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.

wwww.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 $99USD for Early Bird adopters. An early-access link to the order page will be open for one month, till September 15th. Volareo is set to deliver in Q1 2019.

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

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ROTTERDAM, SYDNEY

Volareo, the world’s first independent smart speaker backed by blockchain technology has begun the collaboration with one of the most promising blockchain projects yet Emanate, with headquarters in Sydney (AUS), to further the goal of bringing fairness and freedom to the music industry and beyond.

Decentralisation and Open Source
Decentralisation and open source lie at the core of all new partnership developed by Volareo. Building the world’s first audio exchange protocol Emanate is more than just a streaming platform. It is a self-governed and decentralised technology network for audio industries. The marketplace that will allow the full creative workflow to be monetised and collaborated upon.“Decentralisation is much more than a technology movement, it’s also a social movement and no industry has more right for revolution than the music industry” says Sean Gardner, founder of Emanate.

Smart collaborations
The focus is to bring together a number of different music platforms backed by the blockchain and offer a freedom of choice to all Volareo users. Emanate with its wide network constitutes an important addition towards decentralised music industry and the blockchain future of music. “In 2018 there are 4 billion internet users, but only two companies controlling more than 80% of digital advertising. Are we letting big corporations dictate what’s at the top and what isn’t? Is the open internet, really open? Together with Emanate we want to change that”, says Nick Yap, founder of Volareo.

Nevertheless, and most importantly, it is about artists and how they can practically benefit from this new technology: “We are educating audience about the idea of smart collaborations. We take traditional blockchain smart contract, we configure it and we enable artists to work with each other from either side of the planet, free of trust, seamlessly and for the royalties from their music to flow back almost in real time as it’s consumed”, adds Gardner

Musicians on the platform will be able to protect their work using Emanate’s ‘Smart-collaborations’. These blockchain-based smart-contracts are designed specifically for musicians and will radically shorten the time it traditionally takes to get paid when music is used or played.

First orders of Volareo speakers can be made via the Indiegogo page here, for a price of $99USD for Early Bird adopters. The campaign starts on September 15th. Volareo is set to deliver at the end of Q4 2018.

Volareo is a music streaming smart speaker that makes the benefits of blockchain accessible and cryptocurrency easy to use. Born out of the need for innovation in high quality hardware, Volareo seeks to benefit active music makers and discoverers, looking to use breakthrough technologies in the music industry. See more at: volareo.live.

Emanate is building a blockchain based music ecosystem with creativity and artistry at the core. Providing artists with a platform, community and all the tools they need to share, collaborate and monetise more audio genius. See more at: emanate.live.

For updates, sign up on volareo.live and join the community at emanate.live.

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Volareo is the world’s first blockchain-enabled smart speaker. The  device allows users to listen to a lifetime of free music while providing instant compensation to musicians. Based on an open-source, decentralized platform and powered by Musicoin, and soon other blockchain streaming platforms, the speaker is controlled via mobile app or voice commands, and promises to break new boundaries in both cryptocurrency and musical appreciation.

It ensures that:

• Musicians are paid fairly and timely for their music (due to smart contracts on blockchain)
• Users can have a seamless music experience using voice command function with the speaker
• Listeners can directly tip the musician or song they like
• Musicians get better insights into their fan base
• Fans receive exclusive music content

Volareo is thus all about reconnecting musicians and fans.The Volareo team is interviewing regularly some of the most prominent artists of the current musical scene. You can read or watch interviews with them on Volareo blog section. A few examples are Goldilox (Sleevin records under Sony Music UK), Scouting for Girls (Sony records), Dave Winnel (Spinnin’ records), Pascal Guyon (Mister’s Music, So So Def, Zomba Label Group, Sony Music)

Main takeaway from interviews conducted so far is that most of artists seem to be keen to explore the world of new technologies. There is not much convincing that has to be done after proper explanation about the current state of music industry:

“There are numerous stakeholders in the music business. Still. Even though most of them are hardly needed any more. Back in the day, you needed a studio to produce music, which was usually offered by the label. Now, all you need is a laptop and a headset. So the job of the label is currently only marketing and distribution. Aside from this, you also have royalty-collecting societies that often claim the rights to all of your music and collect royalties on your behalf.

