Tag: Anitta

Why Following FC Barcelona Is a Game of Its Own

October 18, 2023

Since 2022, our partnership with FC Barcelona has spanned playlists and football pitches alike. And helping fans connect with their favorite artists and players has been at the heart of that. But Barça faithfuls are no ordinary supporters: They are authentic, emotional, and most of all, exceptionally committed to the club. 

This also means their expectations are very high, and they have a voracious appetite for club-related content that is distinctive and entertaining. So each and every day, FC Barcelona’s social media accounts set out to deliver photos, videos, memes, and team updates that keep hundreds of millions of fans around the world buzzing.

The club’s brand identity and engagement teams, headed up by Barça Identity Director Paloma Mikadze and Fan Engagement Director Eric Serra, are responsible for the playful social media strategies, posts, and videos that keep fans supporting the club through their likes, comments, and reposts. They are the storytellers of FC Barcelona, and working together with Spotify’s own storytellers, like Partner Marketing Lead George Mead, they find new and unique ways to bring Barça players together with music’s biggest stars. (Who can forget ROSALÍA’s epic shirt reveal?) 

 

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Over the years, FC Barcelona has cultivated a deeply loyal fan following through its social media accounts, and since partnering with Spotify, it only continues to grow stronger. For the Record sat down with Paloma, Eric, and George to talk about their approach to fan engagement, how they get players into the mix, and insights into some of their most memorable campaigns.

No one can forget the incredible artist reveal with ROSALÍA on team kits ahead of an El Clásico match. Can you tell us a little about the process behind that campaign, as well as the results?

Paloma Mikadze: When passion and ambition come together, incredible things happen. That’s a philosophy we truly believe in, and the MOTOMAMI campaign underscores that. Our team makes extraordinary ideas come to life. Bringing sports and music together is wonderful, and we wanted fans around the world to feel and experience that fusion of culture. 

We built a strong journey around the hype phase to capture all the attention we were looking for before the reveal moment—we wanted all eyes to be on us, and that’s what we did. The ROSALÍA shirt reveal was a trending topic all over the world. Our content was being consumed by millions of fans, which multiplied the exposure of our brands around the world.  

 

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George: That was truly unforgettable! It helps when it coincided with a last-minute match winner to essentially secure the La Liga title, but that really exemplified why this partnership is the first of its kind.

After she featured on the shirt, searches for ROSALÍA on Spotify spiked significantly across the world. Barcelona, meanwhile, got roughly half a billion impressions on content with the singer’s MOTOMAMI logo across all club media channels.

Plus, a TikTok video featuring ROSALÍA remixing the club’s anthem, which was posted on Barcelona’s account to promote the campaign, has now amassed more than 86 million views, further illustrating how Barça have been able to leverage Spotify’s relationship with its artists to better target Gen Z.

How about Anitta’s playlist challenge during this summer’s preseason tour? 

Eric Serra: Can you imagine Anitta playing football, or Gavi, Pedri, Raphinha, and Balde recreating one of Anitta’s trendy dances? Maybe not, but this is where the team comes in to create remarkable content for the fans while achieving commercial goals simultaneously. Connecting all the dots is not easy, but when you have the players and artists on the pitch with big smiles during production, you know that the idea is good, and the content will perform very well.

 

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George: Again, that was a perfect example of seeing football and music come together in a way that aligned across the markets for both the club and the artist. Barça has such a massive following in the Latin American markets, so to be able to work with some of the biggest artists and celebrate their talents with those of the club was something that we really wanted to do for the preseason tour. The players loved it because it intersects with the music that they like to listen to, and we saw really good engagement across our own channels as a result.

The players are super active on social media. What’s behind their social strategy? 

George Mead: This has been a really fun aspect of our work with the club from the beginning. Working with current players and legends like Ronaldinho to create and share their favorite tracks, which motivate them on match days, in special Spotify playlists—as well as the opportunity for fans to Blend with players—has provided another way for fans to connect with the players via music. 

