The DEMO 2007 Conference has officially began today and many companies are unleashing their new products and services. Yodio is one them that stands out. Yodio is currently in Beta, but the plan is to make the website a community for users to create, publish, and to buy and sell audio recordings. Yodio is able to automatically create podcasts by allowing users to call the toll-free service and sing or upload MP3s through the website. Yodio also allows users to input images with the audio as well to serve as an album cover or representation of the artist.
“Every picture needs a story; a photo plus audio creates a compelling story,” stated Doug Rowan, the CEO of ZoomAlbum. “Photographs by themselves don’t really tell the stories. You need people to tell the stories. Yodio is delivering on this need.” The toll free number is 1-877-MY-YODIO.
“Yodio is to podcasting as Blogger was to blogging — an easy to use Web application that helped define a new application category. Yodio not only provides best-of-breed features that consumers will love to use, but Yodio has delivered a unique platform for easily creating, capturing and distributing rich media content,” stated Chris Shipley, executive producer of DEMO.
I registered for an account and began filling out a profile with Yodio and discovered that there is a College Inside Program for students/recent alumni to participate in surveys. This is what the UI looks like:
There’s a 6 step process to participating with Yodio:
1.) Join Yodio and complete profile with phone number
2.) Pick a photo & craft a script
3.) Dial: 1-877-MY-YODIO (699-6346)
4.) Return to myYodio and visit managerecordings
5.) Visit produceyodiocards
6.) Visit yodioboard
To monetize the website, Yodio aims to depend on users to purchase audio from the website and also collect money from audio sponshorship fees. Users can buy yodiocasts through PayPal.
“For a majority of consumers, creating podcasts is too difficult. It requires new hardware, software and time. Also missing is an incentive to record and way for consumers to market and monetize their own content. Yodio is unique, fresh and different. Yodio’s goal is simple: we want everyone to share their cultural experiences, travel tips, business insight or entertainment (music, comedy, etc) in audio form and post it for others to benefit by saving time and money. Everyone can become a ‘citizen journalist’ by sharing their tips with the world. And, to someone, somewhere, those tips are worth a small fee,” stated Clay Loges, Yodio President and CEO.
