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Endel (app)

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Endel
Developer(s)Endel Sound GmbH
Initial release2018
Operating systemiOS (including standalone Apple Watch), Android, Apple TV, also provided as Amazon Alexa skill
Typepersonalized sound environment app
Websiteendel.io

Endel is a paid generative music app that creates personalized sound environments (called soundscapes) to match user activities. The app provides preset modes for relaxation, focus, sleep, and moving, and reacts to time of the day, weather, heart rate, and location to create unique compositions.[1]

Endel is available on iOS and Android devices, on Apple TV, as a standalone Apple Watch app, and an Amazon Alexa Skill.[2][3]

History

[edit]

Endel was launched in 2018 as an application that generates individual soundscapes fitted to the user's immediate conditions. The app's Endel Pacific engine was built based on scientific principles about sound's effect on the human body and mind.[4][5]

The same year the app passed the Techstars Music startup accelerator and raised investments from the Amazon's Alexa Fund (focused on voice-powered products and conversational computing).[6]

Soundscapes

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In January 2019, Endel signed a distribution deal with Warner Music Group to produce and release 20 algorithmically created albums,[7] attracting media attention from outlets such as Rolling Stone, Wired, The New Yorker, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal.[8][9][10]

In 2020, Endel collaborated with Grimes to create AI Lullaby sleep soundscape featuring her vocals and music, inspired by her experience as a new mother.[11][12] A 2022 James Blake's Wind Down album was also made in a collaboration with Endel.[13]

Endel launched a variety of soundscapes: seasonal soundscapes like Recovery (for Winter 2020),[14] lo-fi soundscape Study,[15] Wiggly Wisdom soundscape with spoken word phrases from Alan Watts.[16] The Clarity Trip soundscape, launched in October 2021, used data on user's movement and pace as a part of its generative algorithm.[17]

Developers

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The app is developed by a German software company Endel Sound GmbH[18] founded by Oleg Stavitsky, Protey Temen, Philipp Petrenko, Dmitry Evgrafov, Kirill Bulatsev, Dmitry Bezugly.[19][20] Its early-stage investors and partners included the Amazon Amazon Alexa Fund, Warner Music Group, Sonos, Avex Group, Kima Ventures, Impulse Ventures, Plus Eight Equity Partners, Waverley Capital, Powerhouse Capital, Techstars Music, Major Lazer's Chris Leacock, and DJ La Fleur.[21][22][23] In September 2020 it raised a $5 million Series A funding round led by Kevin Rose and supported by existing and new investors.[24]

References

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  1. ^ Pardes, Arielle (2019-05-31). "Generative Music Apps Let Your Phone Write Songs for You". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  2. ^ "Endel's Apple Watch app generates soothing sounds on your wrist". Engadget. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  3. ^ "Endel raises $5M in funding led by Kevin Rose". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  4. ^ Dan Cole (May 4, 2021). "How Endel's AI-powered Focus soundscapes earned the backing of neuroscience". Amazon Science. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  5. ^ Tyler Hayes (November 25, 2020). "The science behind Endel's AI-powered soundscapes". Amazon Science. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  6. ^ "Amazon's Alexa Fund invests in assistants for health care and education". VentureBeat. 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  7. ^ Pardes, Arielle (2019-05-31). "Generative Music Apps Let Your Phone Write Songs for You". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  8. ^ Hsu, Hua (2019-05-13). "Electronic Pop for the Surveillance Era". ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  9. ^ Wang, Amy X. (2019-03-23). "Warner Music Group Signs an Algorithm to a Record Deal". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  10. ^ Deahl, Dani (2019-03-27). "Warner Music signed an algorithm to a record deal — what happens next?". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  11. ^ Marcus, Ezra (2020-10-28). "The Future According to Grimes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  12. ^ Andrews, Arden Fanning. "Step Into the Future With Grimes's AI-Powered Sleep Soundscape". Vogue. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  13. ^ Brodsky, Rachel (24 March 2022). "Stream James Blake's Wind Down, An Hour-Long Sleep Soundscape". Stereogum. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  14. ^ Apple. "Endel App Update Historie". Apple App Store (in German). Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  15. ^ Apple. "Endel App Update Historie". Apple App Store (in German). Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  16. ^ Apple. "Endel App Update Historie". Apple App Store (in German). Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  17. ^ Apple. "Endel App Update Historie". Apple App Store (in German). Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  18. ^ "Endel Sound GmbH". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  19. ^ "Endel app creator on the power of endless ambient music". Apple. May 18, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  20. ^ "Warner Music signs first ever record deal with an algorithm". The Guardian. 2019-03-22. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  21. ^ "Amazon's Alexa Fund invests in assistants for health care and education". VentureBeat. 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  22. ^ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley. "Supersonic Startups: The Techstars Music Class Of 2018 Unveiled". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  23. ^ "Major Lazer's 'Jillionaire' Backs New App Endel for Mindfulness". Cheddar. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  24. ^ "Endel raises $5M in funding led by Kevin Rose". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
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