Paloma: We never miss an opportunity to bring the players into our social media plans. They’re generally aware of how crucial content is in today’s landscape, and we always try to propose innovative and fresh content so they can make the most of it. Highlighting their personality and qualities is key when we draw up our content strategy.

They take part in different ways—whether it’s trends, challenges, choreographies, interviews, or amplification from their own channels. We’d like to send a huge thank you to them for their proactivity and willingness to expose the Barça brand to the fullest. 

Eric: The approach to player activations is a perfect fit for them. We are providing the kind of content that they consume on social media, and the result is more authentic and engaging for the fans.

Eric Serra and Paloma Mikadze

How does your social approach help supplement the established futbol fan community? 

Paloma: It’s about being authentic and engaging at the same time. Fans have a very strong appetite for content and entertainment, but it’s not only about building strategies. It’s also about analyzing insights to readjust the approach and constantly innovating to meet expectations. We try to be one step ahead. Understanding how and why fans react and behave is the first step to establishing a fan community.  

George: As a member of that community myself, I know that that is one of the most engaged demographics out there in terms of social media. We believe that this partnership adds far more than just the Spotify logo across the Barça shirt, and I think we’ve seen from the results so far that we’re speaking to an audience that loves the crossover—and we’re excited to offer more with our projects in the future.

Eric: We don’t have customers, we have fans . . . and we focus on putting the Barça fans at the center of everything we do.

Have your social engagement plans changed at all since partnering with Spotify?

Paloma: Our plans have adapted rather than changed. We know our audience; we understand our fans and we constantly analyze the market. Innovation, flexibility, and insight extraction is essential in our day-to-day work. 

Our teams are persistently seeking new opportunities to elevate our partnership through content. We must be relevant in a landscape that offers infinite options, and joining forces with Spotify has been key. Creating strategies to leverage campaigns from a 360-degree point of view is crucial. Now, more than ever, we believe in reaching fans beyond football. 

Eric: I agree with Paloma; it’s not a redefinition, but rather a way to take advantage of the partnership. Thanks to them, we’re working on big campaigns with great artists like ROSALÍA, Drake, Anitta, Daddy Yankee, Ovy On The Drums, Piso 21, and more. However, without a previous entertainment and lifestyle brand mindset, it would be impossible to fully integrate the partnership into our day-to-day operations.

George: We’re always interested in the engagement and impressions that we’re getting from our campaigns, and what’s really been great is that these are major music marketing campaigns, but they’re still done with amazing value in terms of output. This club has a massive following around the globe, so we’ve definitely looked at that in markets that we’ve previously not reached to a greater extent.

 

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What are some fan engagement opportunities you see for this partnership going forward? 

George: I think there’s still so much we can do together with the club. Everyone at Spotify is really excited about the prospect of the Nou Camp being revamped into an entertainment hub as part of the club’s Espai Barça project. We see that as a really exciting opportunity for us.

What is the value of bringing artists and other creators into the Barça brand? 

George: I really think the value is felt through the global reach that this football club has. We’ve seen artists featured on our billboards around the Spotify Camp Nou and obviously our special-edition jersey takeover campaigns. That means they’re reaching new audiences that have previously been untapped for them.

Eric: Music and football, artists and players. If you blend all of these elements to create content and experiences, the primary beneficiary will be the fan. When you bring artists and creators together with players or the Barça brand, you’re merging different fan bases and organically amplifying the impact. Who wouldn’t wonder what happens when an amazing football player interacts with an incredible artist in the same room?

Paloma: Barça is more than a club. That’s the story we want to share globally, and it’s our inspiration. FC Barcelona is a local brand that’s eager to expand its values all over the world. There’s no better way to do that than with credible voices telling our story to specific niches. Our goal is to attract new audiences by amplifying our fan base and creating a solid, loyal relationship with future supporters. 

Check out the other stories in our “Playful” edition of Liner Notes to discover more ways we infuse energy, creativity, and delight into our products.

