Heardle is a free, Wordle-inspired music trivia game in which you must guess a popular song within six tries, based on its opening notes.
- Spotify announced on July 12, 2022, that it had purchased the music trivia sensation Heardle, filing as the streaming giant’s first game acquisition.
- Released in March 2022, Heardle is a web-based word game. It remains available on the web for free following the deal, except it now uses a new font.
- Spotify has already launched Heardle integration on the web in the US, UK and a few other markets. It’ll eventually integrate Heardle “more fully” into the app.
Spotify snaps up the music trivia game Heardle
Spotify has officially confirmed snapping up Heardle for an undisclosed sum. Jeremy Erlich, Spotify’s global head of music, explained in a press release published in the Spotify Newsroom that the company is always looking “looking for innovative and playful ways to enhance music discovery and help artists reach new fans.”
Heardle remains available free of charge as a web game at www.heardle.app.
Meanwhile, Haerdle is now available with Spotify songs in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand first. Launches in other markets will follow “soon.” Spotify will also introduce Heardle integration in its mobile app [App Store link] down the road, but no timeframe was given.
We know that stats aren't carrying over for everyone. We’re actively working on the issue so that you can keep your winning streak alive
— Spotify (@Spotify) July 12, 2022
Heardle is like Wordle, with a musical twist
Heardle is a daily single-player game that pays homage to Wordle, with a musical twist. In Heardle, you’re tasked with guessing the artist behind a popular song after hearing a short musical intro. Every time you get it wrong, the game unlocks more of the intro. The goal is to guess the artist with as few tries as possible, within six tries.
When you reveal the answer, the game links to the song on Spotify (previously, songs linked to SoundCloud). Even if you guessed the song incorrectly, the game will still provide a Spotify link that you can discover the song in its entirety on Spotify if you like. “For existing Heardle players, the look and feel of the game will stay the same, and it’ll remain free to play for everyone,” the company notes.
Why this deal makes lots of sense
It’s a simple concept and Spotify will surely help bring in new players. For existing users, Heardle integration should even act as a music discovery tool. For Spotify, anything it can offer to keep people engaged with its platform is a plus. And if Netflix could add gaming to its video service, why shouldn’t Spotify fold relevant music-based games into its offering? Read: How to listen to Spotify offline on Apple Watch