Social media giant Twitter has acquired the Australian music tech start-up We Are Hunted, making its first major foray into the music industry. We Are Hunted was developed and launched in 2009 as a tool allowing users to discover, play and share new music online. Here are 5 fast facts you need to know about Twitter buying the Aussie start-up We Are Hunted.
1. Wearehunted.com Was Acquired by Twitter
Twitter announced on Thursday it has acquired We Are Hunted, a three-person music streaming startup based in Australia. We Are Hunted was founded in 2007 by Stephen Phillips, Richard Slatter and Michael Doherty and is backed by Aussie entrepreneur Graeme Wood. Graeme Wood subsequently investing $3 million for a stake in the start-up. We Are Hunted was developed in Brisbane and launched in 2009 as a tool allowing users to discover, play and share new music online.
2. Wearehunted.com Will Be Shutting Down
We Are Hunted officially posted on its website on Friday that it had been acquired by Twitter, though the terms of the deal were kept secret. The company said in a statement, “while we are shutting down wearehunted.com, we will continue to create services that will delight you, as part of the Twitter team. There’s no question that Twitter and music go well together. Artists turn to Twitter first to connect with fans, and people share and discover new songs and albums every day. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on at Twitter.”
3. Twitter Will Build a Major Standalone App Called Twitter Music
American Idol host Ryan Seacrest recently revealed he was using the yet to be released Twitter music app.
lovin the app…shows what artists are trending, also has up and coming artists… spinning u now @frankturner
— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) April 11, 2013
playing with @twitter‘s new music app (yes it’s real!)…there’s a serious dance party happening at idol right now
— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) April 11, 2013
4. Twitter’s Music App Will Be Unveiled in the Next Two Weeks
According to CNET, the Twitter Music app will be able to recommend songs to users based on artists they follow on Twitter, and songs they stream via SoundCloud. Users will be able to share music using the hashtag #NowPlaying, which has been used by Slatter and Stephen Phillips on Twitter over the past month.
5. Twitter’s Music App Will Be an Extension of WeAreHunted’s Existing Business Model
The app will be an extension of We Are Hunted’s existing business model. The company developed a software that can identify some of the most popular tracks being listened to in the world online, and displays various music videos on its website. We Are Hunted also has music charts. We Are Hunted created an Android and iPhone app partnership with Spotify back in 2011 to help its users local new music based on their preferences.