NFTs – or Non-Fungible Tokens – are digital assets that link ownership to unique physical or digital objects, such as artwork, real estate, music or videos. They are considered modern collectibles. Now podcasters and other audio creators will be able to jump on the bandwagon and make NFTs from the content they create. Audioburst, the audio content search and discovery platform, has launched a new product that will allow listeners to find segments from a podcast or radio show that they like and purchase it as an NFT with the click of a button.
The NFT tool resides in the Audioburst Finder widget. Listeners can visit the website of their favorite podcasts, use the company’s proprietary audio search tool to find content, and purchase NFT using a credit card with the button on the widget.
“Transforming audio clips into NFTs is a natural extension of our existing core audio discovery capabilities, which allow listeners to search for podcasts and share story segments,” Audioburst CEO Gal Klein said in the announcement. “Listeners take ownership of audio content they connect to while supporting their favorite podcast and radio hosts.”
Audioburst Finder, the search and share widget, has already been deployed on leading podcast sites, including the Salem Podcast Network. Audiobursts Finder is currently used by Dennis Prager, Charlie Kirk, AJ Benza and other podcast and talk radio hosts. The widget uses AI to make audio files searchable while adding visual and audio advertising, bringing it to Web 1.0. It breaks long-form audio from podcasts and radio programs into smaller stories that can be easily shared across social media, transferring the medium to Web 2.0. By adding NFT capabilities, Audioburst says it ushers audio files into Web 3.0.
Beyond the sale of NFTs, Audioburst says it has opened up new revenue streams while also making its content more visible. It has also resulted in more unique visitors and a deeper engagement between podcast hosts and listeners.
Jamie Cohen, SVP of Salem Media Group, says they’ve been able to use technology to find out what kind of content keeps listeners engaged and coming back for more.
“One of the really interesting things that has come out of Audioburst’s Finder widget is the impact it can have on the show content itself,” says Cohen. “The NFTs, queries and social media shares have provided our hosts, producers and sponsors with invaluable insight and feedback that contributes to the success of all stakeholders.”
Tel Aviv-based Audioburst launched in 2015 with a proprietary AI-based platform that uses voice search to listen, understand, segment and index millions of minutes of audio content from radio stations, podcasts and TV. Since then, it has announced alliances with a who’s who of technology manufacturers. Audioburst has raised $25 million to date. The advertising agency Dentsu and the car manufacturer Hyundai both invested 5 million dollars in the company in last round. Japan’s Nippon Broadcasting System also invested $3 million.
