One month after acquiring live audio app Locker Room, CEO Daniel Ek revealed "big plans" for the Clubhouse competitor, including changing the name to Spotify Greenroom and offering a wider range of content.
Spotify last month bought the sports-focused Locker Room app from Betty Labs in hopes of accelerating its entry into live audio. The deal promised to expand the app to a wider range of creators and fans, as well as offer interactive features to directly connect with audiences.
"We'll give professional athletes, writers, musicians, songwriters, podcasters, and other global voices opportunities to host real-time discussions, debates, ask me anything (AMA) sessions, and more," a March blog announcement said.
Innovation comes in waves, and after most major social networks introduced some form of ephemeral "stories," the industry has moved on to live audio. But how can one platform stand out in a sea of Clubhouse clones? Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is counting on Spotify's supply of creators.
"The 8 million creators we have are some of the world's best storytellers," he said during this week's episode of Spotify's For the Record podcast. "They're some of the world's best comedians. They're some of the world's best musicians. Some of the world's best athletes. Some of the world's best educators.
"And, so, the opportunity in live, just from a consumer standpoint, is, how can we create really engaging formats to allow these creators to express themselves and connect with their audience?" he continued. "And we've been watching the space from afar, just feeling very, very excited about the potential opportunity, and with our creator base, and with our 350 million user base, I am sure that there will be magical moments created with the advent of live."
It's been a busy week for Spotify, which introduced a price increase for the family plan (now $15.99 per month), launched a miniplayer on Facebook, and established a new subscription podcast platform that lets creators charge for content.