Voicy
Voicy (株式会社Voicy) is a Tokyo-based voice media platform founded in 2016 that operates a consumer audio broadcasting app with personality-driven channels and an enterprise suite (VoicyBiz, VoicyPro, Voicy Podcast Studio) for brand and corporate communications, serving Japanese listeners and businesses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Voicy does
Voicy (株式会社Voicy) is a Tokyo-based voice and audio media platform founded in 2016, operating a two-sided business serving both consumers and enterprises. On the consumer side, Voicy runs a mobile voice broadcasting platform (iOS and Android) where personality broadcasters publish audio channels across news, business, entertainment, and lifestyle categories; the company claims 250+ channels and approximately 1.5 million registered users as of July 2022 (doubling year-over-year), with an ad-free premium subscription tier (Voicy+) introduced in July 2025. On the enterprise side, the company has built a portfolio of B2B services including VoicyBiz (brand communication solutions and personality-brand tie-ups), VoicyPro (closed internal-radio and corporate communication with per-employee listening management), and Voicy Podcast Studio (end-to-end enterprise podcast production launched June 2026).
The platform's underlying technology combines audio streaming, continuous playback, social listening features (follow, group channels), and a personalization/recommendation layer for content discovery. Distribution is delivered through App Store and Google Play, embedded LINE Clova smart-speaker skills since 2018, and LINE integration for enterprise podcast delivery. The company has accumulated media partnerships with major Japanese publishers and broadcasters including Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei), Mainichi Shimbun, Bungeishunju, Sports Nippon Shimbun, TBS, and Bunka Hoso, as well as content partnerships with The New York Times (via New York Times Japan).
The business model blends multiple revenue streams: consumer advertising on the free tier, Voicy+ subscription revenue, advertising sales leveraging claimed 95% brand-name recall at six months, enterprise professional services (brand campaigns, podcast production), and recurring enterprise contracts (VoicyPro per-employee internal communications). Cumulative venture funding totals approximately 35.6 billion yen (~US$230M) across rounds from 2017 through 2022, with notable investors including Global Brain Corporation, Dentsu Innovation Partners, TBS Innovation Partners, Chukyo TV, ABC Dream Ventures, and Bunka Hoso. Voicy remains a privately held, Japan-domestic-only company headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Voicy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Voicy
- Legal name
- 株式会社Voicy
- Website
- https://corp.voicy.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Voicy (株式会社Voicy) is a Tokyo-based voice media platform founded in 2016 that operates a consumer audio broadcasting app with personality-driven channels and an enterprise suite (VoicyBiz, VoicyPro, Voicy Podcast Studio) for brand and corporate communications, serving Japanese listeners and businesses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Voicy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Audio Streaming Platform
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Advertising Agencies (541810), Other Sound Recording Industries (512290)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spatial Audio & Metaverse Voice Platforms (MPACAEAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Voice Assistants & Voice UI (VUI) (HDAAAFAD), Customer Experience (CX) & Voice-of-Customer Analytics (BPAHALAK)
Keywords
Where Voicy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Voicy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Voicy+ Subscription: Premium ad-free subscription service for consumers with enhanced listening features
- Advertising: Voice advertising on the platform targeting engaged listeners with high memory retention rates
- Enterprise Brand Solutions (VoicyBiz): Corporate communication solutions including personality partnerships, brand channels, and sponsored content
- Voicy Podcast Studio: Enterprise podcast production service from planning through analysis
- VoicyPro Internal Communications: Corporate internal radio and voice newsletter services with per-employee listening management
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Voicy+ ad-free premium plan |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free tier with advertising |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Voicy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Voicy operates a voice/audio platform that connects content creators (personalities) with listeners through mobile apps available on iOS and Android. The company sells enterprise brand solutions (VoicyBiz), internal corporate radio services (VoicyPro), enterprise podcast production (Voicy Podcast Studio), and a premium ad-free subscription tier (Voicy+). Its mission is to enrich society through voice and technology.
Product overview
Voicy operates a multi-sided voice platform with a consumer-facing audio broadcasting product at its core, supported by a portfolio of enterprise solutions. The consumer Voicy platform connects audio content creators (personalities) with listeners across news, business, entertainment, and lifestyle channels. Enterprise offerings include VoicyBiz for brand communication solutions, VoicyPro for internal corporate radio and closed communications, and Voicy Podcast Studio for end-to-end enterprise podcast production. Voicy+ provides a premium ad-free subscription tier. The company also produces original content channels and hosts the VoicyFes event. The platform architecture supports both open broadcast (public channels) and closed communication (enterprise internal radio) modes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Voicy（音声プラットフォーム）: Core voice media platform service for general consumers
- VoicyBiz（企业提供サービス）
- VoicyPro
- Voicy Podcast Studio
- Voicy+
Products and services
- Voicy Consumer Platform Voice broadcasting mobile app connecting personalities with listeners across news, business, entertainment, and lifestyle channels; available on iOS and Android with personalized recommendations and channel following features.
