[UK] 4iP, quasi venture investment fund from TV broadcaster Channel 4, is putting even further, undisclosed, investment into Audioboo, the ‘Twitter for audio’ startup. As part of the deal, UBC Media, the content and software supplier to the radio industry, is also effectively injecting cash into the forthcoming Audioboo Pro version of the startup’s iPhone app by buying 8 licences, though how much those cost hasn’t been released.
Audioboo has already sold a Pro version to The Royal Opera House, although that one sale won’t get it very far. However, they say media brands like the The Guardian, Channel 4 News, the BBC, TechCrunch Europe (well, me now and a again), The Telegraph and PaidContent have all used “Audioboos” style interviews as part of their content. I can confidently say that Audioboo is a great reporting platform because you literally just record the audio and upload from inside the app. The professional version allows one to queue uploads as well.
However, I have had equal success with the iPadio app which, like Audioboo, also tweets out a link to the audio. The difference between the two is that iPadio is really going after the internal corporate communications market, while at the same time giving away the app to create adoption. Audioboo is going after consumers and media brands.
Daniel Heaf, Investor for 4iP, said: “Our first round of funding helped Audioboo to market to prove both a user and market need. Now is the time to help Mark and his team fully realise that opportunity.”
No doubt Audioboo will use this PR opportunity to boost it’s attempt to fund-raise in the US, which I gather it’s off to do shortly.