Booktrack launched in 2012 with an innovative idea: add synchronized soundtracks to ebooks—music that changes with the mood of the scene, sound effects that play as you read. The technology was impressive: it tracked reading speed and adjusted audio timing accordingly. The company raised $10M and partnered with major publishers including HarperCollins.
Company Data
- Founded: 2012 — New Zealand
- Total Funding: $10 million
- Failed: Pivoted to education, consumer product died
The fundamental problem: most readers don't want a soundtrack. Reading is an immersive activity that engages the brain's language centers. Adding music creates cognitive dissonance—your brain processes words and music simultaneously, reducing comprehension. The education pivot (soundtracks for student reading) found some traction, but the consumer vision was a solution to a problem nobody had.
Key Lesson
Adding features to an already-perfect experience often makes it worse. Reading is one of humanity's oldest technologies. It doesn't need a soundtrack—silence is a feature.