What Earplay does

Earplay (formerly Reactive Studios) is a Boston-based voice-first interactive audio publishing platform founded in May 2013. The company builds a proprietary authoring and distribution platform that enables teams to design, distribute, and manage voice-controlled interactive audio stories across smart speakers (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant) and mobile devices (iOS). Its technology combines speech recognition and natural language processing to let users navigate branching audio narratives with spoken commands, producing output that integrates narration, professional voice acting, sound effects, and music.

Earplay's product surface spans a core authoring platform and a catalog of branded interactive audio titles, including Codename Cygnus (original 2013 launch), Jack Ryan: November Morning (Amazon Prime Video, August 2019), Jurassic World Revealed (Universal Studios, June 2018), Mr. Robot (NBCUniversal/USA Network), You and the Beanstalk (WBUR), Wraith: The Oblivion – The Orpheus Device (World of Darkness / Paradox Interactive, February 2023), and other originals. Distribution is primarily through voice platform marketplaces and Amazon's kids and FreeTime Unlimited programs.

The company operates a hybrid B2B2C and freemium model: free interactive audio demos drive consumer engagement on Alexa and Google Assistant, while premium branded titles are sold as one-time perpetual licenses. Revenue is generated through licensed content partnerships with major entertainment brands, who effectively act as enterprise customers commissioning interactive audio extensions of their IP, alongside consumer transactions for premium experiences. The company is privately held, backed by Betaworks, GGV, Launch Capital, and Lightspeed Capital, and operates with 1–10 employees.

Name

Earplay

Legal name

Earplay, Inc.

Website

https://earplay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Earplay is a Boston-based voice-first interactive audio platform founded in 2013 that builds authoring tools and publishes branching spoken-story experiences for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and iOS, serving entertainment IP holders and voice device users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interactive Audio Entertainment

NAICS

Record Production and Distribution (512250), Sound Recording Studios (51224)

SIC

Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)

akta.pro primary industry

Sample Libraries, Loops & Sound Content Platforms (MPAIAIAF)

Keywords

• Interactive audio storytelling
• Voice-first entertainment
• Voice-controlled audio games
• Interactive radio drama
• Voice-enabled content platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Premium Interactive Audio Content Sales: Sale of premium interactive audio story experiences, including licensed content from major entertainment brands (Jurassic World, Jack Ryan, Mr. Robot).
2. E-commerce Platform Services: Website enables users to access, purchase, and consume Earplay data and content through secure registration and account management.
3. Free Interactive Audio Content: Free content available on voice platforms (Alexa, Google Assistant) to drive user engagement and platform presence.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Earplay is a voice-first interactive audio publishing platform that produces and distributes branching audio stories playable through spoken user choices on Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and iOS. The company also operates a creative platform with authoring tools used to design, distribute, and manage multiple immersive voice-controlled audio titles across voice-enabled media and devices.