Celebrate the Sights and Sounds From an Unforgettable FC Barcelona US Preseason Tour

August 3, 2023

Earlier this month, FC Barcelona landed in the U.S. to kick off their preseason tour, get ready for another exciting season of football, and celebrate the second year of our partnership. Over the course of two busy weeks, Spotify and FC Barcelona brought the worlds of music and football together through matches and studio tours, as well as collaborations with artists and fans.

As soon as the FC Barcelona squad arrived in the U.S., we asked fans to help soundtrack the club’s summer adventure and vote on the 10 songs they’d love to see added to the Barça On Tour: US 2023 playlist, which features the players’ favorite tracks. We then invited Anitta and Fuerza Regida to have a little fun with us to determine which tracks made the final list. The iconic artists joined FC Barcelona’s players on the field, where they took part in a playful penalty challenge. Each song was represented by a penalty attempt, and whenever the ball hit the target, that song was added to the playlist. 

 

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And by the end of the evening, Anitta had even taught some moves and had the entire team dancing. 

 

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FC Barcelona then traveled to L.A.’s SoFi Stadium for a preseason match, attended by Daddy Yankee, Anitta, and Fuerza Regida. Other notable attendees who joined Spotify at the match include Sofia Richie-Grainge and Elliot Grainge, Noah Beck, Owen Wilson, Helen Owen and Zack Kalter, Jesus Nalgas, Diego Tinoco, and Jake Shane, as well as artists Kalan.FrFr and Austin Millz.

Spotify Reports Second Quarter 2023 Earnings

July 25, 2023

Today, Spotify announced our second quarter 2023 financial performance.

Spotify had a very strong quarter. We beat guidance and welcomed more users and subscribers than expected, with growth continuing to come from markets all over the world.

As we previewed on the Q1 earnings call, we expected to incur charges in the second quarter related to our ongoing efforts to become a more efficient and stronger business. These were excluded from the Q2 guidance we provided last quarter.

  • Monthly Active Users surged 27% to 551 million. Net additions of 36 million were 21 million ahead of guidance and represent an all-time high for the company. 
  • Subscribers grew 17% Y/Y to 220 million. Net additions of 10 million were 3 million ahead of guidance and represent the highest Q2 in company history. 
  • Total Revenue grew 11% Y/Y to €3.2 billion, in-line with guidance. 
  • Adjusted Gross Margin** finished in-line with guidance at 25.5% excluding charges related to our actions in the quarter to streamline operations and reduce costs.
  • Adjusted Operating Loss** of (€112) million was better than guidance, excluding charges related to our actions in the quarter to streamline operations and reduce costs.

Take a look at additional highlights below:

Interested in hearing more? Click here to review the full earnings release and listen to the webcast Q&A on our Investor Relations site here. And click below to check out a sizzle reel of audio trailers from a few of our recent original and exclusive podcasts. 

 

**Adjusted Gross Margin and Adjusted Operating Loss are non-IFRS measures. See Reconciliation of IFRS to Non-IFRS Results below for additional information.

Reconciliation of IFRS to Non-IFRS Results

Spotify’s Guide to the Best New Artists of 2023

February 3, 2023

Spotify Best New Artist Party in LA

Photo credit: Getty for Spotify

For the past seven years, Spotify has played host to an annual celebration of the very best rising stars in the game who’ve realized their dreams of receiving a coveted and well-earned nomination for Best New Artist. 

As a pioneer in music discovery and growth, we’ve long been committed to supporting emerging artists across all genres and sounds—from Latin and R&B to indie rock and pop—helping them amplify their stories and connect with new fans across the globe. This year’s 10 Best New Artist nominees—Anitta, Omar Apollo, DOMi & JD BECK, Muni Long, Samara Joy, Latto, Måneskin, Tobe Nwigwe, Molly Tuttle, and Wet Leg—reflect a diverse, genre-spanning group of artists whose singular voices and styles have captivated listeners all over the globe. 

And they all gathered last night at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood for some time on the red carpet, a bit of wining and dining, and an unforgettable evening celebrating the nominees’ global achievements in music. The evening featured breakthrough live music performances from all of this year’s dynamic contenders in the category, along with a special DJ set from CoCo & Breezy and a surprise set from DJ Pee .Wee, aka Anderson .Paak.

