He DJ'd for Jay-Z and Kanye — Now He's Rewiring Sound for Aman, Hyatt, and Jose Andrés

Explore Raina Music: https://rainamusic.com/ Connect with Vikas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikassapranyc/ Connect with Zach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/ Apply to join the Journey Alliance: http://journey.com/alliance/ — In just a moment, you’ll meet Vikas Sapra—DJ, tech founder, and the guy who’s quietly rewiring how the world’s best hotels and restaurants think about sound. Vikas has played for A-list celebrities like Jay-Z and Kanye, just to name a few. He’s collaborated with Mark Ronson and Questlove. He’s the rare DJ who can play a rock set on Friday, an R&B crowd on Saturday, and a Brooklyn warehouse the weekend after that. And at every venue he’s played, the GM said the same thing: “Dude, take over our music. What does it take to get you full-time here?” Well, after the hundredth time of being asked, he did. And that’s how Raina was born. Today, Raina powers the sound in over 600 hospitality spaces—from Bishop’s Lodge in Santa Fe, to The Moxy in the East Village, to José Andrés’ restaurants, Tao Group’s rooftops, Auberge properties, and so much more. They’re a preferred vendor for Hyatt, and they’re doing something no one else is doing. They’re combining a DJ’s ear, an operator’s mindset, and a tech founder’s instinct for what to build. Vikas’s thesis is sharp: music isn’t decoration—it’s a behavioral lever. The right tempo changes dwell time. The right familiarity changes the average check. And most operators, even the great ones, still treat it as an afterthought. This conversation is about how he’s changing that. Here’s my conversation with Vikas Sapra, founder of Raina. —   Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more.   Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of Growth at Journey. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.