Spotify is discontinuing its standalone live audio app, Spotify Live, at the end of this month as the audio giant moves away from live programming, a company spokesperson said. The Hollywood Reporter on Monday.
As user interest in the Clubhouse live audio app gained momentum during the early months of the pandemic, Spotify sought to follow suit with its own live audio offering. In March 2021, the audio company acquired Betty Labs, the creator of the live audio app Locker Room, for 57 million euros (about $67.7 million at the time). In June 2021, Spotify launched its standalone live audio app, Spotify Greenroom, and the following year rebranded the app to Spotify Live, promoting the rebrand with live shows from Call her daddy host Alex Cooper, comedian and actor Hasan Minhaj and creator Tana Mongeau, among others.
At the time, Spotify also continued with some of its existing live programming deals, reaching a deal extension with the popular sports podcast in April 2022 Fantasy football players to continue his live show for the next three NFL seasons.
But the audio giant began scaling back its live programming late last year, when it canceled at least six of its live audio shows created for the Spotify Live app. If THR Reported at the time, at least two deals were canceled midway through creators’ contracts, even though the contracts were paid in full, according to people familiar with the matter. Axed Spotify Live shows included Deux Me After Dark, Doughboys: Snack package, The movie buff, A gay in life, Taylor talk And Lorem life.
“After a period of experimenting and learning about how Spotify users interact with live audio, we have decided to discontinue the Spotify Live app. We believe there is a future for live interactions between fans and creators in the Spotify ecosystem; however, based on our learnings, it no longer makes sense as a standalone app,” the Spotify spokesperson said, adding that the company saw “promising results” from its “listening parties” with between artists and fans and will continue to look for ways to move forward in that direction.
Selected live shows will exist in the main Spotify app as non-live podcasts. The Spotify Live app will end on April 30.
Music ally first reported the formwork of the live app.
