It’s ok to think about ending

Why I’m mourning an app

It’s been a strange two weeks. It started with mourning for a man I’d never met, and ended with a similar feeling about an iPhone app.

It began of course with the shattering news that David Bowie had passed away. I won’t add to the outpouring of grief, as many others have expressed it better than I ever could.

James Ward’s blog http://iamjamesward.com/2016/01/13/conversation-piece/ eloquently described how I felt.

But where did I go to ease the pain in my heart with like minded people? My friends don’t have the same Bowie obsession, so I went somewhere where I knew I could find solace, my favourite music discovery app, Soundwave.

We started a community and shared songs and stories about Bowie, dug deep into his back catalogue, each of us unearthing forgotten gems and funny or insightful stories. I’ve been using soundwave for years but I realised then what an essential piece of my life it had become.

Then came the news that Soundwave had been acquired by Spotify. I’m delighted for them, having been such a heavy user (and indeed a ‘Roadie’, I’ve had contact with some of the people behind it, Aidan Sliney, Leanne. I know how hard the team have worked. I’m excited to see what they come up with at Spotify.

However, with the news came the inevitable fact that the app in its current form would close.

My community of virtual friends are scattering to other apps – all of them sadly inferior. I feel this is the end of something, although I’ve made friends that I’ll keep forever, the Soundwave diaspora are unlikely to all be in the same place again.

We’re still there though, join us for the farewell gathering in the Long Goodbye community if you are on the app.

Farewell Soundwave, and thank you. You made my life more enjoyable. Good luck with the next phase, I’ll be on Spotify waiting for it.