Twitter's #Music app was launched with considerable fanfare only six months ago. Released as an app for iOS, the service allows users to easily identify what songs and artists are trending, with a particular focus on what music your 'followed' users are listening to. When a song is flagged, #Music users can then listen to an iTunes preview, or the full song if they have a Spotify or Rdio account. It's intended as a 'music discovery' app as opposed to a dedicated music marketplace in its own right.

The latest reports, however, suggest that the music service may not be long for this world. AllThingsD suggests the company are close to retiring the service, due to an "abysmal" performance in the six months following the app's modestly successful launch. The article argues that the departure of project leader Kevin Thau left the team behind #Music struggling to integrate with the wider Twitter community, and the service has struggled to make a dent in the App Store (they have yet to launch an Android version).

The social network is also facing increased competition from the music services themselves. Many streaming sites have improved their 'discovery' and social features in recent times, while many already offer users the tools to interact with Twitter and Facebook. Apple has recently launched iTunes Radio in the US, providing Twitter with yet another well-resourced competitor.

In terms of dedicated music discovery apps, Soundwave - from a team based in Ireland - has continued to gather momentum while Twitter has fallen behind. Soundwave has particularly benefited from a slick iOS7 update and prominent promotion from Apple themselves, as well as an Android presence.

It is not yet clear whether Twitter will refocus or restructure their music division if and when they close down the existing #Music service.

(Image: Twitter #Music app)