Amazon has made the decision to shut down its live radio app, Amp, after a relatively short run of 18 months. Amp, which allowed users to become live DJs and provide commentary while playing music tracks, failed to achieve significant growth and had around 700,000 monthly active users in July. However, Amazon disputes these figures, stating they are inaccurate. The app’s lifetime downloads, according to analytics company data.ai, reached 1.3 million.
Key Takeaway
Amazon has decided to shut down Amp, its live radio app, after less than two years. Amp failed to achieve significant growth and had around 700,000 monthly active users in July. However, Amazon disputes these figures. The app’s lifetime downloads reached 1.3 million, according to analytics company data.ai. Despite the live audio hype during the pandemic, several companies have abandoned their real-time audio efforts due to waning user interest.
Reasons for the Shutdown
In an internal memo, Steve Boom, Amazon’s lead for digital music, attributed the decision to shut down Amp to the company’s careful consideration of future investments. Amazon underwent mass layoffs last year, resulting in almost half of Amp’s staff being cut. The company also struggled to acquire new Amazon sign-ups through the app, with the number remaining in the single-digit thousands.
The Live Audio Hype and Post-Pandemic Reality
Amp was launched in March 2022, aiming to capitalize on the live audio trend fueled by the pandemic. The app featured shows from notable artists and personalities, such as Nicki Minaj, Tefi Pessoa, and Zach Sang. Amazon even allocated millions of dollars to a creator fund, intending to reward show makers on a monthly basis.
However, the post-pandemic landscape has shown that live audio apps struggle to sustain user interest. Both Meta and Spotify abandoned their real-time audio efforts last year and redirected resources elsewhere. In March, Reddit also shut down its live audio product, Reddit Talk. Even Clubhouse, the pioneering startup, has introduced chatrooms with asynchronous voice messages to enhance user engagement.
Potential Integration into Amazon Music
Although Amp may be shutting down, there is a possibility that some of its features and experiences could find their way into Amazon Music. Bloomberg suggests that Amazon aims to utilize the learnings from the live-music community interaction to enhance fan experiences.
