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Spotify announces plan for live audio Clubhouse competitor

Spotify announced today that it acquired Betty Labs, the creators of Locker Room, a live audio app focused on sports fans. “This acquisition builds on our work to create the future formats of audio and will accelerate Spotify’s entry into the live audio space,” says the company in a press release.

“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.”

Spotify says that in the coming months, it will evolve and expand Locker Room into an “enhanced live audio experience for a wider range of creators and fans” offering “a range of sports, music, and cultural programming, as well as a host of interactive features that enables creators to connect with audiences in real-time.”

Spotify isn’t the only one trying to compete with Clubhouse. Twitter is almost ready to launch its Spaces feature, which lets users chat using their voices on the platform. Instagram, on the other hand, launched the ability to add more people to a video-live. Facebook has been reported as working in a Clubhouse competitor as well.

Now we have to wait to see what the Locker Room app acquisition will mean for Spotify and the industry. The company will launch its HiFi subscription tier later this year.

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