Everybody Talks
EARLY EDITION: Audioburst introduces podcast feed for mobile apps; Wanderword cultivates voice entertainment community
It started with a whisper…
Two content-oriented voice/AI stories to share, as we head into Project Voice week:
1) Audioburst brings podcasts to apps
Audioburst, a longstanding and unique player in the voice/AI landscape, has made its mark by making it easier to search for and deliver audio content.
They’ve rolled out a new offering, just in the past couple of weeks: a permanent podcast feed for mobile apps.
The post-pandemic future of mobile apps seems bright, but there’s debate on the path to get there. This article does a good job discussing this ambiguity.
One thing everyone agrees on is that the standard of service for mobile apps has never been higher. They have to do more, be more, and perform more functions for people in order to keep them engaged.
This is where Audioburst comes in, as a key player in the voice/AI landscape that is bringing audio to mobile apps in an additive way.
A wide variety of types of mobile apps have already integrated their podcast feed into their experience, including apps in beauty, fitness, and online gambling.
Audioburst’s dominance of non-music audio (podcasts, talk radio, news, etc) seems to be a pretty strong position in a world where every single conversational AI-driven experience is going to need to distinguish itself, at least to some degree, through content.
2) Wanderword cultivates IAE (“interactive audio entertainment”) community
Wanderword is a company creating and publishing interactive audio entertainment content, much of which is aimed at smart speakers and other voice/AI touchpoints.
Those following the voice/AI space for any amount of time know there is a broad list of A-players in this space, from Chatables to Earplay to Capstone to Matchbox.io to Volley to Labworks.io to Wanderword themselves, along with many others.
But all of these various players operate on an island, as most are small firms and often don’t communicate with each other, even as the industry and its opportunities have grown.
Wanderword hopes to change that by rolling out Poptale, a website designed to provide a gathering place for those working with interactive audio entertainment.
Right now, the site features a variety of news stories and other content related to current events within the space. But soon, the company is integrating a forum and other features designed to enable more meaningful interaction between the various players and companies driving this area forward.
We have seen from the rise of the Open Voice Network that the effort in gathering community together may take time to ramp, but has vast potential to pay dividends to everyone involved.
If Wanderword is successful in bringing the disparate constellation of IAE companies together in a more meaningful way, it will accelerate the growth of all of the players in this space.
Project Voice X is a new industry event bringing together the worlds of voice/AI and social audio. October 25-27 in Destin / Fort Walton Beach.
This will be a significant gathering and a big step back toward more traditional trade shows, where cross-pollination between industry verticals and various types of companies yields tremendous value.
The location of the conference provides the opportunity for family or friends to tag along for a vacation, one that you may need after months of face-time over the summer as offices open back up.
We sold our first exhibit hall space and sponsorship the same day we announced this event, which was last week. If you’re interested in being part, please let us know.
Also note that, for attendees, Early Bird Registration lasts until May 1.
Project Voice Worldwide will be the most important virtual event in the voice/AI space you attend all year.
It’s free, begins with iVow.AI - an organization you will want to know - and features a who’s-who of the space, culminating in a live one-hour session with Mark Cuban.
Project Voice 100 is the first in-person gathering to take place in the voice/AI space since COVID arrived.
We will have news coming out of the event to share later this week. We look forward to seeing many of you there.