A US startup called Airbuds is building some momentum with a social app that enables people to see what their friends are currently streaming. TechCrunch reported that the app, which is available as a widget for iPhone and Android smartphones, has been downloaded 15m times so far, with 1.5 million people using it on a daily basis.
Once installed on their homescreens, the widget shows what friends are listening to on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, Audiomack or Deezer. Airbuds’ initial success is now attracting investors: it has just raised a $5m funding round led by VC firm Seven Seven Six. That takes it to $10m raised so far.
The app has already expanded beyond simply showing what friends are playing: emoji reactions, built-in messaging and a Spotify Wrapped-style ‘Weekly Recap’ feature. The business model is freemium with an ‘Airbuds Plus’ tier offered via an in-app purchase.
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