In addition to our curated cohort of speakers, leaders in this frontier technology, attendees will meet with fellow evangelists, builders, investors, and enthusiasts as we define the landscape of audio, identify opportunities, and discuss the social and political ramifications of this frontier technology.
The first wave of internet-connected audio started with iPods and RSS feeds and people creating podcasts in their garages.
In the second wave, smart speakers and connected cars increased the number of opportunities for people to listen to internet-powered audio. Companies such as Gimlet and Anchor led the way in this second wave of podcasting, creating excellent content, user experiences, and infrastructure for listeners and creators.
We are now entering into a third wave of audio. For podcasts, that means discovery and new monetization models. Beyond podcasts, there is also a new opportunity for audio-first utilities from synthesized voice to “Airpod-first” apps, and more.
In a blog post last year, Betaworks Ventures partner Matt Hartman explained why he saw podcasting as a big deal way back then.
Betaworks Ventures was one of the early venture capital (VC) firms to pinpoint the rise of audio as a major media vehicle, having invested in both of Spotify’s acquisitions — Gimlet in 2014, and Anchor a year later.
“We saw early data around podcasts having a bit of a resurgence before Serial (a popular investigative journalism podcast) launched,” Hartman said. “That data, combined with the increasing battery life of iPhones and an increasing amount of connected cars on the road, led us to think there was an opportunity for internet-powered audio. This, combined with the quick growth of smart speakers, solidified our conviction that people would consume more and more audio content.”
9:00 am
Breakfast & Doors
10:00 am
Welcome & Livestream Begins
Ben Scheim of Betaworks Studios
10:05 am
Introduction
Matt Hartman of Betaworks Ventures
10:10 am
Program I: The Audio 3.0 Landscape
Michael Mignano of Anchor & Matt Hartman of Betaworks Ventures
10:45 am
Program II:
I'll Be There For You: The Role of Audio and Para-social Relationships
in Long-term Behavior Change
Sarah Stites
11:00 am
Demo I: Resemble
Zohaib Ahmed
Demo II: Breaker
Leah Culver
11:15 am
Program III: High Fidelity Modeling of Speech with Neural Synthesizers
Michael Mandel of Brooklyn College (CUNY)
11:30 am
Program IV: Audio & AirPods: The First Taste of Transhumanism
Nicholas Pappageorge of CB Insights
11:45 am
Demo III: Foursquare
Dennis Crowley
Demo IV: YAC
Jordan Walker
Demo V: TTYL
Freia Lobo
12:15 pm
Program V: Active Listening - A User-Driven Approach to Interactive Audio
Jonathon Myers of Earplay
12:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm
Demo VI: GLOW.FM
Daniel Wheeler
1:45 pm
Program VII: Why Podfund is Betting Big on Creators
Nicola Korzenko of Podfund
2:00 pm
Demo VII: Dialup
Danielle Baskin
Demo VIII: STEEREO
Sean McKenzie
2:15 pm
Break
2:30 pm
Program VIII: The Next Wave Of Audio Tech Will Be Controlled by Your Brain
Nima Mesgarani of Columbia University
2:50 pm
Program IX: The Audio 3.0 Market
Danika Laszuk of Betaworks Camp & Jordan Cooper of Pace Capital
3:25 pm
Closing Remarks
Matt Hartman of Betaworks Ventures & Ben Scheim of Betaworks Studios
3:30 pm
Happy Hour
RENDER is a new bimonthly conference series on frontier technology from Betaworks Studios.
Inspired by Render, our Medium blog, these events will explore different areas of emerging technology—what’s happening now and where we believe the tech is going.
In 2019, there will be RENDER events in May, July, September, and November. Each event features an entire day of programming and experiences at our Studios location in the Meatpacking.
See you there.
Betaworks Studios is a new membership club for individuals looking to make a dent in the universe. Supported by innovative technology, this space is designed for connectivity within a curated community.
Studios is your space to meet, scheme, get advice, collaborate, do a little bit of work, attend events, and host events. For 10 years Betaworks has been working and networking—building companies, running accelerators, investing in talent—and now we've opened our doors, to you.