Melod.io is a mobile music messaging platform that lets users create personalized music-based audio messages to share with friends.
The Finland-based company officially launches its app today, across Europe, the US, China, India, and Russia, having raised $300,00 (USD) in angel funding through public sources in Finland.
Though it’s currently only available for iOS devices, it will shortly be hitting Google Play for Android users.
How it works
When you first launch the app you’ll see a number of backing track options to choose from. You can play some of the available free ones, where you can create your own backing music, using pre-loaded effects and beats and loops that are provided by Melod.io. You hit the small microphone button to record your message over the top, and then send the resulting clip via SMS, e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter.
At launch, Melod.io follows a freemium model, with no ads, but with in-app purchases of genre-specific music packs (or simply “Happy Birthday”) for $0.99 (€0,79).
A new version with ads will also launch shortly, and will include free ‘for the lifetime of the app’ music packs too. The company will continuously update its music catalogue based on popularity and demand. Later this year, Melod.io will introduce a premium model, without ads, with more voice effects and visuals.
So what does the recipient receive when you send the message? Well, they get a link to listen to the track on the Melod.io website, looking something like this:
It’s a bit like Instagram, but for music-based audio messages.
We’re told that the company is currently in discussions with Finnish retailers and major music labels with a view towards creating more customized music packs.
“We have created a truly interactive mobile music messaging service, with loops and effects, so that users are not merely bound by text or photos,” says Jonathan Massey, co-founder and CEO of Melod.io. “Mobile music sharing, through streaming services and social networks, is a static experience, and we have found that users are more savvy to the creative potential of their smartphones today, much as they were with their PCs when Web 2.0 first started in the last decade.”
Melod.io is a nicely constructed app and works as promised. Whilst it does seem a little gimmicky on the surface, it will perhaps appeal chiefly to a younger demographic. That said, perhaps the beauty of this service is that the app isn’t required to listen to a message – so this means older members of the family who only have email and a desktop computer can receive audio greetings too.
Meanwhile, check out the official promo video below.
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