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Fast Company
5 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Duolingo wants to make its music lessons more addictive
DESIGN 'Our vision is to make music learning feel just as engaging and habit-forming as language learning does on Duolingo.' [Images: Duolingo, Nataliia Hruts/iStock/Getty Images Plus] BY Listen to this Article More info 0:00 / 2:58 Duolingo may be known as the world's largest language learning app, but it also wants to get users hooked on learning music. On August 6, Duolingo announced its plan to acquire the team behind the London-based gaming startup NextBeat. The startup's mobile gaming catalog, which includes Piano Tile-style games like Beatstar and Country Star, has amassed around $200 million in revenue. Now, NextBeat's staff will help Duolingo make its Music course more fun, effective, and, ultimately, something you don't want to put down. '[ Beatstar and Country Star ] combined chart-topping licensed music with intuitive, satisfying gameplay and reached tens of millions of players worldwide,' a Duolingo spokesperson said of the acquisition. 'The team's background spans game design, music licensing, live operations, and mobile monetization, all of which will strengthen Duolingo Music and beyond.' For Duolingo, the deal is part of a larger plan to build out its non-language courses using its uniquely gamified learning model—ultimately moving toward becoming an all-encompassing education app. What's next for Duolingo Music The NextBeat acquisition announcement came on the same day as Duolingo's second quarter 2025 earnings report, which notched a 41% increase in revenue year-over-year and an 84% increase in net income. The report marked an overwhelmingly positive quarter for Duolingo, in spite of the backlash the company received earlier this year when CEO Luis Von Ahn announced that the company would be going 'AI-first.' On an earnings call with investors, von Ahn shared that the company would be raising its full-year guidance 'while still investing in both our core business and exciting new areas like chess, math, and music that we believe will drive long-term growth.' Duolingo first added math courses to its repertoire in 2022, followed by music in 2023 and chess earlier this year. While the company declined to share specific numbers on the Music course's performance, a spokesperson did say that 'millions of learners' are studying music on Duolingo, and the company views it as a 'key pillar of our evolution into a broader learning platform.' Currently, Duolingo's sole Music offering is a piano course. Through the NextBeat acquisition, though, the company plans to experiment with new modules like guitar, voice, or rhythm-based activities, chief business officer Bob Meese told Bloomberg. Further, a spokesperson shared with Fast Company, NextBeat will help to smooth out the in-lesson user experience by improving course pacing, personalization, and feedback mechanics. 'We're focused on making the Music course even more joyful and captivating,' the spokesperson said. 'Our vision is to make music learning feel just as engaging and habit-forming as language learning does on Duolingo.' The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Grace Snelling is an editorial assistant for Fast Company with a focus on product design, branding, art, and all things Gen Z. Her stories have included an exploration into the wacky world of Duolingo's famous mascot, an interview with the New Yorker 's art editor about the scramble to prepare a cover image of Donald Trump post-2024 election, and an analysis of how the pineapple became the ultimate sex symbol More
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Duolingo Doubles Down on Delight with Acquisition of Music Gaming Startup NextBeat's Innovative Team
London-based team brings deep expertise in music games, licensing, and interactive design PITTSBURGH, Aug. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duolingo, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUOL), the world's leading mobile learning platform, announced today it has acquired the team behind NextBeat, a London-based music gaming startup known for blending world-class music licensing with engaging mobile gameplay. With this move, Duolingo is investing in making its Music course as fun and joyful as the best mobile games in the market. 'Learning should be just as engaging as playing a great game, whether you're practicing a new language or playing a favorite song,' said Bob Meese, Chief Business Officer at Duolingo. 'This is a strategic bet on talent. The NextBeat team brings deep mobile gaming and music industry expertise, which will make our Music course and the entire Duolingo platform more delightful, immersive, and effective.' The acquisition of NextBeat's team brings twenty-three world-class experts in areas such as game design, user retention and monetization, sound design, and music licensing. Their expertise will power the next chapter of Duolingo's gamified learning experiences, with a focus on building upon Duolingo's Music course. The move also establishes Duolingo's first official presence in the UK, a hub of creativity and talent. 'From day one, it was clear that Duolingo and NextBeat share the same values: putting learners first, obsessing over great design, and never taking ourselves too seriously,' said Simon Hade, CEO of NextBeat. 'Joining forces means we can bring our passion for music and play to a platform that is redefining how people learn.' With millions of learners already using Duolingo Music since its beta launch, this acquisition signals Duolingo's ambition to make music education more engaging and accessible with a product that is both playful and effective. About DuolingoDuolingo is the leading mobile learning platform globally. Its flagship app has organically become the world's most popular way to learn languages and the top-grossing app in the Education category on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. With technology at the core of everything it does, Duolingo has consistently invested to provide learners with a fun, engaging, and effective learning experience while remaining committed to its mission to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. About NextBeatNextBeat is a London-based music-first gaming studio founded by serial entrepreneurs Simon Hade, Olly Barnes & Joe Adams. The company is best known for the hit games Beatstar and Country Star, which were spun out of Space Ape Games upon its acquisition by mobile gaming giant Supercell. The hit mobile rhythm games reached over 100 million downloads and generated nearly $200 million in revenue. NextBeat built a team of experts across game design, licensing, and creative tech to explore new interactive experiences across gaming, education, and wellness. Contact:Monica Earle, press@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
