Spotify announces live audio formats are coming as it tries to compete with Clubhouse

Spotify is moving into live-audio space with today’s announcement of future audio formats launching on the platform in the coming months. Putting its money where its mouth is, the company also acquired Betty Labs, the creator of Locker Room, a live-audio sports app.


STORY HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Spotify buys the Locker Room live-audio app for sports fans.
  • New live-audio features are coming to Spotify.
  • Live formats are due in the coming months.

An illustration showing a white Spotify logo, with lettering, set against a green background

Building a Clubhouse competitor

The Locker Room acquisition “builds on our work to create the future formats of audio and will accelerate Spotify’s entry into the live audio space,” says a post on the Spotify website.

So there you have it, live audio formats are definitely coming to the world’s leading music-streaming service. The upcoming live audio experience will enhance and extend the on-demand experience Spotify provides today, said the company.

In the coming months, we’ll evolve and expand Locker Room into an enhanced live audio experience for a wider range of creators and fans. Through this new live experience, Spotify will offer a range of sports, music and cultural programming, as well as a host of interactive features that enable creators to connect with audiences in real time.

We’ll give professional athletes, writers, musicians, songwriters, podcasters, and other global voices opportunities to host real-time discussions, debates, ask me anything (AMA) sessions and more.

Spotify isn’t the only company trying to create live audio offerings.

Twitter’s Clubhouse rival, dubbed Spaces, is nearing its launch. Of course, Facebook has also been working on a Clubhouse clone. An invitation-only software, Clubhouse for iPhone hit the App Store in April of last year. The app facilitates auditory communication for groups that can be as small as a few individuals or as large as over 5,000 people.