In the mobile war of Google’s Android versus Apple’s iOS devices, the applications are often the ammunition. At first glance, then, it’s surprising to see that Google has been a big investor in a company releasing an app for the iPhone and iPad — but not Android systems. The company is Miso Media, and their Miso Music application received about $600,000 in seed funds from Google and other contributors.
According to a report from Mashable, Google was just one of several groups funding the iOS app maker. Miso has successfully generated a lot of buzz about its upcoming application, Miso Music, which resembles Guitar Hero — only with real instrument fingering.
That makes this game application double as an instrument instructor (or vice versa). This is made especially effective by the real-time feedback given when you play the right — or wrong — note. As of now, the application has lessons and games designed for the guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, banjo, and mandolin, but it plans to expand this select in the near future (which, in part, is the reason for the seed money). The program has been shown as accurate enough that it won sponsorship from big players in the instrument world, including Fender and C.F. Martin.
The seed money will also be used to expand the available music library, refine the instrument learning system, and, of course, create a version for Android devices, although there is no current timeline on when this might happen. It is expected that Miso will be released for iPod, iPhone, and iPad shortly. The application itself will cost only $2.99, but users will pay for additional instruments and music bundles, with each addition costing about as much as the app itself.
