Genius

Established in 2009, Genius is an online media platform that started as a platform for annotating rap lyrics, before expanding its mission over the years to include more than hip-hop and lyrics. On the 16th of September 2021, the company was acquired by medialab for $80M.Located in Brooklyn, New York, Genius breaks down text with line-by-line annotations, added and edited by users worldwide.

When users sign up for an account on Genius, they get their own profile page and the ability to follow other scholars and artists. With the account, they can begin adding knowledge and earning Genius IQ. Genius IQ is a point system earned by adding knowledge. Every scholar has a total IQ number next to their name that represents how knowledgeable they are. Users can annotate lyrics—explaining what a complicated lyric means—or add other interesting context, such as artist information, song and album bios, cover artwork annotations, song facts, and lyrics transcriptions. A user can also make a suggestion, propose an edit, and ask or answer a question with the Q&A features.