Booktrack Attracts $5 Million in Funding

The New Zealand e-publishing venture Booktrack has secured $5 million in funding led by investments from COENT Venture Partners and Sparkbox Ventures, which will be used to support recent overall growth.

Booktrack offers publishers the ability to add soundtracks to digital titles that include licensed music as well as sound effects, effectively turning e-books into radio plays with rich musical scores.

“Our vision has always been to advance digital publishing and content to connect readers with an exciting and modern way to experience an e-book with a soundtrack,” said Paul Cameron, Booktrack CEO.

“Booktrack offers an enhanced experience delivered while you read.”

Sounds can be mixed or synched to specific passages or words. “State-of-the-art software created on Auckland’s North Shore measures and automatically adjusts pacing of the audio with your reading speed.”

The idea for Booktrack came from watching bus and train commuters read print books while listening to music on portable devices.

“Why listen to music unconnected to the book you’re reading?” said Cameron.

Funded by investors including Peter Thiel (co-founder and former CEO of PayPal), Booktrack will change the way people read, write, and publish their stories.

Article Source: Publishers Weekly, Calvin Reid, 21 July, 2015.

Image Source: Booktrack – About Us