Apple has acquired Pop Up Archive, an online platform that builds tools for transcribing audio files and making them searchable.
One of the startup’s most significant tools is a podcast search engine called Audiosear.ch, which closed its doors November 28. The service issued “Buzz Scores” for podcasts, based on their charting on iTunes and reviews.
Pop Up Archive was founded back in 2012 in Oakland, California. Since then, the startup went through multiple rounds of funding.
Apple, as per usual, gave no indication of what it plans to do with the technology. The company issued its standard statement: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
Apple buys Pop Up Archive to boost Podcasts
Reading between the lines, it seems clear that Pop Up Archive’s technology will help Apple improve its Podcasts platform. Apple currently drives an estimated 50 percent to 70 percent of podcast downloads, the overwhelming majority of these on iPhone.
While Apple doesn’t derive a large amount of money from free podcasts, the company previously looked at ways to change this. For example, in a previous patent application, Apple described how in the future it could interrupt podcasts with targeted personalized advertisements. The smarter Apple can make its podcast service, the more valuable propositions like this will become.
It’s not clear how much Apple paid for Pop Up Archive.
Source: Nieman Lab
Via: AppleInsider