With blockchain music platform, we want to rethink the whole music industry in light of the dramatic changes over the last 10–20 years. If we were to rebuild the whole music ecosystem today, what would it look like?”

Usually the answer is always: “yeah, you’re right. We’re getting screwed. Where do I sign up?”

Some are of course a bit reluctant out of a “what if it fails” feeling. And the answer is always: “Yes, there is always a chance it might happen, even though it’s going well right now. It’s crypto after all. But even if music blockchain platforms itself would fail, there is now a massive, growing community set out to change the industry.”

Upon release, Volareo will accept voice commands and can be controlled within the app in four languages: English, Dutch, Spanish, and French—with additional languages supported in the future. With voice commands, listeners can search by artist, song title, or even lyrics, thanks to Volareo’s partnership with LyricFind.

Official launch on Indiegogo will take place in the beginning of August.

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Amsterdam, JUNE 12, 2018:  – Dutch music tech startup Volareo, developers of the world’s first blockchain-enabled smart streaming speaker, is ushering in a new musical era with four exclusive pre-releases by international electronic music stars with an innovative mindset. Karl Goedicke — aka D.O.N.S, a German DJ, producer, and label owner as well as Volareo’s Chief of Music — specially selected four tracks to have an exclusive two-week presence on Musicoin before any other streaming platform.

“At Volareo, we empower the mavericks of the music industry. We want to be at the forefront of technological innovation, and bring the experience of making, listening to, and interacting with music to new heights. Releasing on Musicoin is one of our ways to do so,” says Nick Yap, Volareo’s founder.

Goedicke adds, “We have been receiving an overwhelming interest from international artists to release on blockchain, showing the demand for a transparent, decentralised streaming platform. We are excited to bring forth those artists and showcase their talent’’.

Musicoin’s industry-redefining technology enables artists to receive streaming royalties instantly each and every time their song is played on their blockchain-enabled streaming platform.

The first two selections streaming exclusively on Musicoin for the next two weeks are Cat Carson’s electro house track “Ready to Jump (Right Now)” and the dreamy, melodic “Floor” by Alessandro Cenatiempo. Upcoming releases to be featured exclusively on Musicoin for two weeks include new tracks from Psygonautz and Il Vice & Soultec.

In the future, all songs available on Musicoin will be accessible using the Volareo smart speaker. Currently under development, the device will allow users to listen to a lifetime of free music while providing instant and fair compensation to musicians thanks to Musicoin’s decentralized ledger system.

“It’s very exciting to see more and more international music stars recognizing the value of both the Musicoin and Volareo. Joining this project helps support the reshaping of the music industry, which promises to bring revolutionary changes for musicians and listeners,” adds Željko Stanojkovski, Musicoin’s Chief Content Officer.

Volareo is a music streaming smart speaker that makes the benefits of blockchain accessible and cryptocurrency easy to use. Born out of the need for innovation in high quality hardware, Volareo seeks to benefit active music makers and discoverers, looking to use breakthrough technologies in the music industry. See more at: volareo.live.

Musicoin (MUSIC) is a smart cryptocurrency and music streaming platform built upon the Musicoin blockchain. Musicians and listeners worldwide are encouraged to visit Musicoin’s official website at musicoin.org.

For updates, sign up on volareo.live and join the community at musicoin.org

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1.5 million Spotify streams per month needed for minimum wage*

Amsterdam, 06 April 2018 – Spotify promises artists revenue through music streams. Nevertheless, to reach the level of a minimum wage each month a band consisting of several artists needs at least 1.5 million (Spotify) streams. Upcoming artists hardly benefit from streaming platforms, while being the ones that need an extra push in the back. Volareo, the world’s first smart speaker, solves that problem.

