Technology

RIP Heardle - Spotify pulls the plug after less than a year owning it

The Wordle spin-off will be no more after May 5th

Spotify has closed down Heardle, less than a year after acquiring the Wordle spin-off. The streaming giant only purchased the popular music trivia game - which is based on 'Wordle' and sees users guessing the song and artist as quickly as possible from just the first few seconds of pressing play - last July. Spotify's global head of music Jeremy Erlich said: "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." However, Spotify said: "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Heardle as we focus our efforts on other features for music discovery." The game will be no more from May 5. A push notification informed users: "Thanks for playing Heardle, but unfortunately we have to say goodbye. From May 5th, Heardle will no longer be available." At the time of the acquisition, Erlich, said: "We are always looking for innovative and playful ways to enhance music discovery and help artists reach new fans. "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. Since its debut, the game has quickly built a loyal following, and it aligns with our plans to deepen interactivity across the Spotify ecosystem." 'Wordle' was created by software engineer Josh Wardle and bought by the New York Times Company in January 2022. What's more, Quordle, in which players tackle four-word puzzles simultaneously, was purchased by Merriam-Webster in January 2023.

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