March 11, 2008

MyVox Lets You Add Voice Notes to Google Maps, RockYou Widgets And More

Erick Schonfeld

10 comments »

myvox-logo-2.pngYour phone is now a broadcasting implement. MyVox is opening up a new set of APIs today that will let Web developers add voice notes and audio advertising to any Web application. Instead of making people record their voice on their PC mic or upload an audio file, with MyVox, they use their phones as their mics instead. Website visitors can simply call a number on their regular phones and follow the voice prompts to record a note or message.

myvox-google-map.pngSome examples of applications that can make use of this voice functionality are: adding voice notes to Google maps, recording a voiceover for a Flickr slideshow, creating a RockYou widget that lets people’s friends leave voice comments on their Facebook page, recording vocals for a WeMix song or a Blabberize video, or even turning your iPhone into a voice recorder. Check out this gallery to get a sense of these and other applications. For instance, you can see how a Google map with voice-enabled push pins looks like here. Just click on one of the push pins and pres play. You could narrate a tour of landmarks or points of interest. To create your own map with voice notes, go here, click on “Add Marker,” select the push pin abd click on “call in audio.” Once you are done, save the map to generate a unique URL.

MyVox is operated by VoodooVox, which makes money from playing in-call audio ads to people while they are on hold. The more call volume it can generate, the more audio advertising inventory it can sell. But instead of making Website visitors suffer through audio advertising, only people who use the service to create a voice track will hear an ad when they call in. And Web developers will get a cut of any advertising dollars associated with their applications. Sounds like fair trade.

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  1. Michael Arrington

    this is cool.

  2. Jcyreus

    This seems like one of those apps that on the surface sounds like a good idea, but will suffer somewhat when it comes to user adoption due to the necessity to slow down and listen in order to understand the message, as opposed to skimming (text) or fast fowarding through video.

  3. wntr

    looks great. wish it didn’t have ads though. seems like whole point is to get users to record right? why make it annoying to call in…?

    @2 it is like video, it depends on the listener/viewer interest level. if it’s something you are interested in, you probably will accept the linear nature. fast-forwarding video isn’t the same as skimming, yet video is pretty darn popular I think these days.

  4. Andrew

    yeah agreed, why would I want to make a tour of landmarks? or make a voice note on a map I plan to print out?

  5. Mo Kakwan

    The MyVox API allows for so much to be done. These apps only scratch the surface of real possibility.

    The strength in call in audio application is that telephones are ubiquitous and that audio input by use of the MyVox api is near instantaneous. Which is to say the moment you finish the phone call your application has the audio data in hand.

    @3 - The audio ads are fairly quick and painless. I made the map application and I had to test a lot meaning I had to hear quite a few ads. They’re not bad at all.

    The map application is written entirely in javascript (with exception of the flash audio player). And when i say entirely in javascript I mean that I didn’t have to even set up a database or table to store the data. All data is stored and handled by the API. Including password protection. It’s a very robust and flexible API.

  6. Adolf bin Streisand

    As loyal TC readers know I comment on all posts related to “new telcos” saying show me the calls.

    This is an interesting twist. It stays out of the app game and hence the need to build a company around one app, instead giving developers the ability to build their own voice-powered apps. This is likely a quicker way to get to a level of call volume that is large enough to build an ad network around.

  7. Where's the Web Recorder?

    Sounds great, but why limit the app to calling in, if I’m on my computer already?

    I already hate using my phone, I’d rather have a flash widget that recorded the audio.

    Anybody know of an audio recording service with an API that uses flash, or if these guys are planning to?

  8. Mo Kakwan

    @7 - Voodoovox is really an enabler. I run a site called Blabberize.com which allows you to make pictures talk. Through flash we easily had the ability to capture audio from the microphone. A wall we ran into was that not everyone has a microphone at their computer. VoodooVox came along and allowed us to use their API early on and opened our market up to most anyone.

    Another side effect of using the api was that we found the mics in phones are much better then computer microphones. The audio we get from call in audio is cleaner by far compared to a microphone in the computer.

    The solutions for voice over microphone for websites were out there. A simple “plugin and go” solution for phone to website never existed until MyVox came on the scene. We were on the brink of trying to fumble and set up our own goofy solution until MyVox saved us. To add to it all, they revenue share.

  9. AK

    Great review Erick. Voodoo Vox has legs. Met with these guys last week - they are brilliant thinkers that understand the end game, which is how to monetize. They also have one of the coolest offices in NYC (old Ampd Mobile HQ) Your next Meet Up should be on their roof.