Spotify bought the music guessing game Heardle – but some fans aren’t happy about the takeover.
The streaming giant hasn’t revealed what it pays, but its inspiration, a five-letter guessing game called Wordle, was sold to the New York Times for a total of seven figures earlier this year.
Heardle challenges players to identify a song based on its opening note.
Users only have six guesses to get the correct answer with each cue giving an extra few seconds of the track to help them figure out the answer.
Although the look and experience of the game is not set to change, users will now have the option to listen to the full song on Spotify once they have exhausted their speculations.
However, some fans have expressed outrage at the takeover, with many currently unable to access the daily challenge.
This is because it is currently only available in the UK, USA, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
“Thank you so much, I can’t compete in Spain… I hope you fix the problem soon. I was lucky to do it today but this is lame,” said one user. write on Twitter.
“Why do big corporations screw things up,” said another.
People have also taken to social media to complain that their scores haven’t been delivered, meaning they’ve lost all of their gaming stats.
“Sorry my stats are gone. A confrontation would be nice. Also, the music player doesn’t work very well,” said one.
“Haven’t been able to load it all day and my profile has been deleted. Well done, you guys are the best,” another tweet read.
Spotify suggests people go to the Heardle app to transfer their stats but says it’s aware users are experiencing issues.
“We know that stats don’t work for everyone. We’re actively working on this so you can maintain your winning streak,” it said.
Announcing the acquisition, the company promised that “the look and feel of the game will not change and it will remain free to play for everyone”.
It also hopes 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 creative and playful ways to enhance music discovery and help artists reach new fans,” said Jeremy Erlich, Spotify’s global music director.
“Since launch, the game has rapidly built up a loyal following, and it aligns with our plans to increase interactivity across the Spotify ecosystem.”
