Chime founder Jon R. Luini has been in the trenches exploring and helping define the digital world since its birth over 30 years ago. In the 1990s he founded three companies that early on demonstrated the potential of music and entertainment online: the first online music destination site (IUMA, 1993), the first online rock-n-roll magazine (Addicted To Noise, 1994), and the first webcasting company (MediaCast, 1995).
Jon saw the Internet bubble inflate and explode, dodging numerous big money buyouts and attacks by hungry lawyers and in 1998 formed Chime Interactive to return to working directly with artists, management, clubs, booking agencies, and other organizations to conceptualize, develop and implement their digital strategies. His client list is a veritable who’s who that has included Bob Dylan, Madonna, U2, Sammy Hagar, REO Speedwagon, the Beastie Boys, Los Lobos, Tom Petty, Radiohead, Joe Satriani, as well as well as hundreds of other artists, labels, and global companies.
He brings a deep connection and a musicianās eye to his videography and photography work , sharing a unique perspective behind the lens and revealing moments that resonate deeply.
He was featured as one of the “Top 50 People To Watch In Cyberspace” by Newsweek, named in the “Top 100 Multimedia Producers” by AV Video and Multimedia Producer magazineĀ and has been spotlighted in numerous other publications over the years. He has been an internationally featured speaker and panel moderator at conferences including Internet World (London), Mac World, Canada Music Week, North By Northwest, NARAS Music & Multimedia, Streaming Media West, Bandwidth Conference, Noisepop’s Industry Noise, and SF Music Tech Summit.
Jon is also an Advisor to music startup Blurt.fm, Production Advisor for Dent The Future Conference, was Communications/Strategy Director and Associate Producer for EG Conference, and has a 20-year history as Video & Webcast Producer for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. He splits his non-profit time as a board member for Roots & Branches (producer of Sound Summit), and was a founding member of the San Francisco Bay Area Advisory Board of Little Kids Rock (now MusicWill). He is also Founding Member and Producer of seven TEDxSantaCruz events, Producer ofĀ 2019’s Vintage TED, and continuing Video Producer of seven TEDxMeritAcademy events.
In response to the tragic 2020 CZU Complex Lightning Fire, he created and produced the Love You Madly Santa Cruz Fire Relief campaign, which featured a star-studded 3-hour live stream concert, plus over 80 music videos, generating over $120,000 in relief.
Jon lives in Santa Cruz with his wife, daughters, 2 cats, playing and producing music at any opportunity.
A short archive of some past press covering Chime-related projects is here.
The cats of Chime: Magic (left) and Fouzia (right).