Spotify Predicts the Latin Grammys Nominees Who Could Win Big in 2022

November 15, 2022

On Thursday night, the Latin Grammys will make its return to Las Vegas to celebrate the artists and industry professionals who make Latin Music the global sensation it is today. With more than 50% of Spotify listeners streaming at least one Latin song per month—amounting to approximately 215 million users globally—this annual awards show features many of the most-streamed artists on the platform.

Leading the pack of nominees is Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2020 and 2021, Bad Bunny, who has earned 10 Latin Grammy nominations on the back of his blockbuster album Un Verano Sin Ti. Rauw Alejandro and ROSALÍA have each been nominated in eight categories this year, and Christina Aguilera, Jorge Drexler, and Tainy follow closely with seven nominations each.  

When it comes to the big four awards—Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Artist of the Year—the competition is fierce. Any of the nominees could take home the coveted gilded gramophone. But we have a few predictions for who will nab the top awards this year. 

Record of the Year

Often confused with Song of the Year, Record of the Year honors the performing artist on the song as well as the producers, sound engineer, master engineer, and sound mixers. Among those nominated, Spotify data suggests that it’s going to be a close call between Bad Bunny’s “Ojitos Lindos,” KAROL G’s “PROVENZA,” and Anitta’s “Envolver,” all of which have generated millions of streams.

Album of the Year

It’s been a big year for both ROSALÍA and Bad Bunny, who are two of the hottest Latin artists of this generation and our favorites to take home this major achievement.

ROSALÍA’s album MOTOMAMI has been loved by fans across the world, but especially in cities like Mexico City, Santiago, and Madrid. With its futuristic visuals and catchy, genre-bending sounds, fans couldn’t get enough of her music (and even showed their support by getting “tattooed” at our album release event in March).

Meanwhile, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti has held the top spot on Spotify’s USA Chart for over 20 weeks. And the artist known as “El Conejo Malo” stayed true to his Puerto Rican roots, tapping a mix of rising and legendary acts from his home country to feature on his fifth album. This also marks Bad Bunny’s fourth nomination in this category. 

Song of the Year 

If Spotify streams are any indication, the winner for Song of the Year will come down to two widely loved tracks: KAROL G’s “PROVENZA” and Camilo’s “Indigo.” 

In 2021, KAROL G was Spotify’s most-streamed female artist globally. She currently sits among the top 50 most-streamed artists with more than 37 million monthly listeners. Inspired by the Provenza neighborhood in her hometown of Medellin, “PROVENZA” is nominated in multiple categories this year.

Also hailing from Medellin, Camilo is one of the most influential Latin artists, with five Latin Grammys to his name. And when it’s all said and done, it’s possible “Indigo”—a track about the birth of his daughter that also features his wife Evaluna Montaner—will earn him a sixth award. 

Best New Artist

With 10 nominees in the running, this category is packed with talent. But looking at our data, we think there are three artists in particular who could take home this award. 

Yahritza y Su Esencia have experienced a meteoric rise in 2022. Based out of Washington’s Yakima Valley, their unique brand of Mexican music has attracted nearly 4 million monthly Spotify listeners. 

Pol Granch also had a breakthrough 2022, reaching 6 million monthly listeners made up of fans from Spain, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru.

Silvana Estrada is the young Mexican singer-songwriter who was among the first artists featured on Spotify’s RADAR playlist when it launched in 2020. Her signature voice and emotional lyrics take listeners through feelings of love lost and found, sadness, and anguish.

RADAR artists continue to make an impact

Since the launch of our RADAR program in 2020, more than 50 Latin artists have been featured across our playlists. And over the last 12 months, these artists have collectively generated more than 2.5 billion streams and attracted more than 25 million followers.

But even more impressive, a number of Latin artists featured on RADAR have worked on some of the biggest tracks of the year, and their contributions are being recognized at the Latin Grammys. 

