‘Hey Alexa, What’s SonicAi?’
Famous radio guys Steve Goldstein and Fred Jacobs, and their companies, Amplifi Media and jācapps have joined forces to launch SonicAi, a joint venture dedicated to strategizing and creating voice command solutions for the radio and podcasting industries. Initial development will focus on the Amazon Echo and Google Home devices. Joining this partnership as co-founder is fellow industry exec Lee Davis. Goldstein’s Amplifi Media and Davis will focus on sales, marketing and “skills” architecture, while the jācapps team will handle product development and customer service.
The introduction of these devices into homes creates a significant opportunity for the radio industry and podcasters. Research has shown that in-home radio listening has been declining, but now with the ability to access a radio station’s stream or programming (such as podcasts) using voice commands, is a breakthrough for audio content creators. According to Jacobs Media’s Techsurvey13 (to be released in May), 11% of homes already have one of these devices, with brisk sales underscoring the opportunity for the audio industry.
Goldstein remarked, “This partnership is designed to maximize the in-home opportunity for radio stations and podcasters. We think this is a seismic change that needs to be seized upon and mastered. That’s why we have developed solutions to make it easy for consumers to find and access a brand’s audio content. We also think audio content creators will be more successful with enhanced choices beyond basic streams. We call these ‘smart skills,’ and we plan to have a full suite of offerings.” Jacobs said, “Teaming up with Steve and Lee, while turning the jācapps team loose, is where SAi is headed. We’ve been ahead of the curve with jācapps, radio’s leading developer of mobile solutions since our launch in 2008. Our team specializes in great customer service and outstanding development, and we’ll work with stations and audio content creators to unleash the potential of these devices as they are rapidly showing up in kitchens, dens, and on nightstands. They are the new radios for the home.” For more info, contact Lee Davis at 888-776-6422.
