Masmoo3 Introduces Audiobooks to the Arab World
A Jordanian startup taps into Islam’s rich oral tradition
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In a small recording studio in Amman, Jordan, a slight young woman sits in front of a computer, adjusting pitch and sound levels. “Excellent! Go,” she says, waving to the man standing on the other side of the soundproof glass. Seconds later, a rich baritone floods the control room. The words are centuries old, from a collection of classic Arabic poetry to be released as an audiobook later this year by a startup called Masmoo3.
Its founders are brother and sister Ala and Alaa Suleiman. The idea came to them in 2008 when Ala, 35, a computer engineer and a devotee of English audiobooks, couldn’t find an Arabic-language version of Steve Chandler’s 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself.