Spotify acquires audio platform to help turn radio shows into podcasts

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Spotify's latest acquisition will help the company lure radio broadcasters to turn their shows into podcasts. The company bought Whooshkaa, an Australia-based firm that provides radio broadcasters tools to convert their shows into podcasts. Spotify plans to integrate its technology into its Megaphone suite for podcasters. The goal is to offer stations a way to profit from shows by offering ad-supported podcast episodes.

Whooshkaa can also help with Spotify's other audio efforts. Founder Rob Loewenthal mentioned that his company offered speech-to-text and text-to-speech tech, smart home integration, and "enterprise grade" podcasting tools. But those have not been clearly noted as part of their goals. We wouldn't be surprised if these help Spotify develop its podcasting features in the future.

Source: Engadget

Spotify buys audiobook platform Findaway

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Spotify's newest acquisition suggests it wants to develop its library of audiobook titles. The company bought the audiobook platform Findaway, an Ohio, US-based company with a catalog of over 325,000 titles. It has partnerships with companies like Apple, Amazon, and other retail giants. The service also makes tools for audiobook creators. 

The streaming service hasn't released the acquisition details, and it wouldn't go into the specifics about what it plans. But the company has said in a statement that this deal can help it "quickly scale its audiobook catalog" and create new opportunities for authors and publishers.

Source: Engadget

Microsoft's Two Hat acquisition hopes to improve Xbox community moderation

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Microsoft has bought Two Hat, a company known for its AI content moderation tools. Microsoft didn't reveal the deal's financial details, but the company talks about how this acquisition can help improve the Xbox community moderation. The two companies have been frequent collaborators working on making Xbox Live and other gaming communities safer.

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Netflix acquires indie game developer Night School Studio

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We know Netflix has plans to expand into gaming, and now we see their latest move. The company has acquired indie game developer Night School Studio, the team behind games Afterparty and Oxenfree. The latter reminds us a bit of Stranger Things, described as a "supernatural thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly open a ghostly rift." Night School Studio was even making a hybrid puzzle game based on the series back in 2018. But unexpected layoffs forced the project's sudden shutdown. 

This announcement comes a day after Netflix revealed that the early library of games it's testing out with Android users in Poland is coming to subscribers in Spain and Italy.

Source: Gizmodo