(CelebrityAccess) — Spotify announced the acquisition of Betty Labs, creator of the live audio app Locker Room as the streaming music and podcast goliath reorients to challenge the rise of the audio-only chat platform Clubhouse.
“Creators and fans have been asking for live formats on Spotify, and we’re excited that soon, we’ll make them available to hundreds of millions of listeners and millions of creators on our platform,” said Gustav Söderström, Chief Research & Development Officer at Spotify. “The world already turns to us for music, podcasts, and other unique audio experiences, and this new live audio experience is a powerful complement that will enhance and extend the on-demand experience we provide today.”
According to Spotify, the company plans to expand Locker Room into a broader platform oriented towards a wider range of creators and fans. Through Locker Room, Spotify will offer sports, music and cultural programming. They also plan to add interactive features that allow content creators to interact with fans in real time, including hosting real-time discussions, debates, ask me anything (AMA) sessions, and more.
“We are excited to join forces with Spotify and contribute to building the future of audio—we’ll invest more in our product, open the experience to Spotify’s audience, diversify our content offerings, and continue expanding the community we’ve built,” said Betty Labs Founder and CEO Howard Akumiah. “With Spotify, we’ll continue to offer the best home for sports fans and use the lessons we’ve learned along the way to create the ultimate destination for live conversation around music and culture.”
According to The Verge, the Locker Room app will remain on the App Store but will eventually be rebranded with a different name, first on IOS and then for Android devices at a later time.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
