Twitter reportedly ready to shut down #Music app

Service getting the axe six months after debuting, but Twitter is still in the music game

Remember earlier this year when Twitter released its #Music app, which it called "a new service that will change the way people find music, based on Twitter"?

The answer is, well, probably not. 

In its first six months, the app never caught on, and Twitter, which is a few weeks away from going public, I guess really just can't afford to hold on to struggling services. So, #Music may just be saying goodbye forever soon, according to a report from AllThingD.

There is reportedly no set time frame for the app to be shut down.

Debuting in April, Twitter's #Music app ultimate point  seemed to be to get music that artists themselves recommended on Twitter.

It's #NowPlaying feature allowed   users to see the songs that had been tweeted by the artists and people they follow on Twitter. Another feature, called Suggested, analyzed the artists a user followed, in order to recommend songs it thinks they might like.

Users could also listen to music from artists that other artists follow. For example, if someone was following rapper Wiz Khalif, users could then search his name, then tap one of the artists Khalif is following and then start listening to their music.

It allowed subscribers of Rdio and Spotify to log in to their accounts and stream full tracks through Twitter. The app premiered right after Twitter bought music discovery service We Are Hunted.

The app was initially popular, reaching the number 6 for overall free app downloads in the App Store, but it quickly fell off. As of the end of August, it was ranked at #1672 in the App Store, according to Onavo, while App Annie has it at number 267 in iTunes. So, yeah, it was not exactly lighting up the charts. 

The writing on the wall was there when   Kevin Thau, who was the  Head of the #Music app, abruptly left Twitter to join Biz Stone's mysterious Jelly startup in May. 

According to the reports from this weekend, the app was developed in isolation and was never fully integrated into Twitter. That probably explains its failure, as well as Twitter's willingness to cut it loose to quickly.

Even if this news is true, that does not mean that Twitter is giving up on the music space.

Just last month the company hired  Bob Moczydlowsky, the former senior vice president of product and marketing at Topspin Media, as its new head of music. In his new role, Moczydlowsky was put in charge of handling music partnerships, as well as hiring two new  deputies who will handle artist relations.

So, while you may have to say goodbye to #Music, Twitter will definitely be offering up new products and integrations with music artists and labels in the future. 

Twitter could not be reached for comment. 

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