In addition to her nod for Best New Artist, Silvana Estrada’s album Marchita is up for Best Singer-Songwriter album award.

Ovy On The Drums, who was first featured on RADAR Andinos in 2020, is also nominated across several categories as a producer and songwriter. This includes Record of the Year (KAROL G’s “PROVENZA” and Sebastian Yatra’s “DHARMA”), Song of the Year (“PROVENZA”), and Best Urban Song (“DHARMA” and Becky G and KAROL G’s “MAMIII”).

And rounding out this list are Maria Becerra—whose album Animal is nominated for Best Urban Music Album—and Trueno—whose song “Dance Crip” is nominated for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Song. 

Along with these four artists, there are eight other RADAR artists who have been nominated for Latin Grammys in previous years: GIULIA BE, Lasso, Boza, Humbe, Covi Quintana, Los Dos Carnales, Nathy Peluso, and LOUTA.

The party kicks off at Casa Spotify

Given that Latin music streams on Spotify have grown more than 1,000% over the last seven years, November 17 is sure to be a big night. And that’s why we’re also hosting our Casa Spotify experience in Las Vegas.

Open today and tomorrow, Casa Spotify celebrates the achievements of the nominees and those who have pushed Latin music forward. It will also serve as an oasis for invited guests to network and collaborate, with a private room for listening sessions and meetings, a content capture studio, and additional photo-worthy areas throughout the space.

We’ll be sharing more from Casa Spotify as the week unfolds, so stay tuned and check back for the latest happenings. 

Looking for more of the hottest tracks from top Latin artists? Press play on our flagship playlist, Viva Latino:

 

Audio Connects Us All in Spotify’s Newest Campaign, ‘Listening Together’

May 7, 2020

What are you listening to right now? Whatever it is, chances are you’re not the only one. Every moment, more than 30,000 people around the world press play on the same song on Spotify. Suffice it to say, listening connects us, even when we aren’t expecting it. Now, through our new global campaign, “Listening Together,” we’re celebrating audio’s unique power to unite us—even when we’re apart.

Whether you’re streaming pop, hip-hop, or opera, the initiative highlights the power of audio to bring us closer together through a visualization-based microsite, artist-influenced Together With playlists, and more.

Listening Together Microsite

Back in 2014, media artist Kyle McDonald had a great idea to find the “serendipity” of two listeners pressing play on the same song within moments of each other. Fast forward seven years to today, and Spotify has hundreds of millions of listeners around the world pressing play on the same song within the same moment. The connections are exponential, and with our new microsite, we’re visualizing those serendipitous clicks and taps in a real-time way like never before.  

Say multiple people hit play on “Imagine,” or “Bored in the House.” A virtual, rotating 3D map of Earth will display the track name, as well as the country and city where the connection is happening. And you’ll be there to watch as the connection happens, and which track brought them together at that very moment. 

Want to see for yourself? Check out the Listening Together microsite here to watch in real time as fans around the world listen to the same track, at the same time.

Listening Together With Playlists 

During this time, we’ve also enlisted the help of artists like Selena Gomez, Lil Yachty, and Dolly Parton to share the music and podcasts that are soundtracking their days. Our new Listening Together With playlists feature these artists, as well as Lennon Stella, Anitta, Grimes and others sharing commentary about what they are currently listening to. Here’s a sample of what each artist had to say about what they’ve been streaming, and why.

“Listening to music brings me such hope and joy even during these hard times.” — Dolly Parton

 “I’ve been listening to kind of down-tempo vibes while I game.” — Lil Yachty

“I’ve been listening to an eclectic mix of classics and current music while feeling inspired to cook new dishes.” — Selena Gomez

We’re constantly adding new playlists from your favorite artists and creators. This week, check out Alicia Keys’ “Cooking Together” playlist for her favorite nourishing tracks.

Whether in good times or challenging ones, Spotify believes in the limitless power of audio. Our hope is that these playlists will allow listeners to forge a common bond with people around the world who are also using audio to stay connected.

