Spotify Hosts Summits in Germany To Bring Creators and Industry Professionals Together

Advertising avenues for podcasters

We know that advertising is an important topic for our creators, so we dedicated an entire stage to this subject. Spotify and industry experts discussed the growth potential of podcast advertising and how to successfully market shows to target audiences. Kristiana Carlet, Head of International Advertising Sales at Spotify, took the stage to welcome the crowd and highlight some of Spotify’s tools like the recently launched broadcast-to-podcast feature and our Podsights reporting. She shared:

“By now, it’s evident that podcasts are no longer emerging. Podcasts are now an important part of our lives—an essential way we connect to the world, our communities, and ourselves. They are a mainstream medium, and they are increasingly becoming one of the best environments for a brand’s advertising, with extensive targeting and measurement that you would expect from digital media. 

Podcasts today reach over one in four Germans every month. And on Spotify, we see German users spend over 50 minutes per day listening to podcasts. As podcast consumption continues to grow, we’re continuing to invest in tools and resources for creators, publishers, and advertisers in Germany.”

Yves Brunschwiler, Head of Sales for Central Europe at Spotify, also graced the stage for a panel discussing the current podcast advertising market from a marketing perspective. When asked if the podcast industry has really managed to grow beyond a niche curiosity and fully mature in just a few years, he replied:

“I think it has—our podcast business continues to surpass even our own high expectations. Since launching podcasts five years ago, we’ve gone from practically zero market share and a handful of podcasts to being a global leader in the market with more than 5 million podcasts on the platform in more than 180 markets. And our investments are paying off: Since we launched the Spotify Audience Network in the U.S. in 2021, we have seen a 700% increase in publishers and a 500% increase in advertisers’ participation. Spotify continues to be at the forefront of audio culture, helping listeners celebrate their individuality and discover new audio content—including ads—on a global scale.”

Music to their ears

The podcast community wasn’t the only group learning and networking in Berlin last week. The All Music Friday Summit also took place at the Wilhelm Hallen conference center. This first-of-its-kind business event brought together artists from different genres and participants from across the industry. Ranging from keynotes and panels to fireside chats and master classes, the day’s talks were filled with professionals listening and learning about all aspects of the business. And, naturally, there was plenty of live music to enjoy.

We asked Conny Zhang, Spotify’s Head of Music for Germany, what she hoped people would take away from the summit:

“Our mission was to create the best event for emerging and established artists, and the best experience for artists and listeners. The All Music Friday Summit brought the German music industry together in this capacity for the first time and was a place of exchange, learning, and networking. We wanted to highlight and amplify artists who were willing to share their experiences and paths to success. In the program we had sessions for producers and songwriters, discussions about management philosophies, and tips for social media and content creation. We talked about trends, global music discovery, and the future of music. And of course, fun was an important part of the program!” 

To learn more about the events and presentations, visit the All Ears and the All Music websites.