Wurrly

Wurrly positions itself as a multifaceted music technology company, initially launched as a consumer-facing karaoke-style application that has since pivoted significantly towards the educational technology sector. Founded in 2014 by Nadine Levitt and Joseph Itaya, the company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm's trajectory reflects the background of its CEO, Nadine Levitt, a former international trade lawyer who pursued a career as a professional opera singer and songwriter. This blend of legal acumen and artistic passion informed the creation of a platform designed to make music creation and education more accessible. Levitt's experience performing with renowned artists and her passion for music in schools led to the development of the WURRLYedu platform in 2016.

The company's primary offering is the WURRLYedu platform, a comprehensive creative arts and music solution for the K-12 education market. This learning management system provides a web portal for teachers and a corresponding application for students, compatible with various devices including Chromebooks. The platform delivers a curriculum covering general music, modern band, choir, and music production, integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) concepts. Its business model appears to be centered on licensing this platform to schools and districts. For instance, a one-year license for a school has been marketed at $499, providing unlimited teacher and student seats. The company also forges partnerships, such as one with the 1500 Sound Academy to offer courses in music production, songwriting, and mixing for middle and high school students.

The Wurrly platform is feature-rich, providing a music catalog of over 5,000 to 6,000 songs, an online recording studio, and thousands of lessons. Students can record audio and video, customize tracks by altering key and tempo, and use one-touch filters. For instrumental practice, the platform includes tabulated lyrics and chords with fingering charts for piano, guitar, and ukulele. A key focus is on student safety and privacy, adhering to standards like FERPA. For students under 12, parental approval is required for access, and teachers cannot directly interact with students within the app but rather manage assignments and review recorded submissions. The original consumer application functioned as a mobile recording studio, allowing users to record, customize, and share their performances on social media, with a premium subscription model for advanced features. In April 2020, the company received a PPP loan of $337,000.

Keywords: music education, edtech, K-12 arts, social emotional learning, creative arts platform, music curriculum, digital music tools, online recording studio, karaoke app, Nadine Levitt, music learning solutions, WURRLYedu, student creation tools, performing arts technology, classroom music, music production education, digital lesson plans, collaborative music, SEL curriculum, arts integration