Spotify to discontinue Stations app from May 16

(Image Courtesy: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg)

Spotify has started to notify users of its standalone Spotify Stations app that it will be shutting the service down on May 16. Both the mobile and web versions of the app will be shut down.

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Spotify's standalone Stations app (available on iOS and Android) was meant as a radio-focused experience, with a different interface and the ability for users to listen to a swath of radio stations. Instead of a library of songs and albums for various artistes, Stations wanted to build a community around the radio listening experience.

As seen by online publication 9to5Google and shared via a tweet by tech journalist Jared Newman, Spotify Stations has started sending out mails to their subscribers, informing them of the service's demise. They will also be able to move their favourites over to the main Spotify app.

This sucks! pic.twitter.com/QaQrNBdHBP

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— Jared Newman (@OneJaredNewman) May 5, 2022

The Stations app never left beta and was in testing since 2018. It was exclusive to Australia at launch, but came to the United States, a year after. Stations not only showed users a list of radio stations, it also allowed them to create custom stations with music they like.

It had a unique interface that required no typing or searching, users could simply look for stations organised by genres like rock, pop, and electronic.

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In a statement shared with 9to5Google, Spotify said, "We routinely conduct a number of experiments to create better listening experiences for our users. Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning. Our Spotify Stations Beta was one of those tests. We will be sunsetting the current feature, but users will be able to easily transfer their favourite stations and enjoy a similar radio experience directly within the Spotify app."