“AudioSoul”: Revolutionizing emotional well-being through personalised audio experiences
In the modern digital world, technology serves as a powerful tool that can impact various aspects of our daily lives. One of these aspects is mental health, which has gained increasing importance. It is within this context that “AudioSoul” was born, an innovative audio startup aiming to enhance people’s emotional well-being through both the use of technology and the “audio power”.
In this article, we will embark on the journey of “AudioSoul”, from the inception of the idea to its evolution into an innovative startup. We will explore the role of Artificial Intelligence in the development of this application and how collaboration with expert psychologists can lead to the creation of personalized audio options based on the user’s emotional state.
By following this journey, we will uncover how technology can be harnessed to address a fundamental human need and foster positive change in our lives.
Let’s Get to Know “Audiosoul”
“AudioSoul” is an app, which fills your moments with the perfect music. Your personal sound advisor (Soul) is always there for you, accompanying you continuously no matter what life brings. All you have to do is express your problem or emotional state to the Artificial Intelligence advisor, who based on the scientific knowledge of a team of psychologists, will provide you with personalized Spotify audio results. So, what if you’ve been separated from your partner? Soul will be by your side to sing along with you. Who knows… you might soon find yourself transitioning from the breakup mood to cloud nine singing “I can buy myself flowers”. Whatever your mood and taste may be, Audiosoul awaits you to listen to music and more with your “soul”!
We strive not only to provide an entertaining service, but a supportive one when needed making sure Soul -and our team of experts- never leave anyone without the company they deserve!
The Spark of Inspiration
The inception of “Audiosoul” was sparked by a deep appreciation for the intersection of technology — audio and human emotions. Our team first recognized the immense potential technology holds in positively impacting our well-being, particularly in the realm of emotional support. This realization ignited a passion to create a solution that could leverage technology to enhance individuals’ emotional experiences.
In addition, we identified many gaps — problems in the audio market, which served as a driving force for our team to develop a solution that could fill those voids and meet unmet needs. Among these gaps, the most significant ones were:
- Τhe absence of applications providing totally personalized audio choices based on the user’s emotional state
- Τhe absence of applications combining entertainment with targeted audiotherapy
- Τhe absence of audio streaming platforms using A.I.’s ability to recognise emotions through vocal indications (tone, stutter, pitch), in order to successfully offer what the user needs
Secondary Research and Collaboration
To transform our vision into a tangible reality, extensive research and collaboration became paramount. We delved deep into the realms of psychology, neuroscience, and technology, seeking to understand the intricate relationship between audio experience and well-being.
Through all this process, many valuble insights — business oportunities arised:
- Artificial Intelligence platforms is an ever evolving trend (Google AI, ChatGPT, Chorus etc.)
- After Covid-19 the percentage of mental health disorders in Greece has reached up to 22.8%
- The modern rhythms of life cause people endless stress
- No matter the age or the mental state of the user, music always has a positive influence on their psychology
Of course, we also researched our competitors in the market seperating them based on two opinions, the apps with personalized audio options and the apps with life coaching and mental health tips. However, we soon realized that none of these apps can combine what “AudioSoul” offers. In particular, there are apps on the market that provide free music and podcast listening, downloading, list building and content promotion. Meanwhile, some of them offer personalized playlists, which are either static for a long time or can be uploaded by any user without any relevance.
As for the life coaching part, there are apps that provide the user with mental health tips, podcasts for wellness, breathing and yoga exercises, telephone psychological support and meditating practice. Of course, unlike our innovative product, existing apps so far fail to combine meditating with personalized listening. Besides, to a large extent, competing apps provide a comprehensive and optimized experience only to users who pay an annual fee, taking away from the original purpose for which the app was created and effectively excluding them from several characteristics.
Under these circumstances, we would say that “AudioSoul” differs:
- introducing AI as users’ friend, who listens to & understands their emotions trying to support them through the audio power
- collaborating with psychologists & experts in order to offer both personalised audio results and mental health tips based on scientific knowledge
- connecting people with same listenings so as to share their emotions — problems and help each other
Market Validation — Business Model
In order to better understand our market, we conducted a survey with a focus group of 5 people and interviews to 3 people. So, we took note of our users’ needs and created the persona ‘Mania’, a person with a busy daily life, who suffers panic attacks, is often lonely, but active on social media and chooses to listen to music so as to relax.
Then, we created the map for Mania’s journey by recording all 5 stages of her actions in relation to her desire to deal with her daily stress (CJM).
Summarizing the benefits and unique features of our application, we could say that it offers a personalized approach, the ability to interact with people, who are in the same emotional state at the same time, direct contact with mental health professionals and of course anonymity.
The “Business Model Canvas” briefly, but accurately, describes the market position we dream to have and the initial plan of our strategy. It is worth mentioning the “Revenue” part, where our proposal is for a free version with ads or access with a monthly subscription without ads. A last minute thought that came to us is the “pay what you listen” model, where users will be able to pay “on the spot”, a small fee for each song that will be stand for a specific need.
Roadmap — Market Plan
When strategizing our roadmap, we mapped out the key points and milestones for the next 7 months that we strive to achieve in order to consider our app successful. The 3 first months would be the introductory period until the official launch, the following 2 months would focus on social media campaigns, to fully establish our online presence and build awareness for our brand. The final months are our “expansion period”, with new features, languages and services such as the community and friends list.
Regarding our social media strategy, we decided to focus solely on a channel that speaks to GenNow. This left us with 2 choices: Instagram and TikTok. Ultimately, Instagram was our choice of platform, since TikTok’s strong audiovisual elements, would counteract with our brand’s character, meaning TikTok is a platform that we should consider a competitor, rather than a means of advertising. Our content will focus on audiovisual content, and we will take advantage of Sonic Branding and the power of trending sounds and content pillars, to enrich our home, our profile. Our advertising methods will start with awareness campaigns and post promotions with the “page likes” goal, to build a following that will allow us to later on proceed with bigger budget campaigns and influencer — ambassador collaborations!
Pitch Presentation for “AudioSoul”: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFllD-rfPc/mQ6lz6BqndA-ZDo3FeiQAw/view?utm_content=DAFllD-rfPc&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink
FIND US on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and our website
Team: ImpACTful ADults
Team Members: Ilias Anagnostopoulos, kyriaki koutrouki, ΑΙΚΑΤΕΡΙΝΗ ΝΙΑΓΑΣΑ, Kyriakos Babalis, Σταματίνα Ξένου, Basilikegrammatika
Professor: Betty Tsakarestou
Mentor: Domnika Skreta
