New social network focuses exclusively on audio

Most social media platforms have not made it easy to share audio, but Riffr users are sharing clips instead of text

Spotted: We’ve seen specialised social media networks that provide crime alerts, aid scientists in collaboration, and help users crowdsource therapy. Startup Riffr offers a platform that focuses purely on sound. Think of Twitter and Instagram, but instead of posting words or images, Riffr users post audio clips.

Users can publish both public and private ‘riffs’, and share them via text message, email, or on other social media sites. The riffs are streamed, and cannot be downloaded, allowing users to maintain some control of their content. The clips are between five seconds and three minutes long and can be customised with background images.

Riffr’s co-founder and CEO, Toufic Monarak, claims the idea is to bring authenticity and emotion back into social media. The Boston-based company is self-funded and currently has a few thousand users. It also plans on releasing a premium model, which could provide broadcasters like the BBC and NPR with a new way to publish content.