Spotify, the leading music streaming service, has announced that it will shut down its live audio app Spotify Live, which was launched in 2021 as a rival to Clubhouse, the popular social audio platform.
Spotify Live was originally called Greenroom, and before that Locker Room, a sports-focused app that Spotify acquired from Betty Labs for more than $65 million. Spotify Live allowed users to create and join live audio rooms with other people, similar to Clubhouse, and also offered a creator fund to attract and reward content creators.
The Numbers
According to Music Ally (via TechCrunch), Spotify Live had only 141,000 downloads on iOS and Android in December 2021, compared to 2.6 million for Clubhouse and 12.7 million for Twitter Spaces. Spotify also canceled some of its original shows on Spotify Live and closed down its creator fund.
What They’re Saying
Spotify said that it decided to sunset Spotify Live because “it no longer makes sense as a standalone app” and that it will continue to invest in new formats for creators and listeners on its main app.
What’s Next
Spotify’s decision to shut down Spotify Live shows raises questions about the future of Clubhouse and other live audio apps, as they face challenges such as user retention, content moderation, and monetization.
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