Spotify acquires viral online music game, Heardle

Spotify has acquired Heardle, the Wordle-inspired viral online music game which sees players tasked with guessing a song in six attempts based on its opening notes. 

According to a statement from Spotify, Heardle will initially be available to users in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The streaming giant plans to keep "the look and feel of the game" the same, as well as keeping it free to play for everyone. Players will also be able to listen to the full song on Spotify at the end of the game.

“We are always looking for innovative and playful ways to enhance music discovery and help artists reach new fans,” said Jeremy Erlich, Spotify's global head of 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. Since its debut, the game has quickly built a loyal following, and it aligns with our plans to deepen interactivity across the Spotify ecosystem.”

The idea for Heardle was born from viral guessing game Wordle, which was bought by The New York Times earlier this year, but features music instead of words. After each failed song guess, the length of the clip doubles so by your final guess you have 16 seconds to guess the track. There have been a clutch of Heardle spin-offs, including a Footwork Heardle and Heardle ’80s.

Last month, we reported that Spotify has been testing an NFT gallery for artist profiles in the US, allegedly trialling the feature on a selection of Android devices in the US. Steve Aoki is among the artists who have signed up to display and sell their NFT wares.