By Anayansy Hernandez
Are you looking to transform yourself into the next karaoke star? There’s a new app on the market that can help you do that: Kanto, an online karaoke application for smart TVs and smartphones, allows users to create karaoke experiences from the comfort of their homes.
For their CEO, Carlos Montesinos, creating the app came from a desire to unite friends and improve his singing techniques. “We’re amateur singers that have fun going to karaoke pubs and sharing the experience with friends, but when we tried to do so at home, we couldn’t recreate the same experience.” Montesinos and his co-founder and CTO Kevin Zuñiga are both software engineers who decided to combine both of their passions to create a one-of-a-kind product.
Kanto creates a second-screen experience by connecting your phone to the TV. This means the phone acts as a microphone for the TV to score users based on their singing. Singers are scored based on their tone, pitch, rhythm, and tempo. The app even points out which part of the song you can improve. For those who want to establish who the rockstar of the group is, there is a leadership board that ranks participants.
Users can continue their winning streak as the algorithm offers them songs similar to what they have selected before. Kanto is not scarce when it comes to its music selection; the app suggests a variety of songs in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. “We have designated teams curating songs, making playlists, and suggesting new songs to keep up with new releases,” Montesinos explained.
The app has been successful in Latin America, reaching millions of users every year, and is now making its way to the United States. The company has partnered with TV manufacturers like LG Electronics, Vizio, and Roku to bring this experience to homes. The team has also secured music licensing from Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony, Warner Chapel, and Disney. With the support of Endeavor Miami, they have been able to launch in Miami for the US market. “Endeavor has helped us a lot by connecting us to the right companies,” said Montesinos.
Kanto has been making its mark across the nation, with a majority of its user base being from Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Miami, and Los Angeles. With its real-time scoring, they have offered a competitive advantage that has yet to be matched.
The team, which also includes co-founders Tomomi Toyosato and Gary Urteaga, is working on features that enhance the karaoke experience, like matching the user to songs based on the type of singer they are. “With Kanto, we’re looking to bring joy to people. Everyone can enjoy singing at any time or any place with no judgment. They can share their experience if they want, or they can just keep it for themselves,” Motensinos said.
The Kanto team has great milestones, as they expect to make the US its primary market by next year. By combining cutting-edge technology with the timeless joy of singing, they have created an experience that’s exciting and inclusive, transforming today’s entertainment.
Pictured at top of post: Kanto co-founders, left to right, COO Tomomi Toyosato, CEO Carlos Montesinos, CBO Gary Urteaga, and CTO Kevin Zuñiga.
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anayansy@yansymedia.com.