer, stem projector

stem · hardware · CFD · rapid prototyping

My first project at Stem. I ran the thermal simulations, built the rapid prototypes, and assembled and tested the units for production.

the Stem Projector in a hand, throwing light onto the floor

the Stem Projector hanging from its cable, its ring of lights on

the Stem Projector: the lens, the ring of lights, and the vents

2021

Co-founder, sift

CTO · browser extension

A tool that shows you second-hand versions of tech products while you shop. Founded at the Dyson School and backed by Imperial's Enterprise Lab.

2018 – 2022

Imperial College London

MEng design engineering · dyson school

First-class honours. Dean's List, top 10%. DESIRE Award for design innovation.