Product overview

Earplay is a pioneering interactive audio company offering a creative platform for producing and publishing voice-first interactive audio experiences. The core product is the Earplay Platform, a suite of smart tools enabling teams to design, distribute, and manage immersive titles across voice-enabled media and devices. The company produces multiple interactive audio stories including Codename Cygnus (adventure/mystery), Jack Ryan: November Morning (adventure/thriller with Amazon), Jurassic World Revealed (adventure with Universal), You and the Beanstalk (family with WBUR), Mr. Robot (sci-fi thriller with NBCUniversal), Pugmire (fantasy), They Came in Outer Space (comedy/sci-fi), Half a Glass (philosophical adventure), Wraith: The Oblivion – The Orpheus Device (horror with World of Darkness), Office Hours (mystery thriller), and an introductory Earplay Demo. Stories are distributed across Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and iOS platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Earplay Platform Creative platform and suite of smart tools that lets teams design, distribute, and manage multiple voice-first interactive audio titles across voice-enabled media and devices including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and iOS.
• Codename Cygnus Interactive radio drama where players act as secret agents in a fictional world inspired by classic serial radio dramas, with seven chapters of spy action, voice interaction, and branching choices. Available free on Alexa and Google Assistant.
• Jack Ryan: November Morning Licensed interactive story in five chapters featuring CIA field operatives solving life-or-death puzzles, with a full cast including Wendell Pierce, rich sound design, and branching narrative outcomes. Created with Amazon Prime Video.
• Jurassic World Revealed Premium licensed interactive audio adventure set during the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom timeline, with six chapters and over an hour of replayable interactive story, co-developed with Universal Studios.
• You and the Beanstalk Whimsical interactive retelling of the classic fairy tale with dramatic character interactions, multiple story outcomes, and high-quality voice acting, distributed through Amazon's kids/family voice platforms.
• Mr. Robot Licensed interactive story game with mind-bending narrative inspired by seasons 2 and 3 of USA Network's Mr. Robot, featuring a Daily Five/Nine Alexa Skill powered by Earplay technology.
• Pugmire Interactive fantasy story set in a world where dogs have inherited civilization and built the kingdom of Pugmire centuries after the Ages of Man, with dogs uplifted to use tools and language.
• They Came in Outer Space Comedy interactive audio drama parodying 1950s sci-fi B-movies and radio dramas, where players are Co-Producers following rocket-jockey Commander Brad L. Whiteman.
• Half a Glass Thirty-minute philosophical interactive audio experience exploring perception and reality, where user choices affect how the world is perceived.
• Wraith: The Oblivion – The Orpheus Device Horror interactive exploratory story in which players use The Orpheus Device to speak with a family of ghosts and uncover the secrets the Martens family took to their graves. Co-developed with World of Darkness and Paradox Interactive.
• Office Hours Short interactive audio mystery designed for the Future of Storytelling Festival 2017, simulating a phone call with an interactive storytelling professor that quickly goes awry.
• Earplay Demo Five-minute introductory demonstration of Earplay's interactive storytelling and production style, featuring voice acting and sound effects, written and hosted by creative lead Dave Grossman.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amazon Prime VideocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJack Ryan: November Morning interactive story set in the world of Prime Video's 'Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan' television series, featuring talent including Wendell Pierce.
• NBCUniversal (USA Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMr. Robot interactive story game conceived by series creator Sam Esmail and powered by Earplay technology for Amazon Alexa.
• Universal Studios InteractivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJurassic World Revealed premium interactive audio adventure set during Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom timeline.
• WBURminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced You and the Beanstalk with Boston's NPR station. Distribution through Echo Dot Kids Edition and FreeTime Unlimited.
• Double RR StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for They Came in Outer Space interactive comedy audio drama.
• PugsteadyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Pugmire interactive fantasy story about dogs who inherited the world.
• World of Darkness (Paradox Interactive)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWraith: The Oblivion - The Orpheus Device horror interactive story presented and developed with World of Darkness and Paradox Interactive.
• Future of Storytelling FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffice Hours interactive audio short designed exclusively for Future of Storytelling Festival 2017.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Telltale Games: Telltale Games pioneered interactive narrative entertainment with branching-story games (Walking Dead, Batman, Tales from the Borderlands). It is highly comparable to Earplay in storytelling DNA and brand partnership model (working with major entertainment IPs), though Telltale delivers through video games rather than audio. Earplay's CCO Dave Grossman joined Earplay directly from Telltale, underscoring the lineage.
• Audible: Audible (an Amazon-owned company) is the dominant audiobook and audio content platform, with deep ties to Amazon's voice ecosystem. Audible overlaps with Earplay on audio content distribution to Alexa devices and is a potential acquirer or competitor for premium branded audio experiences, though Audible focuses on long-form spoken-word rather than interactive stories.
• Pushkin Industries: Pushkin Industries (founded by Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg) is a premium podcast and audio content production company producing high-quality narrative audio for major brands and platforms. It is comparable to Earplay in producing high-production-value audio content with strong creative talent and brand partnerships, though Pushkin focuses on non-interactive podcasts rather than interactive audio stories.
• Gimlet Media: Gimlet Media (now owned by Spotify) is a leading podcast production company known for narrative podcasts like Serial and Reply All. It is comparable to Earplay in producing narrative audio entertainment with major brand/IP collaborations, though Gimlet delivers non-interactive serialized podcasts rather than voice-controlled interactive stories.

Direct peers

• Voiceflow: Voiceflow is a collaborative platform for designing, prototyping, and launching voice and conversational AI applications across Alexa, Google Assistant, and other surfaces. It is the closest direct peer to Earplay's platform layer—Earplay's collaborative authoring tools for voice-first interactive audio experiences compete with Voiceflow's broader conversational app builder for the same creator and brand audience.
• Hooked (Yarn Interactive): Hooked pioneered interactive fiction delivered via text message and mobile chat, focusing on branching narratives with episodic releases targeting Gen Z. It shares Earplay's core DNA of interactive narrative entertainment but delivers through text/mobile rather than voice/audio. Both target mobile-native young audiences seeking bite-sized interactive stories.
• Episode: Episode (by Pocket Gems) is one of the largest interactive mobile story platforms, with thousands of user-generated and licensed branching narratives. It is comparable to Earplay as a platform for interactive fiction with episodic, choice-driven storytelling, though Episode delivers through illustrated visual stories rather than audio and targets a broader mobile gaming audience.
• Choice of Games: Choice of Games produces and publishes text-based interactive fiction titles with branching narratives and choice-driven outcomes. It is comparable to Earplay's interactive storytelling format and creator-facing publishing model, though Choice of Games delivers through text on mobile rather than voice/audio.

Emerging players

• Audm: Audm produces and distributes narrated long-form journalism from publications like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Wired. It overlaps with Earplay on premium audio content production and distribution, though Audm focuses on non-interactive narrated articles rather than interactive audio experiences.
• Spoke AI: Spoke builds AI-driven voice assistant tools for enterprise teams (helpdesk, knowledge management). While not a direct competitor in entertainment audio, Spoke is comparable to Earplay as a voice-first AI platform using conversational interfaces, sharing the broader voice-tech category and Alexa/Google Assistant integrations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Earplay
• Facebookfacebook.com/Earplay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earplay
• Instagraminstagram.com/earplay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Earplay