Spotify shuts down its Clubhouse competitor

Spotify is shutting down live audio app Spotify Live, first reported Music Ally (via TechCrunch). In a statement to The Bargethe company’s spokesperson, Gail Gaviola Morrow, confirmed that Spotify plans to “retire the Spotify Live app” because it believes it “no longer makes sense as a standalone app.” .

Instead, Spotify indicates that it will continue to offer live audio in a limited manner on the main Spotify app. For example, Listening Parties, a feature that allows top fans to connect with artists in a virtual space.

The Barge We’ve reached out to Spotify as to whether the Spotify Live feature will continue to exist in the main audio app, but the company declined to provide details. We will continue to invest, innovate and experiment with new formats for creators and listeners around the world,” says Gaviola Moreau.

The music streaming service will launch its first audio-only app in 2021 under the name Greenroom. The company built the app in response to all the hype surrounding social audio app Clubhouse, and he acquired live audio service Betty Labs for €57 million (about $67.7 million at the time).

“We believe there is a future for live fan-creator interaction in the Spotify ecosystem. However, based on our learning, it no longer makes sense as a standalone app,” said Gaviola Moreau. increase. “The artist-focused ‘listening party’ use case yielded promising results, and we will continue to investigate it to facilitate live interactions between artists and fans.”

Correction April 3 at 7:35 PM ET: In an earlier version of this article, references to Spotify’s “listening parties” were misinterpreted as a way for users to listen to music together in a remote party. But Spotify’s Listening Parties feature is actually a way for top fans to listen to artists’ music in a virtual space. I’m sorry.