Language learning giant Duolingo has acquired the London-based team behind hit music-based video game Beatstar.
Duolingo’s ‘acqui-hire’ of 23 staff from NextBeat signals the firm’s growing commitment to expanding its music education offerings.
According to a company announcement today (August 6), the ‘acqui-hire’ will see Duolingo absorb specialists in game design, user retention and monetization, sound design, and music licensing from NextBeat.
The expertise of NextBeat’s team will power the next chapter of Duolingo’s gamified learning experiences, with a focus on building upon Duolingo’s Music course.
“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.”
NextBeat is a music gaming startup founded by serial entrepreneurs Simon Hade, Olly Barnes, and 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 last year.
According to the firm, NextBeat’s hit mobile rhythm games have reached over 100 million downloads and generated nearly $200 million in revenue.
“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.”
MBW understands that a group of NextBeat employees will remain with the company to operate Beatstar and Country Star, which pay out an eight-figure sum in royalties to music rightsholders annually.
Pittsburgh-headquartered Duolingo has built a business around making learning feel like gaming, using features like streaks, achievements, and competitive elements to encourage daily usage among its 500 million-plus registered users.
Duolingo went public on the Nasdaq in July 2021, raising USD $521 million at a $3.7 billion valuation.
The company now has a market capitalization of approximately $15.6 billion.
In its first quarter 2025 results, Duolingo reported $230.74 million in revenue, representing 38% year-over-year growth, and surpassed 10 million paid subscribers.
The company’s flagship app has become the world’s most popular language learning platform and the top-grossing app in the Education category on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
The financial terms of the NextBeat ‘acqui-hire’ were not disclosed.
Duolingo generates revenue primarily through subscriptions to its premium Duolingo Plus service, which has shown strong growth with a 46% YoY subscription revenue increase in the second quarter of 2025.
The company also earns revenue from advertising, its Duolingo English Test certification program, and in-app purchases.
Music Business Worldwide
