Apple reportedly in talks to acquire talk radio curator Swell

Apple is said to be close to reaching a deal to acquire talk radio app Swell. Re/code reports that the price tag on the company is about $30 million, just 1% of what Apple paid for Beats Music earlier this year. 

It would sure make for an interesting purchase from Apple given that the Podcast app is plagued by problems and is certainly in much need of a refresh. 

More intriguing still would be to see Apple use Swell’s technology to create a hybrid between talk and on-demand by throwing iTunes Radio or Beats Music into the mix. 

Swell’s website states:

“Swell is designed with the belief that your time is valuable. The more time you spend listening to content, the more it learns about your preference for that type of content. In other words, Swell’s algorithm understands your interests by observing how you and the Swell community use the app.”

The only company that has devoted considerable resources to creating a mix of on-demand music and talk content is iHeartRadio. There is a gaping hole in the market for someone to create a product that not only delivers a user’s preferred music but also combines that with a constantly updated stream of talk content, creating effectively a virtual radio show. With this acquisiton Apple could be well placed to attempt something along these lines. 

(Andrea Leonelli)