Duolingo Doubles Down on Delight with Acquisition of Music Gaming Startup NextBeat’s Innovative Team
Duolingo (Nasdaq: DUOL) has acquired the team behind NextBeat, a London-based music gaming startup, to enhance its Music course offering. The acquisition brings 23 expert professionals specializing in game design, user retention, monetization, sound design, and music licensing.
This strategic move establishes Duolingo’s first official presence in the UK and demonstrates the company’s commitment to making music education more engaging through gamification. The integration aims to leverage NextBeat’s expertise to enhance the learning experience for millions of existing Duolingo Music users since its beta launch.
Duolingo (Nasdaq: DUOL) ha acquisito il team di NextBeat, una startup londinese specializzata in giochi musicali, per potenziare la sua offerta nel corso di musica. L’acquisizione porta con sé 23 professionisti esperti nel design di giochi, fidelizzazione degli utenti, monetizzazione, progettazione del suono e licenze musicali.
Questa mossa strategica segna la prima presenza ufficiale di Duolingo nel Regno Unito e dimostra l’impegno dell’azienda nel rendere l’educazione musicale più coinvolgente attraverso la gamification. L’integrazione punta a sfruttare l’esperienza di NextBeat per migliorare l’esperienza di apprendimento di milioni di utenti di Duolingo Music fin dal lancio in beta.
Duolingo (Nasdaq: DUOL) ha adquirido al equipo detrás de NextBeat, una startup londinense de juegos musicales, para mejorar su oferta en el curso de música. La adquisición incorpora a 23 profesionales expertos en diseño de juegos, retención de usuarios, monetización, diseño de sonido y licencias musicales.
Esta estrategia establece la primera presencia oficial de Duolingo en el Reino Unido y demuestra el compromiso de la compañía por hacer la educación musical más atractiva mediante la gamificación. La integración busca aprovechar la experiencia de NextBeat para mejorar la experiencia de aprendizaje de millones de usuarios actuales de Duolingo Music desde su lanzamiento beta.
Duolingo (나스닥: DUOL)은 런던에 기반을 둔 음악 게임 스타트업 NextBeat 팀을 인수하여 음악 강좌를 강화했습니다. 이번 인수로 게임 디자인, 사용자 유지, 수익화, 사운드 디자인, 음악 라이선스 분야의 23명의 전문가가 합류했습니다.
이 전략적 움직임은 Duolingo의 영국 내 첫 공식 진출을 의미하며, 게임화 기법을 통해 음악 교육을 더욱 흥미롭게 만들려는 회사의 의지를 보여줍니다. 통합을 통해 베타 출시 이후 수백만 명의 기존 Duolingo Music 사용자에게 향상된 학습 경험을 제공하는 것이 목표입니다.
Duolingo (Nasdaq : DUOL) a acquis l’équipe derrière NextBeat, une startup londonienne spécialisée dans les jeux musicaux, afin d’enrichir son offre de cours de musique. Cette acquisition intègre 23 professionnels experts en conception de jeux, rétention des utilisateurs, monétisation, design sonore et licences musicales.
Cette démarche stratégique établit la première présence officielle de Duolingo au Royaume-Uni et témoigne de l’engagement de l’entreprise à rendre l’éducation musicale plus ludique grâce à la gamification. L’intégration vise à exploiter l’expertise de NextBeat pour améliorer l’expérience d’apprentissage de millions d’utilisateurs actuels de Duolingo Music depuis son lancement en version bêta.
Duolingo (Nasdaq: DUOL) hat das Team hinter NextBeat, einem in London ansässigen Musik-Gaming-Startup, übernommen, um sein Musik-Kursangebot zu erweitern. Die Übernahme bringt 23 Experten mit Fachkenntnissen in Spieldesign, Nutzerbindung, Monetarisierung, Sounddesign und Musiklizenzierung mit sich.
Dieser strategische Schritt markiert die erste offizielle Präsenz von Duolingo im Vereinigten Königreich und zeigt das Engagement des Unternehmens, Musikbildung durch Gamification ansprechender zu gestalten. Die Integration soll die Expertise von NextBeat nutzen, um das Lernerlebnis für Millionen bestehender Duolingo Music-Nutzer seit dem Beta-Start zu verbessern.
Positive
- Acquisition of 23 specialized experts in gaming and music
- Strategic expansion with first UK presence
- Enhancement of existing Music course with proven gaming expertise
- Access to NextBeat’s music licensing and game design capabilities
Negative
- No financial terms disclosed
- Integration of new team may require time and resources
Insights
Duolingo’s acquisition of NextBeat’s team strengthens their music course offering and expands UK presence, enhancing their gamification strategy.
