Skip to main content

Is Duolingo building a new music-learning app? We interpret the signs

Not one to be restricted to just teaching languages, a recently discovered job posting indicates Duolingo is working on a new music app.

The company is keeping its cards close to its chest at the moment as the description doesn’t say much about what the software is planning. According to the posting, Duolingo is currently looking for someone who can teach certain musical concepts and has “substantial experience with music education” for both children and adults. Whoever gets hired will be put in charge of ensuring Duolingo Music (as we’ll refer to it) is based on “learning science” to teach music in a way “that is fun, fast-paced, and emphasizes ‘learning by doing’”. The posting also states the “Learning Scientist” will have to take the lead in creating a curriculum hinting the app is still in the early stages of development.

Beyond the description and what the company is looking for, not much else can be gleaned about Duolingo’s latest venture. It’s unknown what these "concepts" are exactly. Additionally, we don't know if the app will teach people how to read and write music or how to play an instrument. However taking a look at the company’s other education apps, Duolingo Music may follow a trajectory similar to how the company gamified other disciplines.

For instance, Duolingo Math teaches, well, math to both children and adults. None of it is super complex; no lessons on calculus or anything. The app instead focuses more on foundational math like multiplication and geometry. It also gamifies the lessons with the goal to ease off “math anxiety”. Duolingo claims 93 percent of U.S. adults have some sort of math anxiety making it difficult for some to learn. So, following that train of logic, the upcoming app could teach music lessons in an easygoing manner. 

Still in the works

The launch date for the new service is obviously unknown since the job posting was only recently discovered. It is worth pointing out another posting from Duolingo was found on LinkedIn for a Music Composition and Curricular Consultant. The job is for a freelance composer who has experience writing songs to “teach novice learners” in a digital setting. The LinkedIn posting has since been filled, but at the time of this writing, the Learning Scientist position is still open. So if you live in the Pittsburgh area and have a Ph.D in music education or music theory, here’s your chance to boost musical literacy.

If and when the app launches, you may be itching for a way to show off those new skills. In that case, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best free music-making software for March 2023. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The latest Apple TV 4K test lets you watch four sports streams at once

Apple is trying something new with the latest beta version of tvOS 16.5: the option to watch up to four simultaneous streams at once. Right now it's limited to live sports streamed through the Apple TV app on the Apple TV 4K , specifically MLB Friday Night Baseball and the MLS Season Pass. A multi-view option was spotted in the tvOS software last month, but the code was hidden and not enabled. MacRumors reported that the feature would be enabled this weekend, and beta testers have since been able to use it. As yet multi-view hasn't been officially announced by Apple, but it's expected that tvOS 16.5 is going to be pushed out in its final form within the next month or so. WWDC 2023 is around the corner as well, when we should be hearing about the next major updates for Apple's various operating systems – including tvOS 17. How it works Over at 9to5Mac there's a hands-on demonstrating how the multi-view feature works, and it's pretty much as you would expe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Garmin's new radar-equipped tail light will keep you safe on your e-bike

Garmin's Varia bike radars are some of the most popular pieces of cycling tech around – and now the company has delivered its first rearview radar to have been specially designed for some of the best e-Bikes .   Garmin's Varia range mounts to the back of your bike and broadcasts a radar signal behind you, so you can get visual and audible alerts when something's overtaking you. Even better, the new Varia eRTL615 plugs directly into most e-bikes, with no battery required. Because the catchily-named Varia eRTL615 is also a tail light, it'll also make sure you're visible to other vehicles too, promising to emit a flashing or solid light that's visible from up to a mile away in daylight. To connect Garmin's new radar tail light to your e-bike, you'll need to pick the right Garmin adapter cable (which isn't included). You can buy power cables compatible with Bosch, Shimano, or USB-A terminals or connections, with more info on those available on Garmin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU could get cheaper with a new version – but don’t get your hopes up

Nvidia’s RTX 4080 is purportedly getting a new spin on the GPU which could reduce the cost, but any price reduction will likely be very minor, sadly, if it happens at all. Tom’s Hardware flagged up this rumor – and treat it with caution, as with anything from the ever-spinning mill – that originated from HKEPC (a tech site in Hong Kong), claiming that while the current RTX 4080 graphics card is built on the AD103-300 chip, Nvidia is going to use a slightly different GPU in the future, namely AD103-301. There’s now more evidence this is actually happening, Tom’s points out, courtesy of a graphics card maker, Galax, which under its RTX 4080 product details lists the GPU as ‘AD103-300/301’. Furthermore, VideoCardz , which also picked up on this, informs us that Gainward, another card maker, has also listed the updated GPU variant AD103-301 in its product specs. With two separate third-party graphics card makers mentioning this new spin on the GPU in their specs, it seems pret...
Post a Comment
Read more