The fuel that fires social media to such epic proportions is the freedom of speech and the effective communication with the overall sharing process made seamless. While it continues to do so through major platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and others, it has diversified into an ad-based model where the true integrity of simplicity has been lost. Other upcoming social media platforms offer simple ways to share audio/video creations where ads aren’t involved and it’s a platform created for the creators by the creators. We are talking about TapeReal.
TapeReal is a free audio/video sharing site that provides a platform for users to share real, unedited, RAW footage on the platform. There are no ad-based algorithms. Instead, you have in-app currency known as RealCoins, which could be used to unlock further EXCLUSIVE content from your profile. It’s a fun platform where you can create podcasts together, publish unique content and more. The entire platform is free from any privacy threats and ensures that all the information is locked and secure. Having a brief discussion with the Founder & CEO of TapeReal, Ali Shah, Venture Mirror learned a lot about the company and if you want to read all the excerpts from the interview, then they are provided below.
What is the startup / product / venture about? Give us a brief description of it.
TapeReal is a fun social hub for sharing your audio/video creations (like YouTube), and a marketplace for selling ‘a la carte’ access to your EXCLUSIVES (like Patreon/Substack, but without giving your audience subscription fatigue). You can upload videos, record the raw moment, or call a friend to record a quick audio/video podcast together. You can publish free content or set a price to unlock your EXCLUSIVES with our new in-app currency RealCoins. This allows creators to instantly monetize their influence, knowledge, and creativity any way they want. Best of all, TapeReal respects your privacy and has no advertising or algorithms. We instead generate revenue from selling premium growth plans. A growth plan helps creators build their audience faster, gives them more exposure, and unlocks a premium badge on their profile. It also prevents creator burnout from trying to appease algorithms. TapeReal is built for creators, by creators.
How many co-founders are there? Please introduce them and their backgrounds.
Ali Shah is the solo Founder of TapeReal. He lives in Canada and has over a decade of experience in analytics, product, and startups. Ali has self-funded TapeReal and grown the startup to a team of nine. He is also a proud father of five young boys all under the age 8.
How did you come up with the idea? What motivated you to do this?
I lost my grandparents at a young age and did not have many memories of them or their life stories. It made me realize that we have photo albums for precious moments in time, but we do not have any albums for our memorable conversations. I believe that conversations are where true stories live. This motivated me to build a social platform where you can record and capture meaningful conversations as memories. A place where people can safely express themselves and just be REAL… raw, uncut, and unfiltered… basically creating a timeline and album of who they are in REAL life. I was also frustrated with traditional social media platforms and their lack of privacy, algorithmic bias, toxicity, and ad-based business model. Since launching, we have evolved and iterated TapeReal to where we are today based on feedback from our community.
Who is your target market? Why do you think your product will appeal to them?
TapeReal is being used by Vloggers, Musicians, Influencers, Podcasters, Visual Artists, Writers/Authors, Coaches/Therapists, Gamers, Course Creators, Educators, and anyone who needs a safe outlet for creative self expression. With TapeReal, Creators can instantly monetize their EXCLUSIVE content and start making money on the platform. It’s also a great way to build a direct and meaningful relationship with your audience.
TapeReal respects your privacy, does not mine your data, and has no algorithms (which often leads to creator burnout). Our application suits those who wish to produce and consume great content in the most natural of environments, one without ads, one without damning algorithms, and worrying privacy policies. At TapeReal, we promote free creative expression, positivity, and healthy monetization policies that benefit creators and the community first.
Who are your competitors? How are you different from them?
There are many social platforms for creators to share their content. Most of them have ads, algorithms, and exploit your personal data. They are also designed to be addictive so that they can keep you engaged and serve you more ads. In comparison, TapeReal is a “creator-conscious” platform where creators and community come first.
TapeReal is different because you can:
– Monetize as early as today, without minimums or prerequisites.
– Break free from the pressure of algorithms and focus on creating.
– Share feedback and help shape the platform to your needs as a creator.
– Post to a chronological feed and reach the entire platform when you post.
– Build a direct, meaningful relationship with your audience.
– Instantly sell your exclusive content, set your own price, and keep it all.
YouTube and traditional social media were built for a different era. TapeReal is building for the privacy-focused mindset and creator economy of today.
What are the future plans with the product/startup? Any new features you are planning on?
We are planning to launch an equity-based crowdfunding campaign so that regular people can invest and own shares in TapeReal. We also have an amazing product roadmap built on the foundation of creator and community feedback. This includes new engagement features like Direct Messaging along with more tools to monetize and personalize your channel. We are also exploring ways to cash out your earnings in Bitcoin.