Genius creates iMessage extension to bring more lyrics to your messages
Genius, the online network of song lyrics and annotation platform, is launching a new way to share music. Coinciding with the release of Apple's iOS 10 that opens up iMessage to more third-party developers, Genius has created an app extension for lyric sharing.
Starting Tuesday, iPhone users can create and share lyrics cards within messages once they download the Genius extension from the new iMessage store.
All within iMessage, users will be able to search within Genius's library of songs for lyrics. These can then be shared over a customizable background from the camera roll or on one of Genius's images.
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The update is the latest way Genius is looking to maintain its status as the go-to destination for all things lyrical.
"We pride ourselves on being the best, fastest, most accurate, official source for lyrics," Tom Lehman, cofounder and CEO of Genius, told Mashable.
"It’s not as fun to know the meaning of lyrics which you don’t have a personal relationship with. People have a relationship with texting and lyrics," he said.
Genius is already visited by people looking to read and understand lyrics. The site and apps receive tens of millions of monthly users and hundreds of thousands of monthly contributors, who transcribe and annotate lyrics and other pieces of writing, according to Genius.
This social sharing feature was previously available and used by Genius as a web tool. With the update, anyone can access it via Genius's mobile apps and iMessage and create something to share within text, social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and via email and Slack.
"I’m really excited about using it as a form of communication, which is why it’s so cool to have it in iMessage. I love talking in lyrics, referencing in lyrics. From my standpoint lyrics are the new emoji," Lehman said.
Genius also has been going beyond the lyrics. The startup, which celebrated its seventh birthday last month, changed its name from Rap Genius to Genius in 2014 accompanying $40 million in Series B funding, led by Andreessen Horowitz and Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert. Genius is not currently seeking new funding.
The company, based in Brooklyn, New York, has since been expanding its reach. That includes working with news organizations, such as the Washington Post to annotate political speeches and not just lyrics.
"Genius has to exist in a world where we can partner and collaborate with people who are publishing content broadly," Lehman said. "We’re focused on revenue. We’re focused on reaching new audiences."
Genius hired its first chief revenue officer in March and expanded its team from 30 to 60 over the last year. So far, Genius has worked with Spotify and Coke on advertising and partnerships.
Lehman said the company is not focused on making revenue from the new iMessage extension. It could become branded, not unlike what is seen in Bitmoji and other sponsored emoji.
"Right now we're totally focused on watching it grow," Lehman said.
Kerry Flynn is a business reporter for Mashable covering the tech industry. She previously reported on social media companies, mobile apps and startups for International Business Times. She has also written for The Huffington Post, Forbes and Money magazine. Kerry studied environmental science and economics at Harvard College, where she led The Harvard Crimson's metro news and design teams and played mellophone in the Band. When not listening to startup pitches, she runs half-marathons, plays with puppies and pretends to like craft beer.
