Spotify has shut down its live-audio app Spotify Live - News - Mixmag
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Spotify has shut down its live-audio app Spotify Live

It was previously acquired in 2021 while it was known as Locker Room

  • Words: Isaac Muk | Photo: mormondancer
  • 4 April 2023
Spotify has shut down its live-audio app Spotify Live

Spotify is shutting down Spotify Live, its live audio streaming app.

Separate to the main Spotify app, the app allowed users to stream and interact with live audio, including podcasts and music.

The news was told to Music Ally yesterday (April 3), when a spokesperson said: “After a period of experimentation and learnings around how Spotify users interact with live audio, we’ve made the decision to sunset the Spotify Live app.

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“We believe there is a future for live fan-creator interactions in the Spotify ecosystem; however, based on our learnings, it no longer makes sense as a standalone app,” they continued.

“We have seen promising results in the artist-focused use case of ‘listening parties’, which we will continue to explore moving forward to facilitate live interactions between artists and fans.”

Spotify Live was previously known as Spotify Green Room, which in turn was renamed from Locker Room, after its founding company Betty Labs was acquired in April 2021 for €57 million (£50 million) according to Music Ally.

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Some of its features and functionality had already been integrated into the main app, but will continue to search for ways to host live audio on its platform, as it hopes to expand into the radio market.

While Spotify Live has been forced to close, the company’s main operation – its streaming service – has continued to grow in popularity in recent times, becoming the first music streaming platform to hit 200 million subscribers in February.

It also comes after the company announced that it was laying off roughly 600 staff members, about 6% of its workforce in January, as the company ran at an operating loss of €231 million (£204 million) in 2022 – a smaller number than its expected €300 million (£265 million).

Isaac Muk is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him on Twitter

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