- VoicyBiz Enterprise brand communication solution enabling companies to leverage voice content for marketing, personality-brand collaborations, and corporate communication challenges on the Voicy platform.
- VoicyPro Closed internal corporate radio service providing private broadcasting capabilities with per-employee listening management for enhanced security and internal employee communication.
- Voicy Podcast Studio Enterprise podcast production service offering comprehensive support from content planning through performance analysis to help companies and brands build trust relationships through voice communication.
- Voicy+ Premium ad-free subscription tier for the Voicy consumer platform offering enhanced listening features without advertising interruptions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of listeners remember brand names 6 months after hearing voice ads
Companies that use Voicy
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Voicy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability4 records
Feature5 records
Voicy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- ファンベースカンパニー (Fan Base Company)coreComprehensive alliance for promoting voice-based corporate and brand fan communication. Combining fan analysis with voice distribution for joint solutions. Both companies co-host webinars.
- TBS PodcastmajorJoint provision of 'listening' corporate branding services combining TBS Podcast with VoicyPro internal communications.
- 日本経済新聞社 (Nikkei)coreBusiness partnership with Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) for voice news content distribution, creating channels like 'ながら日経' and 'ヤング日経'.
- THINGMEDIAminorTHINGMEDIA produced Voicy CM commercials (first and second versions) featuring personality stories.
- ヨコハマ経済新聞minorCollaboration to create voice news program '横浜発！ハマ経ラジオ' delivering local business news through voice.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Voicy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
Broad incumbents
- SoundCloud: Creator-led audio platform with streaming, creator tools, and monetization. Overlaps with Voicy on the creator-economy side of audio content, with a global catalog and similar user-generated content emphasis.
- Pocket Casts: Established cross-platform podcast player with curated discovery. Competes with Voicy's consumer listening experience for podcast/audio time, though without the personality-driven community angle.
- Spotify: Global audio streaming giant with a rapidly growing podcast business. Operates in the same audio-content consumption category as Voicy but at vastly greater scale and with broader content scope; competes for Japanese listener attention and creator exclusivity.
Direct peers
- Radiotalk: Japanese voice broadcasting app allowing anyone to create live and recorded audio content. Competes with Voicy on the consumer audio-creation side, targeting the same listener/creator ecosystem in Japan.
- stand.fm: Japanese audio social platform enabling users to create and share voice/audio content. Most direct competitor to Voicy in Japan's personality-driven audio space, with similar mobile-first consumer model and creator monetization focus.
Emerging players
- Audioboom: Podcast hosting and monetization platform serving independent creators and brands. Comparable to Voicy's enterprise podcast production capability (Voicy Podcast Studio) and ad-supported creator monetization model.
- Himalaya: Audio content platform combining podcasts, audiobooks, and short-form spoken content. Comparable business model to Voicy in monetizing audio listening, though with US/global focus and different content mix.
- SoraFM: Emerging Japanese audio platform and direct competitor in the personality-driven voice broadcasting category. Targets similar Japanese-language creator and listener segments as Voicy.
Regional players
- radiko: Japan's leading internet radio simulcast service from terrestrial broadcasters. Competes for audio listening time in Japan with a different model (live broadcast) but overlapping audience of commuters and multitaskers — Voicy's core persona.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Voicy social profiles
Digital presenceVoicy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Voicy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Voicy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Voicy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Voicy
What does Voicy do?
Voicy operates a voice/audio platform that connects content creators (personalities) with listeners through mobile apps available on iOS and Android. The company sells enterprise brand solutions (VoicyBiz), internal corporate radio services (VoicyPro), enterprise podcast production (Voicy Podcast Studio), and a premium ad-free subscription tier (Voicy+). Its mission is to enrich society through voice and technology.
Is Voicy a public or private company?
Voicy is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Voicy founded?
Voicy was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Voicy based?
Voicy is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Voicy make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Voicy+ Subscription is the primary driver. The others are advertising, enterprise Brand Solutions (VoicyBiz), voicy Podcast Studio and voicyPro Internal Communications.
Who are Voicy's main competitors?
Apple Podcasts is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are SoundCloud, Pocket Casts and Spotify. Direct peers are Radiotalk and stand.fm. Emerging players are Audioboom, Himalaya and SoraFM. radiko is listed as a regional player.
Does Voicy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Voicy.
What industry is Voicy in?
Voicy's product category is Audio Streaming Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAEAM, Spatial Audio & Metaverse Voice Platforms, with a secondary code of HDAAAFAD, Voice Assistants & Voice UI (VUI). Its NAICS code is 516 and its SIC code is 7311.