Japan’s DeNA shutters key features of its music service Groovy, including streaming and downloads

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Japan-only music service Groovy, its parent DeNA is shuttering some key features on March 25, including music streaming, purchases and downloads. Contrary to some reports that suggested the music service will be shut down, a DeNA spokesperson clarified that the app will still exist, but will only play the music that users already own.

“The reason for this decision is that the key performance indicators did not reach our goal,” the DeNA spokesperson tells TNW, adding that the company will be putting more resources in its other services.

Mobile gaming giant DeNA launched Groovy in March last year after acquiring a Japanese music app by the name of Discodeer. The move formed part of the company’s strategy to spread out to new distribution models. DeNA started off with games on mobile browsers and found success monetizing its service with virtual items and other tactics, but it has struggled to adapt to the dominance of app stores, which smartphone owners worldwide are increasingly using to access mobile content.

The firm therefore moved into verticals by launching a mobile messaging app Comm and music service Groovy – while manga has become its latest focus.

Even as Groovy disappoints, DeNA has reported good news for Manga Box. The app passed three million downloads as of March 2, less than three months since its launch in December last year. The majority may be Japanese users, but DeNA has just added Traditional Chinese as a compatible language for selected titles to make Manga Box a trilingual weekly manga magazine, which would likely attract more users.

Headline image via Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images