Amazon Shuts Down Its Live Audio App, Amp
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On Tuesday (Oct. 31), Amazon’s Amp app will officially shut down.
“This decision was not made quickly or easily,” said Steve Boom, vice president of Amazon Music, in a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday (Oct. 4). “It only became clear after months of careful consideration determining the investments Amazon wants to make for the future.”
The live audio app mimicked radio, allowing its users to play music and host shows simultaneously. It first launched in March 2022, following the trend of live audio platforms birthed in the pandemic and serving as a competitor to Clubhouse.
Amp was introduced with the help of some prominent figures within the music and podcast space like Nicki Minaj, Joe Budden, Big Boi, Jason Lee, Pusha T, and Guy Raz. However, The Verge noted that Amp’s troubles began early, recalling Amazon’s decision to cut half of Amp’s existing staff last year. That equated to an estimated 150 employees.
Amazon Music spokesperson Rebecca Silverstein told the outlet, “We’ve made the difficult decision to close Amp. In creating Amp, we tried something that had never been done before and built a product that gave creators a place where they could build genuine connections with each other, and share a common love for music. We learned a lot about how live music communities interact in the process, which we are bringing to bear as we build new fan experiences at scale in Amazon Music.”
This, however, is a minor setback for Amazon since their music streaming platform is still thriving. Additionally, they have other successful acquisitions under their umbrella including Twitch and podcast network, Wondery, which is home to Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, and more. Check out the latest episode below.
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