Samsung Launches Bixby Marketplace with Participation by Spotify, NPR, and Google Maps

Samsung last night quietly revealed the new Bixby Marketplace where Samsung users will have access to voice apps which they call capsules. The capsules are Bixby’s equivalent of an Alexa skill, a voice-first experience offered on the platform by a third-party or sometimes the company itself. The Marketplace is a catalog of those capsules with a visual interface for browsing what is available. Bixby Marketplace is now available through an update for Samsung Galaxy Note 9 along with Galaxy S9 and S10 smartphones. Some of the capsules visible in Bixby Marketplace include Spotify, NPR, Google Maps, Uber, and Yelp.

Voicebot has learned that dozens of new capsules will be arriving in the coming weeks to expand the catalog. Samsung has also been recruiting from the ranks of experienced Alexa skill and Google Action developers for the Bixby Premiere Developer Program. That initiative promises to offer developers additional access to Samsung and Viv Labs resources as well as promotion in the marketplace. Promotion by the voice platforms has been critical for many Alexa skill developers in gaining traction with users. Samsung believes a combination of promotion and an uncluttered Marketplace presents a unique opportunity for developers to gain exposure and build audience right now. The company is clearly looking to this group of developers along with leading product and media brands to fill the Marketplace with capsules and interesting things for Bixby to do.

New Tools for Developers

Samsung launched the Bixby Developer Center during the Samsung Developer Conference in November 2019. The website has included documentation on how to build capsules from the beginning but now also has instructions related to publishing to the marketplace. Visits to the Bixby Developer website now include a pop-up announcing the Marketplace arrival. This includes a short summary stating:

The Marketplace is a central repository for Bixby’s capsules. You submit your capsules to the Marketplace for review, and approved capsules can then be downloaded by Bixby users.

Marketplace is allowing developers to publish both public and private capsules. The private designation is for capsules in use for on-device testing. Public submissions will appear in the Marketplace and be available for general use.

No Advertising Through Bixby Capsules

One way Bixby is aligned with other voice assistants today is the prohibition on advertising. After the restriction on bad language and promoting violence is the statement saying that the developer agrees, “There are no embedded displayed ads in your capsule.” Samsung representatives have said on multiple occasions that they intend to help voice app developers generate revenue, but appears that will be by means other than advertising.

Bixby Webinar will Cover Marketplace Announcement and Capsule Development

Voicebot is hosting a webinar led by Roger Kibbe of Viv Labs and Samsung on July 11 at 1:00 p.m. EDT that will discuss Bixby as a development platform, how capsules are built and how they differ from other voice apps. Kibbe will also discuss the new Marketplace announcement and how developers can participate. You can learn more about the July webinar by clicking the button below.

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