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| Spotify enters the live voice chat area |
Spotify has invested heavily in pre-recorded podcast content and the company is now committed to hosting audio chats in real time.
The platform announced that it has acquired Betty Labs, the company behind Locker Room, a live sports audio app.
After the acquisition, the locker room will remain at the App Store, but will be renamed "Locker Room" for iOS and Android in the future and will focus more on music, cultural and sports content.
Spotify said: For content producers who want to communicate with audiences in real time, it's ideal for live audio chats, whether they're creating an album, hosting a question-and-answer session, or taking place.
Spotify allows anyone to host real-time voice chats. This means its app can compete directly with all of the real-time audio apps currently on the market, including Twitter, Clubhouse and Discord regions.
The platform doesn't just force its creators to have real-time voice chats through the Spotify app.
"In the future, we may integrate some or all of the features," Spotify's head of research and development (Gustav Söderström) said.
Spotify is also testing various monetization features. Some chats may be free while others may be paid.
Soderstrom added: Users can record Spaces and Clubhouse chats and upload them as MP3 files to a Spotify Anchor podcast builder and hosting platform.
Audio content is growing in popularity in technology as the big names in the industry want to invest in pre-recorded podcast content in addition to live audio.
Amazon acquired Wondery Podcast Network last year, Clubhouse and Spaces launched last year, and Facebook is looking to build live audio capabilities.
Although Spotify is mainly focused on podcasts, it shows that the company can do both at the same time, as Live Audio Recording can expand its broadcast list while promoting the broadcast music it contains. "