Yoto, the screen-free audio player for children, is expanding beyond licensing deals with kids brands to give indie creators a storytelling space for the first time.
With its new Creators pilot program, Yoto will produce physical cards for its smart speaker containing creators’ music, stories and audio content, and sell them through its website. The company is kicking off this initiative with 32 new cards from 24 creators, including a four-part fantasy adventure and lots of new music.
The company says it plans to release more titles and add more creators over the coming months.
Founded in 2017, Yoto previously signed licensing deals with major kids brands and companies for songs and stories, including Disney (Frozen), Scholastic (Magic School Bus) and the Harry Potter series. The company has already sold hundreds of thousands of its devices, and raised US$22 million in equity funding in June to drive global growth. Yoto players are available in the US, UK, Canada, EU and Australia. More than seven million minutes of Yoto content was listened to in 2023, according to a spokesperson.
The platform is aimed at a two- to 12-plus audience, with a library of more than 1,000 stories, songs and podcasts. It’s aiming to become a YouTube-like space where selected creators can make Yoto cards (after paying an up-front cost to manufacture the physical cards) and earn royalties on card sales through the Yoto site. Yoto is looking to grow its lineup with a mix of music, stories and activities (like dancing and meditation).
Resources and guidelines are available on the company website for creators interested in making content for the platform. There’s also a section called Open Mic, where creators can share free content to get feedback from Yoto listeners.