April 4, 2023, 11:28 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Spotify has announced plans to discontinue part of its offerings. Specifically, this concerns the separate live app. Some features will be integrated into the main app.
The app Clubhouse sparked a hype back then. Suddenly, apps and platforms for live audio services were booming. New providers emerged, and well-known names offered their own solutions. One of them was Spotify. The Swedish music streaming service launched the app Spotify Live, initially called Spotify Greenroom. After apparently only moderate success, the offering is now being discontinued. However, they don’t want to completely give up the live function.
Spotify Live Is Discontinued
In 2021, Spotify acquired the app Locker Room for a hefty $57 million and renamed it Greenroom. At the time, the company promised to “develop and expand Locker Room into an enhanced live audio experience for a broader range of creators and fans.” Several radio-style shows were commissioned for this purpose. In 2022, Spotify introduced a corresponding live function for its main music app. Greenroom then became Spotify Live and continued as a separate offering.
Since then, users can view and access live events directly on the Spotify pages of artists. Previously, users could primarily tune into the event there. Those who wanted to participate in the chat or even join the stage had to switch to the live app. Spotify has gradually relaxed this approach over the past year. Among other things, live was directly linked to Spotify’s main app.
The Swedish provider has now announced plans to permanently discontinue the Spotify Live app. “After a period of experimentation and learning about how Spotify users interact with live audio, we have decided to discontinue the Spotify Live app,” a company spokesperson told the portal Music Ally. They currently see no need for a separate app, especially since the main app also offers a corresponding function. However, they want to continue experimenting with relevant formats in the future–just not in a separate app.
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What Is Spotify Live Anyway?
Spotify Live is an alternative to Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, and others. It is designed to provide musicians, podcasters, and other artists with a live platform to reach a digital audience in real time. Organizers can host events in virtual rooms, similar to the competition. The goal is to actively engage with the community, which sets it apart from a traditional livestream.
The discontinuation of Spotify Live is not surprising. The Clubhouse hype has significantly waned. Other notable providers, such as Facebook, which quickly launched its own alternative at the time, are increasingly withdrawing from the live audio sector. Another indication prior to the announcement was that Spotify canceled several live shows for the app. Additionally, as part of widespread adjustments, so-called countdown pages for new albums, among other things, are to be introduced, which would serve as ideal starting points for live events.
Source
- Music Ally (“Spotify shuts down its Clubhouse-style audio app Spotify Live,” accessed April 4, 2023)