Betty Labs

Founded in 2018, Betty Labs is the developer of the Locker Room service. Locker Room is a social audio application in which experienced insiders in sports and athletes can spontaneously join fans in a live discussion format.

History

2021: Spotify bought Betty Labs

At the end of March 2021, Spotify announced the acquisition of the developer of the Locker Room application for live audio broadcasts of Betty Labs. Financial details of the transaction are not disclosed.

After the deal, the Locker Room application will remain in the App Store, but will be restarted on iOS and Android under a different name and with a focus on music, culture and sports content. Spotify believes that the audio broadcast format is ideal for artists who want to contact their audience in real time, be it the premiere of the album, a question and answer session, or even a performance.

Spotify acquired Betty Labs

Spotify Research and Development Director Gustav Cederstrom noted that voice chats can be created by any user, and not only verified performers. This indicates that the company's new service will compete with other audio applications in the market, including Clubhouse, Spaces and Discord. Sederstrom claims that authors with Spotify will not have to work only in the Spotify application, but he believes that the product will be a "great addition" for an already existing audience. However, the two applications will remain separate.

But who knows, maybe we integrate some of these functions or all of these functions in the future, says Sederström.

According to him, Spotify will also experiment with various monetization functions. For example, some chats may be free and others may be paid.

At the first stage, voice chats will be intended for musicians, songwriters, podcasters and other creators of audio content and music. It is expected that in the future, voice chats will be available to a wider range of people.^[1]

Notes