Applications
Duolingo & Sony Music partner to add hit songs to music course
Mumbai: Duolingo, a mobile learning platform, has announced a partnership with Sony Music that brings popular songs to its music course. This new feature is designed to make learning music more fun and engaging by incorporating well-known songs into the curriculum.
More than 60 songs from Sony Music artists, like Hozier, Meghan Trainor, Whitney Houston, and more, are now available so learners can study the foundations of music and practice their music theory skills, such as reading music, understanding note lengths, and differentiating notes by sound, sight, and key on a digital mobile piano.
“At Duolingo, we’re constantly looking for ways to make learning more effective and entertaining,” said Duolingo head of business development George Audi. “We’re partnering with Sony Music, a leader in the music industry, to bring our learners a library of chart-topping songs they can learn to read and play.”
“Partnering with Duolingo gives us the opportunity to bring our artists’ music to a new platform that promotes learning and cultural exchange,” said Sony Music senior vice president, sync licensing Jessica Shaw. “Music has the power to unite and inspire, and this partnership will help learners engage with music education in a meaningful and enjoyable way.”
By integrating popular songs from more than 40 artists into the lesson experience, Duolingo aims to enhance learning retention and comprehension while making learning to read and play music more delightful for millions of learners worldwide.
To get a closer look at the updates to the music course, tune into Duocon, the brand’s flagship global event, on 24 September 2024. Register for Duocon here.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