Duolingo’s acquisition of NextBeat’s team represents a strategic talent acquisition rather than a traditional business purchase. The company is gaining 23 specialists in game design, user retention, monetization, sound design, and music licensing – all critical components for enhancing their existing Music course offering.
This move serves multiple strategic purposes. First, it addresses specific expertise gaps in music gaming and licensing that Duolingo likely couldn’t efficiently build in-house. Second, it establishes Duolingo’s first official UK presence, positioning them in a key European creative talent market. Third, it reinforces Duolingo’s core competitive advantage – turning educational content into engaging, game-like experiences.
The acquisition signals Duolingo’s commitment to diversifying beyond its language learning foundation. With “millions of learners already using Duolingo Music” since its beta launch, this vertical has shown promising early traction. NextBeat’s team should accelerate this momentum through improved gamification, potentially leading to stronger user engagement metrics and monetization opportunities.
The talent-focused nature of this deal suggests it’s likely a smaller financial transaction than a full company acquisition would be, though no financial terms were disclosed. For Duolingo, which has historically grown through organic product development rather than acquisitions, this talent infusion represents an evolution in their growth strategy that leverages external expertise while maintaining their distinctive culture and product philosophy.
London-based team brings deep expertise in music games, licensing, and interactive design
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duolingo, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUOL), the world’s leading mobile learning platform, announced today it has acquired the team behind NextBeat, a London-based music gaming startup known for blending world-class music licensing with engaging mobile gameplay. With this move, Duolingo is investing in making its Music course as fun and joyful as the best mobile games in the market.
“Learning should be just as engaging as playing a great game, whether you’re practicing a new language or playing a favorite song,” said Bob Meese, Chief Business Officer at Duolingo. “This is a strategic bet on talent. The NextBeat team brings deep mobile gaming and music industry expertise, which will make our Music course and the entire Duolingo platform more delightful, immersive, and effective.”
The acquisition of NextBeat’s team brings twenty-three world-class experts in areas such as game design, user retention and monetization, sound design, and music licensing. Their expertise will power the next chapter of Duolingo’s gamified learning experiences, with a focus on building upon Duolingo’s Music course. The move also establishes Duolingo’s first official presence in the UK, a hub of creativity and talent.
“From day one, it was clear that Duolingo and NextBeat share the same values: putting learners first, obsessing over great design, and never taking ourselves too seriously,” said Simon Hade, CEO of NextBeat. “Joining forces means we can bring our passion for music and play to a platform that is redefining how people learn.”
With millions of learners already using Duolingo Music since its beta launch, this acquisition signals Duolingo’s ambition to make music education more engaging and accessible with a product that is both playful and effective.
About Duolingo
Duolingo is the leading mobile learning platform globally. Its flagship app has organically become the world’s most popular way to learn languages and the top-grossing app in the Education category on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. With technology at the core of everything it does, Duolingo has consistently invested to provide learners with a fun, engaging, and effective learning experience while remaining committed to its mission to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available.
About NextBeat
NextBeat is a London-based music-first gaming studio founded by serial entrepreneurs Simon Hade, Olly Barnes & Joe Adams. The company is best known for the hit games Beatstar and Country Star, which were spun out of Space Ape Games upon its acquisition by mobile gaming giant Supercell. The hit mobile rhythm games reached over 100 million downloads and generated nearly
Contact:
Monica Earle, press@duolingo.com
FAQ
What is the purpose of Duolingo’s acquisition of NextBeat’s team?
Duolingo acquired NextBeat’s team to enhance its Music course by incorporating their expertise in music gaming, licensing, and interactive design to make learning more engaging and effective.
How many experts is Duolingo acquiring from NextBeat?
Duolingo is acquiring 23 experts from NextBeat, specializing in game design, user retention, monetization, sound design, and music licensing.
How will the NextBeat acquisition impact Duolingo’s Music course?
The acquisition will make Duolingo’s Music course more engaging and immersive by incorporating NextBeat’s expertise in mobile gaming and music industry knowledge.
What is the significance of this acquisition for Duolingo’s UK presence?
This acquisition establishes Duolingo’s first official presence in the UK, providing access to a new hub of creativity and talent.
How many users does Duolingo Music currently have?
According to the announcement, Duolingo Music has millions of learners using the platform since its beta launch.
