Auddia Inc. has announced the launch date for a controversial new AI-driven feature for its Faidr mobile app. The company is integrating a podcast commercial remover in Faidr, starting January 15, using a blend of Natural Language Processing and a proprietary AI audio-classification algorithm.
Upon release, Faidr will host around 50,000 episodes from the top 200 most popular podcasts without commercials, accessible to all users during their trial period and to subscribers without any extra fee until the end of Q1 2024. Post-Q1, the feature will incur an additional cost. The company also plans to bundle premium AM/FM content with ad-free podcasting or to select services à la carte.
Users will also be able to generate transcripts of the episodes, enhancing the listening experience with searchable keywords and direct audio jumps.
The initial launch will focus on the iOS version of Faidr with plans to extend the feature to Android shortly after. Auddia is also strategizing the expansion of this technology to other podcasting platforms.
Auddia CEO Michael Lawless said, “We are poised to revolutionize the podcast listening experience with this unparalleled feature. Expanding our ad-free environment to podcasts complements our ad-free AM/FM service, aligning with our mission to enhance audio engagement.”
Chief Product Marketing Officer Theo Romeo shared, “We anticipate our commercial-free podcasting to be a significant benefit to our users and a viable new revenue stream for podcast creators.”
