Rebel Audio is a new AI podcasting tool aimed at first-time creators

0:00This is TechCrunch. This episode is brought to you by Framer. Set the tone for your brand by creating the dot com of your dreams with Framer, a website builder that makes sure you're not leaving opportunities on the table. Framer can turn your website into a tool for growth by helping you build a better one faster. Framer is like your favorite design tool. With real-time collaboration, a robust CMS with everything you need for great SEO and advanced analytics that include integrated AB testing, your designers and marketers will feel confident that they're helping your business move the needle. It's the shortcut you've been looking for. And then when your website looks exactly as you wanted to, changes to your Framer site will go live to the web in seconds when you click publish. It without help from engineering. Here's how I think Framer could be helpful to you. If you normally have to wait on someone else to make changes to your website, you can

1:02cut that out of your workflow and get these changes live quickly. Upgrade your website and give your business a boost. Learn how you can get more out of your dot com from a Framer specialist or get started building for free today. At Framer.com slash TC Startups for 30% off a Framer Pro angle plan. That's Framer.com slash TC Startups for 30% off. Framer.com slash TC Startups rules and restrictions may apply. You've more than likely had that moment where you're sitting with a friend and the conversation is flowing, you're making each other laugh, maybe even saying something surprisingly insightful. Then someone says it. We should start a podcast. Most of the time that idea fades as quickly as it came. Not because it's necessarily a bad idea, but because actually making a podcast has always been kind of a pain between recording setups, editing software and promotion, many argue

2:03that the barrier to entry is higher than expected. That's the gap a new platform called Rebel Audio is trying to close. Rebel Audio positions itself as an all in one podcasting platform designed for first time and early stage creators. The idea is simple, instead of juggling multiple tools, subscriptions and workflows, podcasters can create their show, recorded, edited, upload, cover artwork, create transcripts, clip content for social and publish, all without ever leaving the platform. Rebel Audio launched a private beta with a waitlist earlier this month, and it recently secured $3.8 million in an oversubscribed seed round, suggesting that investors see real opportunity in simplifying the podcasting process, an official rollout to the public begins on May 30th. A timing of the launch makes sense, podcasting is exploding with the industry projected to

3:09reach $114.5 billion by 2030. According to Riverside, more than 584 million people listened to podcasts last year, with predictions that that number will rise to $619 million by this year. You know, competitors like Spotify for creators, formerly Spotify for podcasters, have already adopted a similar all in one approach, offering tools like unlimited hosting, video podcast uploads, audience tools, analytics and monetization through ads and subscriptions. However, Rebel Audio argues that none of these solutions deliver a truly 360 degree creation suite in the way its platform aims to. Other popular rivals include Riverside, Adobe Audition, and Descript. Monetization is another core part of the pitch, rather than treating revenue as something that comes later, Rebel Audio integrates it from the beginning.

4:11Creators can tap into advertising, brand partnerships, dynamic ad insertion, and listener subscriptions integrated within the platform. Unsurprisingly, Rebel Audio's experience is also heavily powered by AI. The platform includes an AI assistant that helps with everything from generating show names and descriptions to suggesting ideas and podcasting cover art based on a concept. There are also AI-powered transcription, dubbing, and translation capabilities as well as voice cloning for ad reads. However, building a podcasting platform centered around AI could introduce criticism. The use of AI-generated images and voice cloning remains a sensitive topic across the creative industry. Amen to that. Concerns around training data, originality, and ownership continue to surface, and some creators remain wary of tools that blur those lines. Streaming platforms like Spotify and Deezer have already had to address issues related to

5:15low-quality, mass-produced AI content, sometimes referred to as AI Slop. Rebel Audio told TechCrunch that it has implemented guardrails to address those concerns. Voice cloning is opt-in and requires users to confirm they have the rights to use a given voice, and the platform includes safeguards aimed at preventing deep-fake content. Similarly, the company says its AI-generated cover art tools are designed with moderation systems to block inappropriate or non-compliant imagery, particularly anything that could violate distribution platform guidelines. Rebel Audio was developed in partnership with AI ConsultingFirm Lattice Partners. Behind the scenes, the company's leadership brings a lot of industry experience. Founder Jared Goodstad previously launched production company AudioUp in 2020. Rebel Audio plans to migrate AudioUp's catalog onto the platform, including shows involving

6:18big names like Machine Gun Kelly, Anthony Anderson, Dennis Quaid, Jason Alexander, and Luke Wilson. The broader team includes veterans from companies like MGM and DreamWorks, and even Mark Burnett has joined as an advisor. Burnett is the producer behind shows Survivor the Voice in Shark Tank. Facing wise, the platform is structured in tiers, starting with a basic plan at $15 a month that offers AI-assisted production, hosting, and distribution to all major platforms, a plus plan at $35 a month, which includes video hosting and voice cloning for ad reads, scaling up to a full PRO package at $70 a month that includes dynamic ad insertion, listener subscriptions, translation, and dubbing. That's all for now. For more stories like this one, go to techcrunch.com. Stitchfix shopping is hard, let's talk about it.

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