Spotify’s acquisition of live audio startup Betty Labs three years ago seemed promising, but the music streaming service has yet to fully utilize the technology. One of Betty Labs’ creations was Locker Room, a sports-focused social audio app that Spotify rebranded as Greenroom after the acquisition. However, Greenroom, which allowed users to participate in live discussions and create virtual rooms, failed to gain traction and was eventually shut down. Users complained about bugs, glitches, poor audio quality, and the limited room capacity of only 1,000 users.
Despite the setback with Greenroom, Spotify didn’t give up on live audio. In December 2023, the company launched an experimental feature called “Listening Party.” This feature allowed superfans to join invite-only live listening parties where they could interact with artists, ask questions in a live chat room, and even request to be speakers themselves. Spotify had been testing this feature with various artists, including Zara Larsson, Bleachers, MGMT, and Lizzy McAlpine.
One notable Listening Party was hosted by Billie Eilish to celebrate her latest album. The event had a decent turnout of 2,500 users. However, the experience was a mixed bag. While fans were excited and flooded the live chat with comments, there was little use of Spotify’s live audio capabilities. Instead, Eilish mainly streamed her new album for 50 minutes without interruptions. The event ended abruptly without a goodbye from Eilish. Similar complaints were expressed by MGMT fans during their Listening Party session.
One key feature of Listening Party is “Onstage,” where fans can request to speak to the artist during the live discussion. However, Eilish’s event did not utilize this feature, and fans could only participate through written reactions. This led to disappointment and a feeling that the event could have been more interactive.
It should be noted that Listening Party is currently only available to “highly engaging” listeners, meaning many fans are excluded from connecting with their favorite artists. This limitation is likely in place to prevent server crashes.
Despite the setbacks and limitations, the introduction of Listening Party shows that Spotify is trying to make the most of its investment in Betty Labs. However, there is still significant progress to be made for Spotify to establish itself as a leading player in the live audio space. Listening Party is still in the early testing stages and is only available to users in the U.S. and Indonesia. Hopefully, Spotify will continue to improve and expand this feature to provide a more engaging and interactive experience for fans and artists alike.
