AMP Live Audio Service No More? Why Did Amazon Decide to Shut Down its Live Audio Service

Confirmed.

Amazon discontinued its live audio service, called Amp. According to CNBC, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, as part of trimming costs move, AMP has been chosen to shut down. 

“We’ve made the difficult decision to close Amp,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “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.”

What is AMP Live?

AMP is a live audio app launched in March 2022. This year was when its considered competitors like audio-only social app Clubhouse and Meta, Spotify, and X, formerly known as Twitter, rolled out live audio features. As part of its launching, Amazon enlisted well-known artists like Nicki Minaj, Lil Yachty, and Pusha T to host their own programs on the platform.

When the news broke about the shutdown of the platform, Amp hosts and listeners expressed their thoughts on the app. There is a stream titled “RIP AMP,” while another user wrote, “Nothing lasts forever. Sure was fun tho [sic].” 

Why Did Amazon Decide to Shut Down AMP?

Just like any other company, the decision coincides with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s thorough examination of the company’s spending amid declining sales.

After assessing the company’s spending, even if it is a difficult decision, Amazon’s CEO pared back underperforming projects. Affected sectors are health care, grocery, and frozen corporate hiring. The move has eliminated more than 27,000 jobs. The Amp unit was not safe from layoffs in 2022 and struggled to meet internal goals, including monthly active users — which were the significant metrics, Insider reported.