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(Image source: Twitter)
BY EVAN THOMAS
Remember Twitter Music? Yeah, neither do most people.
AllThingsD reports Twitter is giving serious thought to shuttering its nascent music service.
Multiple sources familiar with Twitter's plans say the company is worried about the app's
"abysmal" performance since the shine of its debut has worn off.
At its launch, Twitter Music looked promising — the iOS app integrated with Twitter and
pulled music from iTunes, Spotify and Rdio.
But usage never took off. Six months into its run, it appears Twitter is ready to move
on.
Pocket-Lint suggests the service just doesn't fit in with Twitter's plans for the immediate
future.
"It was Twitter's first product to break away from its main Twitter timeline app. With an
IPO looming, it appears the company wants to cut the fat off."
Especially since it would be dead weight . Engadget points out Twitter Music won't generate much
revenue for the company, especially since right now it doesn't serve up ads alongside
the music.
On top of the money issue, Twitter Music was going up against a stack of entrenched competitors
from the start.
TechCrunch says the service never made a compelling case.
"The real problem is still that what's unique about Twitter #Music isn't valuable enough
to outweigh the benefits of the other apps playing in the same sandbox."
Twitter hasn't commented on the news. Gizmodo says if a shutdown is going to happen, the
timing hasn't been finalized — but quotes insiders who say Twitter Music's fate is "nearly
sealed."