Nick Yap is the idea maker behind this innovative speaker, that gives listeners the ability to tip musicians with a single tap or a voice command.  Yap is also one of the founders of Travis, a pocket-size translator that lets you speak in sixty languages. He also devised ROCKI, a gadget that turns amplifiers and stereos into a wireless music system.

Applause to Tip

Yap: “Per Spotify stream, an artist earns about 0.72 euro cents. As upcoming artists, that is not enough to cover your living expenses. Volareo makes it possible for listeners to give a musician a ‘tip’. You support a musician with a donation, by pressing a button or by clapping your hands. This smart speaker ensures that you can tangibly support your favorite artist.”

Cryptocurrency for musicians: Musicoin

Payments to musicians are made via blockchain, digital and decentralized ledger system making direct & transparent micro-payments possible through smart contracts on Musicoin.  Each play equals one musicoin, worth about ten cents. More than 2500 artists have joined this blockchain initiative and are already distributing their music on Musicoin.

“The blockchain ensures that listeners can communicate directly and transparently with their favorite artists. It’s not complicated: the speech technology in the speaker makes it user-friendly, ” says Yap.

Get in touch with fans faster

Volareo not only gives lesser-known or upcoming artists possibility to equally benefit from streaming services, but also solves another problem. The speaker ensures that artists know who their listeners are.

“This allows you to respond even better to the wishes of your fans, for example by scheduling a tour in a city where many of your listeners live. The fact that you, as a beginning artist, come into contact with your fans much quicker, will hopefully contribute to making the music landscape even more diverse.”

About Volareo

Volareo is a smart speaker, which you control with an app or using voice commands. Artists get paid per stream, just like at Spotify. In addition, listeners can directly tip musicians. Artists get paid through a separate cryptocurrency, Musicoin. See for more info at: www.volareo.live.

The post Smart speaker Volareo wants to solve shortcomings of music streaming model appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

 JANUARY 10, 2018

ROTTERDAM and HONG KONG

What if when you streamed free music, you knew the artist would get paid fairly, directly, and instantly… every time? What if you could even tip them by simply clapping your hands or pressing a button?

ROTTERDAM and HONG KONG : Today, the Musicoin Project and ROCKI announce the development of Volareo, the world’s first “smart” speaker powered by blockchain technology. Volareo allows users to listen to a lifetime of free music while providing instant compensation to musicians.

Harnessing the Musicoin blockchain, the Volareo smart speaker honors creativity with royalties that make today’s popular streaming services seem downright stingy (Musicoin currently issues $.10 USD per play at the time of this writing.) Volareo allows music fans to further engage their favorite artists by tipping various amounts of Musicoin simply by clapping their hands or pressing a button on a mobile app. Musicoin’s online platform is live at musicoin.org, with over 2,500 artists already signed up.

Nick Yap, founder of ROCKI, says: “Blockchain technology offers levels of engagement from fans and compensation to the artists that were unimaginable years ago. Powered by Musicoin, we designed Volareo to work seamlessly with this new movement.”

Right out the box, Volareo will be ready to tip musicians. Each device is assigned a unique wallet address pre-loaded with $10 worth of Musicoin. ROCKI and Musicoin aim to deliver Volareo by the end of 2018, and will invite musicians to co-brand the product and share with their fans.

Isaac Mao, creator of Musicoin, says: “With Volareo, you don’t just listen to and discover new music — you reward your favorite artists instantly. By partnering with ROCKI, we have created a device that gives music lovers the ability to kick off a revolution right from their living room. This has been a dream of mine for years.”

To follow the progress of Volareo, sign up on on  www.volareo.live and join the community at www.musicoin.org.

ROCKI is a music innovation company creating solutions that brings music, audio, technology, and people together. ROCKI believes that music deserves to flow seamlessly. www.myrocki.com

Musicoin (MUSIC) is a smart cryptocurrency and music streaming platform built upon the Musicoin blockchain. Musicians and listeners worldwide are encouraged to visit Musicoin’s official website at musicoin.org.

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