Less than a month after announcing that it has raised $15 million in funding from UK lender HSBC, children’s audio platform Yoto has teamed up with music legend Elton John to launch its first-ever Collector’s Edition card series.
In partnership with Universal Music Group, Yoto will release a special edition of Elton John‘s Diamonds album featuring 15 selected tracks from the artist’s career including classics like Your Song, Rocket Man, I’m Still Standing, Cold Heart with Dua Lipa and more.
The collection, designed for listeners aged three and above, will be available through Yoto’s screen-free audio players. Yoto, founded by Ben Drury and Filip Denker in 2017, offers a device that allows kids to access music and audio without being exposed to advertisements, unsuitable content or racking up too much screen time.
The ‘Yoto Player’ device is a compact speaker that comes with physical cards, referred to as ‘Yoto Cards,’ each representing a specific piece of content, such as a storybook, an album, or a set of songs. The cards are inserted into the Yoto Player, which then plays the corresponding content.
Yoto’s partnership with Elton John introduces four limited-edition card designs, each showcasing one of the Grammy winner’s iconic outfits. Yoto says only 1,000 copies of each design will be produced, making them highly collectible items. The special edition cards feature illustrated Elton John characters as album artwork.
The cards will go on sale via the Yotoplay.com website. Each card, priced at £11.99/$14.99, offers 65 minutes of playing time
To enhance the interactive experience, Yoto says it has also incorporated a special Q&A segment where Elton John personally answers questions submitted by young listeners worldwide. This content will be accessible through the Yoto Daily podcast, the free Yoto app’s ‘Discover’ section, and the Yoto Space website.
“This launch is not only a way for parents to introduce their children to the iconic sounds of Elton John, it also lets families share the timeless magic of classic pop music in a way that’s engaging and screen-free,” said Ben Drury, Yoto CEO and Co-Founder.
“At Yoto, we believe that music is a universal language that can inspire creativity and spark a love for the arts in children, and what better way to do that than through the timeless melodies and powerful storytelling of the Rocket Man himself?”
“This album gives families an opportunity to bond over shared musical moments that can last a lifetime, and releasing four special Collector’s Edition cards for the first time also allows grown-up Elton fans the chance to add a whole new format to their music collection,” Drury added.
Sarah Boorman, General Manager of Youth Strategies at Universal Music UK, said, “For many adults, Elton John has been the soundtrack to countless significant moments in their lives and now increasingly in their children’s lives as well.
“From being responsible for some of the most epic film moments to appearing live from Dodger Stadium in Roblox, Elton’s timeless appeal resonates across generations, and so it was important for us to bring his Diamonds collection to Yoto, ensuring that we honoured Elton’s unrelenting ingenuity and style with a dynamic and groundbreaking release.”
The collaboration builds on the existing partnership between Yoto and Universal Music Group. Last year, UMG teamed up with Yoto to provide the platform with access to UMG’s music catalog and labels. The partnership kicked off with a Yoto version of Queen’s Greatest Hits: Volume 1 , which included 16 tracks from the album including Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen and Another One Bites The Dust.
Yoto also has an existing partnership with Warner Music Group, which launched last year with the rollout of music from Super Simple Songs on the Yoto platform.
The latest deal with UMG came almost a month after Yoto secured a $15 million funding package from HSBC. Yoto said the funding will provide working capital for the business, allowing it to expand to new markets. The company currently operates in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, along with Singapore and Hong Kong.
With the funding, Yoto said it expects to boost exports by “almost 100%” and double its revenue.
In June, Yoto raised $22 million in funding from a group of investors. Half of that investment came from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic investment fund founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan.
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