Berlin startup TVSMILES creates successful business model using audioid technology from mufin
BERLIN – Television advertisers are fighting harder than ever to get viewer attention. According to a Nielsen study, 84% of American smartphone and tablet owners use their mobile devices while they watch television1. This Second Screen trend has become a powerful source of inspiration for new business models. TVSMILES, a German startup, has received 7 million dollars in its Series A financial round. Their application uses audioid technology from mufin to identify commercials and offer matching games and quizzes.
“More and more TV networks, producers and advertisers are starting to recognize the new income models becoming available as a result of the changing behaviour in the use of media”
Audio recognition technology
How does the audio device recognize the commercial that the viewer sees? mufin technology enables the device to record the audio from the television and analyse it in real time. An “acoustic fingerprint” is then created from the recorded material which is then compared to the fingerprints in a database. The result is a precise identification of the commercial spot.
“The recognition of TV commercials is a central function of our app”, comments TVSMILES Managing Director Frederic Westerberg. “We needed to find a partner that could provide us with solid, dependable software. mufin‘s technology was very convincing.”
The advertising market is looking for solutions
The TV advertising market is facing a great challenge. On the one hand, simultaneous surfing on the Internet has the potential to distract viewers from the commercials. On the other hand, the Second Screen trend presents an opportunity to create more effective TV advertisements. The playful gaming and reward approach offered by TVSMILES creates direct interaction with the target group and advertisers can profit from the additional branding effect.
“More and more TV networks, producers and advertisers are starting to recognize the new income models becoming available as a result of the changing behaviour in the use of media”, explains Jörg Stüber, CEO of mufin GmbH. “Our audioid technology will enable many exciting projects this year.”
About mufin:
mufin develops technology for the automatic identification of audio signals and music recommendation. The products are licensed as white label software solutions for the business-to-business sector. Since 2011 mufin has been offering specialized solutions for Second Screen applications and interactive advertising. mufin GmbH is a subsidiary of MAGIX AG and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
About TVSMILES:
1 http://www.businessinsider.com/second-screen-viewing-nielsen-2014-2
