TuneWiki

About TuneWiki

TuneWiki emerged in 2008 as a music-centered startup, founded by Rani Cohen, Amnon Sarig, and Chad Kouse. The company's core offering was a social music player for mobile devices that distinguished itself by providing synchronized, scrolling lyrics for songs. This feature allowed users to read lyrics in real-time as a song played, whether the track was stored on the device or streamed from internet radio.

The business operated on a free-to-use model, generating revenue primarily through advertisements. TuneWiki's application was available across a wide range of platforms, including Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and as a plugin for Spotify and Windows Media Player. A key part of its strategy involved securing licensing agreements with major music publishers like Sony, Universal, and EMI, which legitimized its extensive lyrics library. The company also partnered with Music Reports, Inc. to utilize its Songdex database for song identification and to manage lyric licensing.

Beyond lyrics, TuneWiki incorporated social and discovery elements. Users could see what friends were listening to, explore a 'Music Map' to see popular songs by location, and share their musical tastes. At its peak, the service boasted over 10 million active users across 70 countries. The company raised approximately $7 million in a Series B funding round led by Motorola Ventures and also received a strategic investment from DOCOMO Capital.

Despite its user growth and being recognized as a top app by the San Francisco Chronicle in 2012, TuneWiki struggled with profitability. In June 2013, it announced an impending shutdown due to insufficient ad revenue. The company was briefly saved by an acquisition from Vert Capital for $115,000, but this proved to be a temporary reprieve. After restructuring and staff reductions, TuneWiki ultimately ceased operations for good in November 2014 when its new owner failed to cover datacenter costs.