Spotify is jumping on the Clubhouse bandwagon, according to The Verge, which reports that Spotify is bringing its own Clubhouse rival to the party.
As expected, Spotify’s Clubhouse competitor will focus on music, sports and wider cultural conversations. It follows Spotify’s acquisition of Betty Labs, the creators of Locker Room, a live sports audio app.
- Read our guide on how to use telegram
- Clubhouse app: How to get invites, Android version and more
- Plus: There's a hidden app on your iPhone that you didn't notice
Locker Room will remain on the App Store despite the Spotify takeover, but it will be rebranded in the near future for both iOS and eventually Android.
Spotify believes live audio is ideal for creators: those who want to connect with digital audiences, be this through a live Q&A, an album premiere or even an exclusive artist performance.
With the Locker Room acquisition, Spotify steps onto the hallowed lands occupied by Clubhouse. It's not the only new competitor in the arena: Facebook is set to launch its own Clubhouse-type podcasting through Facebook Rooms and even Twitter has its own spin on Clubhouse called Spaces.
The move is also reminiscent of recent updates to Telegram, which recently introduced Voice Notes 2.0, riffing off Clubhouse’s live discussions feature.
Spotify's chief R&D officer, Gustav Söderström, thinks the new platform will democratize discussions between artists and followers, letting anyone host conversations, not just creators approved by Spotify.
Although there's no obligation for Spotify-employed creators to partake in live chats on the Spotify app, it would no doubt be flattering to artists' existing Spotify audience to have these live discussions, even winning them further followers.
Have no fear, though: The original Spotify app and the new app will stay separate, as to not confuse both apps' offerings. This is good news for the majority of causal listeners with Spotify accounts.
