Spotify’s Stations app is shutting down on May 16, the music streaming giant said. The service was launched way back in 2018 under a limited release in Australia. The app then made its way to other regions, including the U.S., in 2019.

It’s worth noting that Stations never really exited the beta stage, a point that the company makes in the statement. With that in mind, the closure doesn’t come as a surprise. In case you’re unaware, Stations offers a radio-like experience for the users with songs picked at random. Spotify’s algorithms could, however, learn from the user’s preferences and improve music recommendations over time.

Spotify sent an email to Stations users informing them of the closure, as revealed by journalist Jared Newman. “First of all, we’d like to thank you for being a user of Spotify Stations, the beta app we have been testing. We have decided not to extend the rollout of this experience, and we wish to inform you that as of May 16, 2022, the Stations app and web player will no longer be available.”

Users can find their favorite stations on the main Spotify app

Stations users can move their stations to the main Spotify app by navigating through the company’s dedicated page. Spotify adds that even though the Stations app may become non-functional, its stations will always be available through the main app.

The web version of Spotify Stations no longer works, whereas its app listing on the Play Store is gone. But customers who have the mobile app can continue using it until May 16, which isn’t far away from now. While no reason was provided for the closure of Stations, the fact that it never really left the beta phase could be a hint.

“At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of experiments to create better listening experiences for our users. Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning,” Spotify told 9to5Google in a statement.

“Our Spotify Stations Beta was one of those tests. We will be sunsetting the current feature, but users will be able to easily transfer their favorite stations and enjoy a similar radio experience directly within the Spotify app.”

This is a typical response to any service that has reached an early end. However, it’s unclear as to why it took Spotify over four years to reach this conclusion.