Volareo, world’s first independent smart speaker launches on Indiegogo

Volareo aims to raise $30,000 and bring fairness and freedom to the music industry.

Today, Volareo launches on crowdfunding site Indiegogo. Starting from $99USD for the early bird special, Volareo is the 1st independent smart speaker supporting open source to integrate with blockchain streaming platforms.

www.volareo.live/launch/ 6PM CEST (9AM PDT/ 12pm EDT / 16th 2AM AEST)

Designed for those who value creativity, privacy and independence, Volareo aims to capture the blockchain music market first. It provides an easy platform for artists and users to interact and can be used to intelligently search for and discover music using voice, first in four languages: English, Dutch, Spanish, and French. Later, more languages will be added via OTA updates.

Connecting fans and content creators
Volareo’s first, but not unique, blockchain music streaming partnership with Musicoin makes for seamless and free listening for users, whilst fairly compensating musicians for each stream. The Volareo smart speaker comes preloaded with 500 Musicoins (the equivalent of $10USD) allowing you to tip your favourite artists straight away with your voice or by clapping. A double authorisation system allows listeners to verify all tips before they are sent. “Blockchain music has huge potential to drive much needed revenue to artists, particularly independent ones, transparently, directly and instantly. The listener gets the chance to connect on a much closer level with the artist, by being able to tip artists or buy merchandise, for example, via voice commerce”, explains Nick Yap, Volareo founder.
Volareo is continuously partnering with new platforms such as Emanate, Choon, Soundeon, Jazz de Ville and many more.

Open-source
Volareo is also building an open software platform which will bring diverse blockchain-related streaming, concert ticketing and merchandising platforms together, so that users have the freedom to choose from a wider range of services, than just those controlled by big companies in the game. “Together with all users, we want to pave a new way forward to crowdsourced content creation. We want to build a platform that empowers people to connect”, Yap says.

Independence
Voice commerce is projected to be $45 billion in 2020*, yet is currently dominated by a handful of companies. The existence of an independent alternative has therefore become urgent, where all e-commerce and every developer is welcome, and where customers are not products, but their privacy is respected in a fair and open platform. “We have brought the best experts in every field together, to create a smart speaker for you and us, the people. Decentralized and direct: an open platform for crypto & blockchain partners, creators, voice commerce & developers. Our privacy and our voices should be ours”, Yap concludes.

First orders of Volareo speakers can be made via the Indiegogo page here, for a price of $89USD for Early Bird adopters. An early-access link to the order page will be open for one month, from August 15th till September 15th. Volareo is set to deliver in Q1 2019.

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Volareo is a Rotterdam-based startup ran by consumer electronics entrepreneur and former Startup of the Year Founder (Netherlands) Nick Yap. Volareo’s open source smart speaker makes the benefits of blockchain accessible and cryptocurrency easy to use. Born out of a need for an alternative piece of high quality hardware, it focuses on user privacy and creating direct and meaningful relationships between consumer and content creator.

Please contact press@volareo.live for media inquiries or visit Volareo’s press page for the media kit.

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*Perez S., TechCrunch, 2018,
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/02/voice-shopping-estimated-to-hit-40-billion-across-u-s-and-u-k-by-2022/?guccounter=1