Lifestyle & Sports
13 Jul 22

Spotify buys music trivia game Heardle for an undisclosed sum

Heardle uses a similar format to the viral word game Wordle, giving players song snippets instead of letters to guess the correct track.

Spotify has purchased the music trivia game Heardle, which the website describes as a “respectful homage to Wordle, with a musical twist”.

Financial details of the deal have not yet been disclosed. However, in January of this year, The New York Times bought the sudden hit Wordle for an estimated $1 million (€996,000).

Heardle uses a similar format to the word puzzle game, in which users get six chances to guess a five-letter word. Instead of letters, the musical version provides players with the snippets of one song per day. For every incorrect answer, the snippet becomes longer.

While the look and experience of the game are not set to change, users will now have to option to listen to the full song on Spotify once they have used up their guesses.

New font. Sounds just as good. #Heardle is now powered by Spotify 💚 pic.twitter.com/rbuE3dleTU

— Spotify (@Spotify) July 12, 2022

The game is only available in the UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand at this stage, with many fans left disappointed because they are now unable to access the daily challenge.

Social media users complained that their scores have not been transferred over, meaning they have lost all of their gaming statistics. Spotify suggested that people head over to the Heardle app to transfer their stats but said it was aware that users were having issues.

Announcing its acquisition, the company promised that the "look and feel of the game will stay the same and it'll remain free to play for everyone".

It is also hoping to integrate Heardle more fully into its platform in the future to allow "music lovers to connect more deeply with artists and challenge friends".

"We are always looking for innovative and playful ways to enhance music discovery and help artists reach new fans," said Spotify's global head of music Jeremy Erlich.

"Since its debut, the game has quickly built a loyal following, and it aligns with our plans to deepen interactivity across the Spotify ecosystem."

Try Heardle here.