Hark Audio
Hark Audio is a New York-based consumer mobile app that helps podcast listeners discover new content through expert-curated themed playlists (Harklists) and a daily curated mixtape (Hark Daily), serving individual listeners across iOS and Android.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Hark Audio does
Hark Audio, Inc. is a New York-based, privately held consumer audio platform that operates a mobile podcast discovery app available on iOS and Android. The company's core product is the Hark Audio App, which combines access to millions of podcasts with two proprietary editorial content formats: 'Harklists' (themed, expert-curated playlists of podcast moments functioning as 'podcast mixtapes') and 'Hark Daily' (a daily curated mixtape of news, culture, and topical podcast moments). Harklists span 15+ categories including Sports, Comedy, Food & Drink, Society & Culture, Wellness, Music, News & Politics, Business, Science, Technology, TV & Film, History, and The New Yorker, with community participation enabling users to create their own Harklists or suggest clips to existing ones.
The underlying technology is a mobile app-based curation platform with curated clip extraction and themed playlist creation, personalized recommendations based on listening behavior, one-tap import of podcast subscriptions from Spotify and Apple Podcasts, variable playback speeds, offline downloading, and voice/in-car integrations with Amazon Alexa, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Hark was named a TIME Best Invention of 2021.
Hark's business model is a freemium consumer app: the app is free to download with core features, and pricing details for any premium tier are not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is product-led growth through app store listings, QR code scanning, word-of-mouth, organic social (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), and an email newsletter. The company is small (1-10 employees), independent, with no disclosed funding rounds, revenue, or institutional investors. Customer segments are exclusively consumer podcast listeners seeking discovery beyond their existing subscriptions.
Hark Audio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hark Audio
- Legal name
- Hark Audio, Inc.
- Website
- https://harkaudio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Hark Audio is a New York-based consumer mobile app that helps podcast listeners discover new content through expert-curated themed playlists (Harklists) and a daily curated mixtape (Hark Daily), serving individual listeners across iOS and Android.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hark Audio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Podcast Discovery & Audio Streaming
- NAICS
- Other Sound Recording Industries (512290), Other Sound Recording Industries (51229), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Podcast Discovery & Recommendation Apps (MPACAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Podcast Distribution Directories & Listening Apps (MPACADAC), Podcast Hosting, Distribution & Listening Platforms (BPAMAJAD), Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)
Keywords
Where Hark Audio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Hark Audio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
Revenue model
- Freemium App Model: The app is free to download and use with core features. The freemium model likely includes premium features for paying subscribers while offering millions of podcasts, Harklists, and offline listening to free users.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free tier with core features |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hark Audio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hark Audio operates a mobile podcast discovery app (iOS/Android) that delivers human-editorially curated podcast clips organized into themed playlists called "Harklists" and a daily curated mixtape called "Hark Daily." The platform helps listeners cut through the overwhelming volume of podcasts by surfacing the best moments via expert curation, with features such as one-tap import from Spotify and Apple Podcasts, offline listening, variable playback speeds, and personalized recommendations.
Product overview
Hark Audio is a podcast discovery and curation platform operating as a unified mobile app that provides curated podcast moment mixtapes called 'Harklists' alongside a daily curated selection called 'Hark Daily'. The platform's core product is the Hark Audio App (iOS/Android) which combines human editorial curation with personalized recommendations to help users discover podcast content. Harklists are themed podcast clip collections that serve as the platform's primary content format, while Hark Daily delivers a daily curated mixtape of the best podcast moments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hark Audio App A mobile podcast discovery app available on iOS and Android (also accessible via CarPlay, Android Auto, and Alexa) that lets individual listeners discover, stream, and save curated podcast moments, with personalized recommendations, offline listening, variable playback speeds, and one-tap import of podcast subscriptions from Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
- Harklists Themed podcast clip collections (described as 'podcast mixtapes') hand-curated by Hark editors that bundle the best moments from multiple podcasts around topics such as Sports, Comedy, Food & Drink, Society & Culture, Wellness, Music, News & Politics, Business, Science, Technology, TV & Film, History, and The New Yorker, offered to individual podcast listeners for discovery.
