NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES — Tuned, a hearing health company focused on providing hearing care for all, and Soundly, the first-ever hearing health marketplace, today announced a partnership to bring medically-credentialed audiology consultation and advice to any consumer looking to purchase hearing aid products on Soundly.
Tuned and Soundly will partner to create rich content experiences on Soundly.com and virtually match Soundly users with Tuned audiologists to “receive a medically accurate, unbiased assessment to guide them in identifying the appropriate product for their hearing needs”.
A recent FDA ruling now makes over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid products available for consumers across all price ranges. The first ever OTC hearing aids will become publicly available on October 17. The move will increase access for consumers but will also create an even more confusing landscape with more options and less built-in care.
Tuned is focused on building a new model for hearing care that doesn’t rely on device sales from the largest manufacturers. The company’s telehealth platform has signed on more than 180 audiologists who provide unbiased support to consumers. Soundly is a hearing health marketplace focused on building online tools and experiences that help consumers compare a growing number of hearing aid options side-by-side. Together, Tuned and Soundly are creating a new model for pairing quality audiological care with modern digital access.
New approaches to hearing healthcare are especially important as GenZ and Millennials suffer from hearing damage related to extensive headphone usage and a new work-from-home dynamic.
“Our partnership with Soundly is such an amazing way to help those in need of hearing care and contributes to Tuned’s goal of bringing hearing health to everyone. For too long, hearing care has been almost non-existent, limited to only those with serious impairments. With employers beginning to add hearing care as a benefit and recent shifts in policy, public awareness of hearing health is beginning to change.”
—Danny Aronson, Tuned’s CEO and co-founder
Soundly users will receive a 10% discount on Tuned’s consultation fee. Tuned’s audiologists are device and software agnostic and are compensated only for their time. Consumers meet virtually with the audiologists who provide recommendations that range from something as simple as noise management advice or earplugs, to suggestions on software or devices, including OTC or prescription hearing aids.
“Soundly was founded as a modern front-door to the hearing health space. Our goal is to make the first hours of hearing health research less confusing as options increase,” said Blake Cadwell, CEO and Founder of Soundly. “In our work with Tuned, we’re excited to bolster Soundly’s modern shopping tools with the expertise of Tuned’s 150+ licensed audiologists.”
About Tuned
Tuned is a digital-first hearing care company. Available as a standalone and an employer-sponsored benefit, Tuned offers the only lifelong hearing benefit for patients of all ages. The company supports care with comprehensive product options for hearing health, freeing employers from the need to evaluate thousands of practice groups, headsets, and software combinations. Today, 5.1 million people can access Tuned through employer benefits and marketplaces. Tuned is a private company headquartered in New York City, with audiologists across the United States and worldwide. For more information visit: https://www.tunedcare.com
About Soundly
Soundly is the first-ever hearing healthcare marketplace that helps consumers find products, compare prices, test their hearing and connect to care. Soundly is the only online marketplace that allows consumers to compare OTC and prescription products side-by-side.
Source: Tuned, Soundly
