On May 5th 2023 Spotify shutdown it’s Heardle music game for good after acquiring the game in July 2022. The Wordle-inspired music trivia game was purchased by Spotify for an undisclosed amount but unfortunately not even 12 months after its purchase Spotify took the decision to shut down the game.
The news came as a shock to many Spotify users as the development team back when it purchased the game said that it was “more than a trivia game: It’s also a tool for musical discovery. Playing Heardle might just help you to rediscover old tracks you may have thought you’d forgotten, discover amazing new artists, or finally put a title to that wordless melody you’ve had caught in your head forever. ”
Spotify acquires Heardle
In July 2022, Spotify made a strategic acquisition of Heardle, a music game that had gained popularity in the wake of the Wordle craze. Similar to how Wordle challenged players to guess a word based on limited clues, Heardle gave players six attempts to identify a song from its opening notes. It was portrayed as a tool for musical discovery, promising to help users rediscover old tracks, discover new artists, and finally put a name to that catchy but nameless tune they had in their head.
“We are always looking for innovative and playful ways to enhance music discovery and help artists reach new fans,” Spotify’s global head of music Jeremy Erlich said at the time. “Heardle has proven to be a really fun way to connect millions of fans with songs they know and love and with new songs … and a way to compete with their friends as to who has the best musical knowledge. Since its debut, the game has quickly built a loyal following, and it aligns with our plans to deepen interactivity across the Spotify ecosystem.”
However, less than a year after the acquisition, Spotify announced that Heardle would be shutting down. The decision was framed as a strategic shift to refocus efforts on other features for music discovery. This sudden termination was a shock to many of Heardle’s loyal players, who were abruptly greeted by a message on the game’s website, thanking them for playing and advising them to screenshot any statistics they wished to keep before the game’s closure.
Announcement by Spotify
“Thanks for playing Heardle, but unfortunately we have to say goodbye. From May 5th, Heardle will no longer be available. If you have stats that you would like to save, make sure you go to your stats and take a screenshot by May 4th. It won’t be possible to access them after May 4th.”
Speculation suggests that Heardle’s shutdown was due to the game failing to meet Spotify’s expectations for enhancing overall listening and engagement. From the start, Heardle was touted as a novel tool for musical discovery. However, it seems that the game did not deliver the expected boost in listening and engagement that Spotify had hoped for. Following the acquisition, monthly visitors to Heardle began to drop, which may have been a factor in Spotify’s decision.
Heardle shutdown
The closure of Heardle also came at a time when Spotify was reportedly looking at ways to cut operating costs. The company had recently laid off 6% of its employees and was undergoing a senior-executive reorganization. While Spotify did not disclose the amount it paid for Heardle, the decision to shut down the game may have been influenced by these broader financial considerations.
The move to shut down Heardle has been met with frustration by some users, who see it as a pattern of tech companies acquiring beloved games only to discontinue them when they fail to align with the company’s other goals. However, there was a silver lining to this situation as it was reported that there were no layoffs as a result of Heardle’s closure.
Public reaction to the shutdown was mixed. Some users expressed concerns about the game’s content and called for better song filtering and age restrictions. There were also requests for more diverse song selections, with some users expressing the sentiment that the game was no longer as entertaining as it once was for all ages.
Spotify’s acquisition and subsequent shutdown of Heardle highlight the complexities of integrating an external product into an existing platform. While Heardle was initially seen as a promising tool for musical discovery, its inability to sufficiently boost engagement and listener numbers, coupled with broader financial considerations, led to its untimely termination. The story of Heardle serves as a reminder that in the ever-evolving world of tech, even the most promising tools can face an abrupt end if they fail to align with a company’s strategic goals.
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