Spotify acquires music guessing game Heardle

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Spotify has acquired Wordle-inspired music guessing game, Heardle. Spotify said in a statement that in addition to keeping music junkies engaged, it hopes Heardle will serve as a music discovery tool for its users. "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," it added.

In Heardle, players are tasked with guessing a song based on its opening notes. They get six guesses, with each hint giving a few more seconds of music to inform their next answer. The answer is then revealed after six guesses, regardless of whether players got it right. The look and feel of the game will stay the same, and it will remain free to play for everyone. The only difference is that now, players will be able to listen to the full song on Spotify at the end of the game.

Jeremy Erlich, global head of music, Spotify said that it is 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," he added.

"Further down the road, we are also planning to integrate Heardle and other interactive experiences more fully into Spotify to allow music lovers to connect more deeply with artists and challenge friends—and have some fun in the process," Spotify said. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Spotify for additional information on the acquisition.

Separately, Spotify and Integral Ad Science (IAS) partnered last month to create the first third-party podcast brand safety and suitability reporting tool for podcast advertisers to have more confidence and transparency in podcast advertising. The reporting tool will undergo rigorous analysis in order to analyse and identify the tools and resources needed to deliver brand safety. Mediabrands' UM Worldwide will be the first holding company to test out the reporting tool while taking into consideration of advertisers’ needs and voices.

The collaboration will now create a medium to understand how to ensure that advertiser messages are presented in their intended contexts for podcasts. The third-party reporting tool is expected to be able to aid in campaign planning, management, and reporting, powered by Spotify’s first-party data and verified using IAS’s independent analysis solutions, based on the Global Alliance for Responsible Media’s categories and guidelines – initially tested out on third-party content within the Spotify Audience Network.

More recently, the music streaming platform partnered with Netflix's Stranger Things to roll out a personalised "Upside Down Playlist" for every listener. Launched on the music streaming service, the curated collection of songs featured a mix of listeners' recent and past favourite songs, as well as recommendations from the team behind Stranger Things. The collection updates automatically each day, and can also be accessed via Spotify's Netflix hub.

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