"We are the onlyfans for audio".

Voiyal offers intimate voice messages from porn stars and has already managed to attract big names. In this interview, co-founder Pauline Schmiechen talks about what her parents say about it, what the creators say - and why Voiyal is safe at work.

It's hard to imagine 2022 without voice messages. Whenever there is no hand free, people speak into their smartphone, their headphones or with their voice assistant at home. So if people have to listen to audio all the time, why not intimate voice messages from erotic stars? Pauline Schmiechen came up with this idea at the Venus trade fair in Berlin at the phone sex stand. A few months later, her start-up Voiyal is live and she has already been able to inspire big names in the scene: Shaiden Rogue is there, as is Janice Griffith. But what excites people about audio erotica and how do you actually find investors? Startbase asked.

Ms. Schmiechen, you run Voiyal, a start-up in the adult entertainment sector. Do you encounter many prejudices?

We live in Berlin, which is probably the most liberal city when it comes to sex. We have Art Porn Week here and there are even regular sex parties. We feel very comfortable here and haven't had any bad experiences so far when we've talked about our start-up. On the contrary: most people are very interested at dinner parties when I tell them what I do. And fortunately, my parents also approve.

Then the search for investors is probably an easy one.

Unfortunately not. We have two very visionary business angels, Kersten Jodexnis and Oliver Blume, who invested in our start-up even before our pivot and are now very happy to go along with the new direction. But finding a VC to invest in adult entertainment in the rather bourgeois rest of Germany is generally very difficult. That's why we're concentrating more on the USA in the current financing round.

You've already mentioned it: you've made a pivot. What did you do beforehand?

Originally, my co-founder and I founded a social media app that was only based on audio. Classic social media platforms primarily work visually, but not with many other devices such as AirPods or smart speakers. Nevertheless, our first idea didn't work out that way. It didn't seem clear to anyone what exactly they were supposed to post and listen to - Clubhouse sends its regards. But what was immediately noticeable was that most people were very, very happy to talk about intimate topics such as sex or relationships. That's how we came up with the idea for Voiyal.

How does Voiyal work?

With Voiyal, users can register and then listen to voice messages from various creators. We have internationally renowned stars such as Shaiden Rogue, Janice Griffith and Katya Clover on board, among others, who talk about their lives in intimate voice messages exclusively for their fans. This can be anything from their shopping trip today, to bedtime stories, to really intimate secrets. The creators are completely free and know best what their fans want to hear.

Listening to intimate voice messages with your eyes closed and only your imagination can't be beaten in terms of intimacy and authenticity.

Pauline Schmiechen

Adult entertainment today is very diverse and still very visual, sometimes even with VR glasses or in 3D. Why should users reduce themselves to the medium of audio?

Listening to intimate voice messages with your eyes closed and only your imagination can't be beaten in terms of intimacy and authenticity. Why? Because the creators are not standing in a perfectly lit set, there are no three cameras filming them and they have not spent hours putting on make-up to look even more perfect. The voice messages are therefore often very spontaneous and therefore much more authentic and intimate. A bedtime story from a creator is something completely different from a visual mass product. We have already seen this dynamic at Onlyfans, which is why we like to say: We are the Onlyfans for audio.

What does it all cost?

Every voice message that is longer than 30 seconds costs one drop. This is our internal currency and is currently worth one US dollar. Users buy these Drops in packages and can then buy voice messages directly from Creatorn. You can also chat with the stars for one drop or one US dollar per message. If the audio file is shorter than 30 seconds, it automatically serves as a free teaser.

What does your business model look like?

The creators generally receive 60 percent of the revenue, with some larger advertisers receiving significantly more. We keep the rest to expand the platform, operate the site and pay fees to the payment providers. We do not communicate any other figures to the outside world.

How do you find users in the first place, since you don't advertise?

The users come via the creators, who advertise their content on our platform in their own interest. Most of them are already fans who want to get a little closer to their stars through intimate voice messages - almost as if their own girlfriend or boyfriend is sending them a voice message.

However, as a modern and self-confident woman, I personally have no desire to be put in such pink vanilla drawers with my lust!

And in what situations do your users listen to these voice messages?

There's no limit to the conversation here, but let me put it this way: since literally nobody knows what you're listening to, we're definitely "safe for work" and for any other place.

I'm guessing your users are mainly male.

No, our target group and platform are open to any gender and any age, as long as they are of legal age. There are some similar start-ups that have a more female focus. However, as a modern and self-confident woman, I personally have no desire to be put into such pink vanilla pigeonholes!

Thank you for the interview.

Personal details: Pauline Schmiechen is 28 years old, founder and CTO of Voiyal. She previously gained experience at Axel Springer and Foodora before founding her own start-up with her best friend from school in 2020.