After Teaching Millions to Play the Piano, flowkey App Gets Attention from Tim Cook
When a young musician couldn’t find a good way to learn the piano online, he created an app of his own—flowkey. Years later, he was chosen to present it to Apple's CEO. Here’s the story of how it all happened.
Last updated on 19 Oct. 2022
It was a rainy September morning in the Apple Store in Berlin Mitte.
A murmur goes through the crowd of journalists, photographers and die-hard Apple fans as Apple CEO Tim Cook enters the room.
To everyone's amazement, a familiar melody suddenly plays.
A pianist has begun to play the first notes of the world's most famous ringtone: the standard ringtone of the first iPhone.
The musician is Jonas Gossling, co-founder of flowkey, a piano-learning app that is so popular that Tim Cook wanted to take a closer look at it during his recent visit to Berlin.
"I wanted to show Tim Cook the power of music and how it can awaken strong feelings in us," Gossling said later when talking about his encounter. "My hands were shaking a bit from nervousness, but I still managed to play the ringtone and put a little smile on Tim Cook's face. Then I showed him the app and he was very interested."
From university project to more than 10 million users
The high-pressure setting in the buzzing Apple Store was a long way from the eight-square-meter office space on the campus of Berlin's Technical University, where Gössling founded flowkey in 2015 with two friends, Alexander Heesing and Ahmed Hassan.
The trio met while studying, coming together to launch flowkey after Gössling had tried—and failed—to use YouTube tutorials to get back into piano, which he had played for years as a child. He was frustrated by the online options he found: YouTube tutorials needed to be constantly paused, rewound, and repeated, because the pace of the video was either too slow or too fast.
Gössling was convinced there must be a better way to learn, so he set about developing one of the world's first piano-learning apps.
In the years since, flowkey has become a leading platform for learning piano, with more than 10 million users worldwide. And not only Apple loves it. The app has collected tens of thousands of five-star ratings from both Apple and Android users who’ve achieved things at the piano they never thought possible.
It's never been easier to play your favorite music on the piano
With thousands of other courses and tutorials available online, what's the secret that has brought millions of players from around the world to flowkey?
Users love the app's thoughtfully designed courses and tutorials that make it easier than ever to learn new songs on the piano
flowkey's innovative technology empowers beginners to start playing their favorite songs immediately, even without knowing how to read sheet music. Experienced players also benefit from this learning method, which allows them to start playing their favorite music faster than with books or other online tutorials.
What Users Say:
"I've only been playing the piano a year. Before using this app it took me months to learn a new song. With this app you will learn in a third of the time, or less.” - Emma
"I'm an older adult (73 years old) and new to piano. I decided to try flowkey and learn on my own. It was the best decision I could have made. There are tons of selections for every level, plus courses for learning scales, chords, and more” - Apple Review
“Great program to learn piano. I especially enjoy the ability to slow down songs, scroll to certain points. The best part is that you can highlight a specific section that keeps on looping to master it before continuing.” – John D.
Subscribers get access to a library containing thousands of songs in every genre, from classical and modern pop to film soundtracks and '60s rock 'n' roll. A team of professional pianists arrange every song, usually in four difficulty levels, from beginner to pro.
This means learners can move onto a tougher level of their favorite song after mastering the easier version. Players can even choose which hand they'd like to focus on: right, left, or both at once.
Step-by-step lessons to learn the basics and acquire new skills
In addition to a song library that stretches from Mozart to Lady Gaga, a series of courses teaches all the music theory you need to become a well-rounded piano player. Bite-sized videos explain scales, sheet music, improvisation, and chords with courses written and recorded at flowkey's studio in Berlin.
More advanced pianists can choose their own path through the courses, perhaps skipping the theory they already know, like, say, rhythm practice, to focus on something new, such as building chords. flowkey puts control in the hand of the learner, allowing them to repeat lessons until they perfect them.
Try flowkey for free today
If you've always wanted to get into—or back into—the piano, or if you're an experienced player who wants to learn new songs, now is the time to try flowkey for free.
Just download the app, pick a song, and start playing.
Header Photo Credit: Apple
Read next
How an App Helped This 11-Year-Old Win a Piano Competition
When her in-person lessons were put on hold before a big competition, this young pianist turned to the flowkey app to keep the music alive.
Why Every Piano Beginner Should Learn Music Theory
Understanding the theory behind the music you play is key to becoming a better pianist. Here's why it's worth taking the time to learn the basics.
How to Motivate Your Child to Practice the Piano?
Encouraging your child to practice piano doesn’t have to be a battle of wills. Here are some great practical tips for getting kids motivated.
Top 5 Mistakes When Learning to Play the Piano
Everyone makes mistakes – but you don’t want yours to become bad piano habits! Check out the most common slip-ups that aspiring beginners make on piano, and how you can avoid them.
