Aleksi Ranta (b. 1980) is a Finnish composer, guitarist and sound artist from Oulu, based in Helsinki. Rooted in composition and improvisation, his work combines music and soundscapes to create experiences across concerts, film and theatre. He is known for his versatile work as a composer and sound designer, ranging from bands and audiovisual productions to immersive sound environments. His projects have included collaborations and performances across Europe and the United States, and his artistic work has been supported by several Finnish cultural foundations. In addition to his own releases spanning jazz, film and theatre music, he has worked as a guitarist on numerous metal, jazz and pop albums.

Ranta became the first Finnish composer commissioned by the Scandinavian American Theater Company to write an original score for the Off-Broadway production The Baroness - Isak Dinesen's Final Affair in New York. Ranta is currently working on his own music projects, performing with bands and developing the Art Re-Composed media art initiative, a long-term artistic development project now entering its pilot phase, exploring new ways of experiencing and interpreting visual art through immersive audiovisual environments. Ranta serves as the artistic lead, responsible for overall dramaturgy, visual narrative, and the integration of sound and music, which forms the structural core of the works.

Alongside his artistic work, Ranta is the founder of Nordic Audio & Music Productions Ltd., creating original music for film and audiovisual productions as well as commercial music, sound branding and audio identities. Through Audiotecture, he develops immersive sound environments for installations and public spaces. His work includes projects for Amazon Alexa, Alko, HopLop and SEK.

In his work as a sound designer at the Finnish Museum of Photography, Ranta has created music and sound art for exhibitions and advertisements. He also developed and led Listen to Me, an inclusive arts education project in collaboration with Oodi Helsinki Central Library. The project explored the creative use of technology and social media in music and media art, while offering free workshops, exhibitions and events that made artistic expression accessible regardless of participants' background or previous experience. The project was funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the City of Helsinki.

Ranta began his musical journey by playing violin as a child and later changed to guitar. He started playing classical guitar, entered the Oulu Conservatory and then moved on to professional music and composing studies at the Pop & Jazz Conservatory and Oulu University of Applied Sciences, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Culture and Arts. In 2008, Ranta studied at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm. He has taken guitar and composition lessons in Europe and the US from teachers such as Raoul Björkenheim, Ola Bengtsson, Joakim Milder, Håkan Goohde, Steve Cardenas and Vesa Valkama.

From 1998 to 2004, Ranta played in a metal band called The Black League. They released three albums and one EP. Since 2010, Ranta has been playing in a German jazz band Flickstick and touring in Germany and Sweden at jazz clubs and festivals like Blue Note, Birdland and Elbjazz Festival. Ranta works as a guitarist and music producer in different projects, and has been part of ensembles like tango opera Maria de Buenos Aires and The Pohja Military Band.

His first album with the Aleksi Ranta Group, Long Lost LJ, was released in 2010 and represents a more traditional approach to jazz. Where We Belong (2014) and Capricorn Hill (2016) marked a shift toward a more cinematic and conceptual musical language. The group has performed in Europe and the United States.

Ranta also works with the Comics in Concert project together with his cartoonist brother Ville Ranta and accordionist Niko Kumpuvaara. Since 2009, the Comics in Concert trio has brought its combination of music and live drawing to festivals, concert halls, art fairs and other public and private events across Finland, Sweden, Germany, England, Switzerland and the United States. The trio has performed at the Finnish Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, MOCCA Arts Festival and Columbia University in New York and Viapori Jazz in Helsinki.