Spotify acquires Heardle, the Wordle-inspired daily music game

Spotify announced today that it has acquired the Wordle-inspired daily music trivia game Heardle, for an undisclosed sum. 

In Heardle, which appeared in February 2022 based on the format pioneered by Wordle, which was acquired by the New York Times for a price in the “low-seven figures”, players are tasked with guessing a song based on its opening notes. They get six guesses, with each hint giving a few more seconds of music to inform their next answer. Ultimately, they get a chance to discover the song in its entirety, whether or not they guessed it correctly. 

“We see Heardle as more than a trivia game: It’s also a tool for musical discovery. Playing Heardle might just help you to rediscover old tracks you may have thought you’d forgotten, discover amazing new artists, or finally put a title to that wordless melody you’ve had caught in your head forever,” Spotify said in a blog post announcing the deal. 

Spotify says the game’s look and feel will remain the same for existing players and will be free-to-play for everyone. Starting today, players will also be able to listen to the entire song on Spotify at the end of the game.

Heardle is available to users in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Spotify notes that hundreds of millions more people around the world will have the opportunity to play the game in their native language soon. The company is also planning to integrate Heardle and other interactive experiences more fully into Spotify 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 Jeremy Erlich, Global Head of Music, Spotify. “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.”