Spotify acquires Clubhouse competitor Betty Labs as live audio popularity grows

Spotify is entering the live audio market after it announced Tuesday its acquisition of Betty Labs, the creators of the live audio app Locker Room.

In the coming months, Spotify says it will offer sports, music, and cultural programming, as well as allow creators to connect with audiences in real time.

Professional athletes, writers, musicians, songwriters, podcasters, and others will be allowed to host real-time discussions, debates, ask me anything sessions and other live content.

The audio streaming company said it will "evolve and expand Locker Room into an enhanced live audio experience for a wider range of creators and fans."

Locker Room was launched on October 2020 for sports fans and insiders who wanted to participate in live discussions about sports games.

"Creators and fans have been asking for live formats on Spotify, and we're excited that soon, we'll make them available to hundreds of millions of listeners and millions of creators on our platform," said Gustav Söderström, Chief Research & Development Officer at Spotify, in a statement.

The acquisition comes as the voice-only app Clubhouse created a frenzy for its exclusive status. The invite-only app allows users to chat and debate on different topics via audio chat rooms.

Twitter recently launched the live audio chat room Spaces for Android users.