- Hark Daily A daily curated mixtape of the best podcast moments in news, culture, and more, assembled each day by Hark editors (hosted by Jody Avirgan) and delivered as multiple short clips totaling roughly 20+ minutes, intended for individual listeners seeking a daily snapshot of zeitgeisty podcast conversations.
Companies that use Hark Audio
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Hark Audio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Hark Audio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Studio 360minorPodcast creators who make Harklists of the best moments of their shows, inviting listeners to join in and suggest favorites.
- RadiolabminorPodcast creators who create Harklists of the best moments of their shows, inviting listeners to join in and suggest favorites.
- Masters of ScaleminorPodcast creators who create Harklists of the best moments of their shows, inviting listeners to join in and suggest favorites.
- SpotifycoreOne-click import of favorite podcasts from Spotify to Hark. Follow your favorite podcasts on Hark with one-click from Spotify.
- Apple PodcastscoreOne-click import of favorite podcasts from Apple podcasts to Hark.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Hark Audio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Podimo: Subscription podcast and audio platform with curated shows and discovery. Directly comparable to Hark's curated, app-led consumer proposition with a paid model layered on top.
- Pocket Casts: Cross-platform podcast listening app with discovery and curated features. Directly comparable to Hark as a third-party podcast app competing against native Spotify and Apple clients.
- Castbox: Mobile-first podcast app with discovery, curated recommendations, and community features. Closely comparable to Hark's app-led, discovery-focused consumer proposition.
- Overcast: Independent iOS podcast app with smart playback, discovery, and recommendation features. Competes with Hark for the same power-listener segment.
Broad incumbents
- Spotify: Dominant music streaming platform and largest podcast destination, with native editorial playlists and AI discovery. The most consequential incumbent competitor Hark must differentiate against.
- Apple Podcasts: Default iOS podcast app pre-installed on Apple devices, with editorial curation and personalization. Competes head-to-head with Hark and benefits from OS-level distribution.
- Stitcher: Long-running podcast listening and discovery platform (now SiriusXM-owned). Comparable as a curated podcast app competing for the same listener use case as Hark.
Emerging players
- Podchaser: Podcast discovery database and rating platform. Comparable to Hark's discovery mission but uses crowdsourced metadata rather than editorial curation.
- Listen Notes: Podcast search engine and API with discovery features. Comparable to Hark as a discovery-focused player, but oriented around search rather than editorial curation.
- Repod: Social podcast discovery app focused on surfacing clips and moments. Most comparable to Hark's clip-first, curated discovery approach at a smaller scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hark Audio social profiles
Digital presenceHark Audio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hark Audio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Hark Audio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hark Audio 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 Hark Audio
What does Hark Audio do?
Hark Audio operates a mobile podcast discovery app (iOS/Android) that delivers human-editorially curated podcast clips organized into themed playlists called "Harklists" and a daily curated mixtape called "Hark Daily." The platform helps listeners cut through the overwhelming volume of podcasts by surfacing the best moments via expert curation, with features such as one-tap import from Spotify and Apple Podcasts, offline listening, variable playback speeds, and personalized recommendations.
Is Hark Audio a public or private company?
Hark Audio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Hark Audio founded?
Hark Audio was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Hark Audio based?
Hark Audio is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hark Audio make money?
One revenue line is on record: freemium App Model.
Who are Hark Audio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Podimo, Pocket Casts, Castbox and Overcast. Broad incumbents are Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Emerging players are Podchaser, Listen Notes and Repod.
Does Hark Audio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hark Audio.
What industry is Hark Audio in?
Hark Audio's product category is Podcast Discovery & Audio Streaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAKAF, Podcast Discovery & Recommendation Apps, with a secondary code of MPACADAC, Podcast Distribution Directories & Listening Apps. Its NAICS code is 512290.