Spotify will soon host live audio conversations following its acquisition of Betty Labs, creators of the Locker Room app.
Spotify shared the news in a press release, stating that this deal builds on its plans to create the “future formats of audio” and make its own original live audio content. Spotify will spend the next few months expanding the Locker Room app to offer more enhanced live audio experiences to attract more creators and fans.
“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,” Spotify Chief Research and Development Officer Gustav Söderström said in a statement. “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.”
Founded by Howard Akumiah in 2018, Betty Labs is a team of designers and engineers focused on creating interactive sports-focused experiences. The team developed the Locker Room app to give sports fans a space to talk about teams and important topics to them. The app first hit the market in October 2020 and has a rating of 4.6 out of five in Apple’s App Store. Betty Labs previously secured capital from Lightspeed Venture Partners, GV and Precursor Ventures.
With this acquisition, creators like podcasters, musicians, writers and professional athletes will be able to use Locker Room to host real-time discussions and debates. The Verge reported that all creators, not just A-list celebrities, will be able to share some more original live audio content. Locker Room will stay live in Apple’s App Store through the acquisition deal, but it will be rebranded under a different name in the future and eventually be available for Android users, according to The Verge.
“We are excited to join forces with Spotify and contribute to building the future of audio—we’ll invest more in our product, open the experience to Spotify’s audience, diversify our content offerings, and continue expanding the community we’ve built,” Akumiah said in a statement. “With Spotify, we’ll continue to offer the best home for sports fans and use the lessons we’ve learned along the way to create the ultimate destination for live conversation around music and culture.”
