Duolingoa language-learning app with more than 500 million users, is working on a music app, TechCrunch has learned.
The Pittsburgh-based tech company currently has a small team working on a music product and is hire a learning scientist who is a “music education expert who combines theoretical knowledge from relevant learning science research and practical teaching experience,” according to a job posting listed on Duolingo’s career page. The company also published a job you were applying for an independent music composition and curriculum consultant, but the company is no longer accepting applications for that position.
The job listing suggests that the app will teach basic music theory concepts using popular songs and teachers.
Duolingo has slowly grown beyond language learning into several new ancillary projects that may represent significant revenue streams for years to come. For example, The Duolingo English Test, which grew out of a hackathon project in 2014, is an online certification exam that tests language proficiency. The company also launched Duolingo ABC during the pandemic, which is a free app focused on English literacy for children ages 3 to 6.
In October 2022, the company announced Duolingo Math in its first subject expansion beyond its original language and literacy learning roots. Math app is free and similar to language learning; both require methodical thinking and the ability to apply functions to arrive at answers.
Music is a subject that sits in the pedagogical milieu of language, which requires nuance and context, and mathematics, which requires focusing on formulas to provide correct answers, or in this case, sounds.
Language, math, and music on Duolingo require users to know the basics. And here’s how Duolingo differs: It focuses on building blocks, rather than a specific domain, as a way to learn a skill.
Also, it doesn’t hurt that there seems to be some executive buy-in for the concept in general: Duolingo’s chief commercial officer, Bob Meese, is an investor in Trala, a tech company that offers virtual violin lessons. He recently raised $8 million in his Series A.
So far, the broader scope seems to be resonating. Duolingo more than doubled its paid subscriber base last year, according to its last quarterly update. Total revenue has also nearly doubled to $369.5 million by 2022.
It’s unclear how Duolingo’s music app will materialize in the coming months; For example, we don’t know if the app will help people read music, write music, learn instruments, or all of the above, or if it’s just a little experiment. within an organization known for loving a test or 10. TechCrunch has reached out to the company for further comment and will update if we hear back.
