Apple may be in talks of acquiring the talk radio app, Swell, for approximately $30M. if they do go through with the purchase, the move would fall in line with their purchase of Beats Electronics for a whopping $3B, and Booklamp, a book recommendation service.
According to their website, Swell shapes your radio feed through your interest. At the start of your first use of Swell, you set your interests by selecting subjects you like. It enables you to use your iTunes podcasts to as a guide to tell the app what you like. Additionally, renowned television and radio producer Aimee Machado heads Swell’s editorial team.
Swell implements an intuitive design that any remotely tech-savvy person can pick up with ease. Radio feeds from regional shows, national shows, the most popular shows and niche show are all available. Users can easily share radio feeds with others via Facebook or Twitter.
Swell is also great for use on the road. Like Pandora, Swell chooses podcasts based on podcasts you’ve listened to before. So if you don’t like a specific podcast, you simply swipe left. Plus it tells you the time remaining. The simple interface allows for minimal distraction while you’re behind the wheel.
If the deal happens as planned, Swell will stop operations this week. Most of Swell’s employees are expected to join Apple. Swell fundraised $7.2M from Google Ventures and DFJ, among others, before talk of the acquisition went public.
Photo Credit: Dave Smith / Business Insider
