Apple has purchased a small podcast search startup located
in the Oakland, California area named Pop Up Archive, which is known for searching audio files.
Pop Up Archive was founded in 2012 by Anne Wootton and Bailey Smith. The company focuses on
building tools to transcribe, organize, and search audio files. Its technology can process large amounts of digital sound, catering mostly to radio stations and oral history archives, according to one
source.
Apple, whose founders did not seem to care too much about search technology, has made
great strides to change this -- launching Search Ads in October
2016.
The ability to search music and contextual audio files, in addition to podcasts, could be the main reason Apple wants the technology.
Hot Pod, a newsletter about podcasts, broke
the news this morning.
Among Pop Up Archive's suite of tools was the podcast search engine Audiosear.ch, which the company shuttered on November 28. At that time the company said users stopped gaining access to its API, website, and features such as Audio
Alerts, Clipmaker, Buzz Score, and more.
The audio search service gave a "Buzz Score" on a 100-point scale based on iTunes charting and reviews, and as recently as April, Pop Up Archive
developers spent time refining the technology, according to one report.