Spotify Buys Music Trivia Game Heardle

Spotify has purchased Heardle, a daily music game, in what it says is a way to add more opportunities for music discovery, a company press release said Tuesday (July 12).

“Playing Heardle might just help you to rediscover old tracks you may have thought you’d forgotten, discover amazing new artists, or finally put a title to that wordless melody you’ve had caught in your head forever,” the streaming music service wrote.

Heardle lets users guess a song based on the opening notes. They get six guesses, and every hint gives a few more seconds of music to inform the next guess. They’ll learn the identity of the song at the end even if they lose the game.

With the acquisition, Spotify said the look and feel of Heardle will not change. It will also still be free to play. But Spotify said it will be offering the opportunity to listen to the full song on Spotify once the game concludes.

Jeremy Erlich, global head of music with Spotify, said the company is always looking for “innovative and playful ways” for people to find new music.

“Heardle has proven to be a really fun way to connect millions of fans with songs they know and love and with new songs ... and a way to compete with their friends as to who has the best musical knowledge,” he said. “Since its debut, the game has quickly built a loyal following, and it aligns with our plans to deepen interactivity across the Spotify ecosystem.”

See also: Spotify Expects to Slow Hiring, Growth

In June, Spotify said it was planning to slow hiring by 25% because of the deteriorating conditions in the economy, according to a memo from CEO Daniel Ek. He said the company has been on a hiring spree since 2019, which has seen 2,000 more employees added. But CFO Paul Vogel said they’re keeping “a close eye” on the economy, and evaluating Spotify’s headcount for the future.