This app wants to be the SoundCloud of podcasting

It might seem like everyone has a podcast these days, but there are still some barriers to entry. You need a microphone, at least, and a basic understanding of audio technology.

Bumpers, a new startup from two Twitter alums, wants to eliminate those last hurdles. The iOS app, launched today, lets anyone record a podcast using only the app — no microphone required.

"You can record a podcast in the app, a conversation or yourself talking. It'll use machine learning to automatically cut it up at ideal cut times — around phrases or when one person starts talking. You can tap to edit and insert music segues," Bumpers co-founder Ian Ownbey told Mashable.

Bumpers is young, but it has attracted significant investors. The company raised $1 million in seed funding led by Spark Capital, announced Thursday.

Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter and chief executive of Medium, also invested in the startup.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Bumpers is taking a cue from the Ev Williams-backed Medium in its approach to podcasting and distribution, too. All podcasts made through the platform will be hosted on the app — not on iTunes or in Apple's Podcast app.

"We're able to create great distribution and solve the discovery problem by keeping things in network," Ownbey said. "We can show people things that will also be interesting to them."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The app combines traditional podcasting — with professional, or at least themed, episodes — with a social approach. Users are prompted to record something about a particular topic or question every day.

The episodes, too, tend to be shorter than traditional podcasts. Most podcast episodes on the app so far are under 20, 10 or even five minutes — more like SoundCloud than Apple's podcast app.

The app debuted with a soft launch in June. Since then the app has published 1,950 episodes, the company said.

For now, Bumpers is targeting people likely to create podcasts, to get more content on the app. But eventually, even a user who doesn't want to press a button and record a snippet of audio would come to Bumpers to listen to its exclusive podcasts.