Spotify acquires online music trivia game Heardle

The audio streaming service is betting on the game to help drive music discovery on its platform. It said the game will remain free to play and its look and feel will not be changed. Interested players can play the browser-based game here.

Heardle was inspired by the New York Times-owned word game Wordle. The two games work in a similar way. However, instead of guessing words by choosing letters, Heardle players must guess a song based on its first few compositions. Players are given six guesses, with each clue playing a few more seconds of the track. Participants can then listen to the full song on Spotify at the end of the game whether the participant guessed the correct answer or not. The music rotates regularly, ranging from popular rock classic hits to alternative one-hit wonders.

“We are always looking for innovative and playful ways to enhance music discovery and help artists reach new fans,” Spotify global head of music Jeremy Erlich said. “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 game will be integrated into Spotify on an incremental basis starting with users in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

“Soon, hundreds of millions more people around the world will have the opportunity to play and enjoy the game in their native language”, Spotify said.

Heardle could be entertaining for music lovers who want to cultivate their ear, and could teach players more about listening to the first second of a composition. The game, along with a number of other browser-based quizzes, emerged after Wordle was acquired by the New York Times earlier this year.