Apple is hell bent on improving its audio service offering, after the company’s Podcast and iTunes Radio is not attracting the much required attention. According to sources at Re/Code, the Cuperino giant is set to add Swell app – Pandora for News Radio to its recent long list of acquisition.
For those unfamiliar with Swell app for iOS, it compiles Podcasts and offers news radio rebooted service. The app analyses the way and how users listens to and uses such data to create a personalised podcast stream. Swell sources from multiple sources including TED, CBC, BBC, ABC, iTunes, ESPN and NPR.
Apple also have a podcast app but its has failed to gain any traction, as users have given it a 1.5 out of 5 stars on App store while Swell has a 4.5 stars rating and over 400 reviews on App store.
Apple recently acquired Beats Electronics and Beats Music, which is more about music, the acquisition of swell means the company is also looking to bolster its talk radio services.
The number of users currently using Swell is unknown but the company has previously raised $7.2 million USD from venture partners which includes DFJ, Google Ventures and InterWest Partners. Swell was also working on a Beta-version of the Swell for Android, but there are major doubts that will ever happen.
As a result of the acquisition Swell would shut down in coming weeks but the app is currently still available on App store. Much of the Swell team would also join Apple and an official announcement is expected later this week.
This news comes just some days after Apple confirmed it has acquired BookLamp – a Pandora for Books service for around $10 – $15 million USD. The company may be looking to bolster its e-books sales by integrating the Startup’s Genome project. Some sources claim, Apple is looking to beat Amazon at its own game.
Apple CEO, Tim Cook announced at the company’s quarterly conference for the third fiscal quarter of 2014, announced Apple has completed 29 acquisitions over the past nine months including the $3 billion USD it paid for Beats Electronics and Music.