Check out how people are Listening Together on the new microsite, or stream our flagship Listening With playlist. 

Anitta and Spotify Light Up Miami with Festa Kisses Fan Experience

June 21, 2019

Touting more than 16.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Anitta is a force to be reckoned with in Latin music.

On June 18 in the heart of Miami’s booming Wynwood district, Spotify and Anitta came together for Festa Kisses, a one-night extravaganza that gave Anitta’s biggest fans the opportunity to glam up and get down like the Brazilian queen. Featuring an intimate surprise performance, fans were given the chance to customize their own Anitta look with everything from make-up to wigs to props and more.

“Spotify and I shared a vision to create an empowering experience that brought the spirit of transformation and self-love to life for fans,” said Anitta. “The result was Festa Kisses. I hope fans came out and saw how amazing they are as they looked in the mirror. My styles are just a little nudge of inspiration, and I’m grateful that Spotify gave me the opportunity to host this amazing event.”

Through events like Festa Kisses, Spotify is helping to further connect artists and fans. Because, no matter how loud the beat of the music, the heartbeats of the fans are just as strong.

Check out shots from the night below:

Straight Out of the Favela: Brazilian Funk

May 30, 2018

If you haven’t heard of Brazilian funk (or Baile Funk) yet, you will soon. Pumping hard from the heart of Rio de Janeiro, the genre derived from Miami bass and gangsta rap is blowing up across the world. With its infectious looping tamborzão rhythms and raw party anthem lyrics, Brazilian funk is twerking its way to the top of the charts. (After all, twerking is basically the unofficial dance of the genre.) And a rising new generation of funkeiros—Anitta, MC Kevinho, MC Fioti, and Ludmilla among them—are fueling the movement.

Brazilian funk star Anitta (née Larissa de Macedo Machado), who became a breakout sensation after singing in her home city of Rio at the 2016 Olympic Games, is catapulting the Miami bass and gangsta rap-rooted Afro-Brazilian genre into the global spotlight on Spotify.

Last December, just 12 hours after releasing “Vai Malandra” (feat. Tropkillaz & DJ Yuri Martins), the silky-voiced singer laid claim to the first Portuguese-language song to land on Spotify’s Global Top 50 chart.

“It’s a great time for Brazilian funk music because we have some great artists investing in it and producing great hits with funk beats,” Anitta said. “Tropkillaz, Major Lazer, me and many other artists are helping making this moment even hotter. A good example is MC Fioti’s song, “Bum Bum Tam Tam,” that exploded on Spotify. He even made a collab with J Balvin after that. It makes me really happy to see funk getting recognition worldwide.”

Empowered by the unparalleled freedom and exponential reach of digital music online, outspoken female Brazilian carioca artists like Anitta—along with protest rapper Karol Conka, feminist icon Valesca Popozuda, 18-year-old São Paulo prodigy MC Rita, and a growing wave of trailblazers like them—have been leading the way toward globalizing the genre. Anitta joins an eclectic cadre of bold voices including Ludmilla, MC Loma e As Gêmeas Lacração—and the list goes on.

“Seeing the explosion of Brazilian baile funk gives me the feeling that we are doing our role well as a label and in media, but at the same time it proves that this is the tip of the iceberg, which can be much larger and explore other territories,” says Brazilian music video director and producer Kondzilla. “Baile Funk as a genre is lively and contagious. The music industry is already watching.”

See for yourself just how quickly this viral music genre has spread like wildfire across the world from 2016 to 2018.

Music experts around the world are being wowed by this growth. “Brazilian funk is a true world phenomenon,” said Roberta Pate, Spotify’s Artists & Label Services Manager for Latin America and US Latin Markets. “In the last two years, the genre has broken the barriers and boundaries of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, and Brazil, to win the world. It’s now one of the most heard genres in Europe, North America and Central America.”

One Funk producer can release up to 100 original songs per month, and with every bass-bumpin’ beat streamed, the democratizing power of the Internet rapidly catalyzed the spread of already speedily produced funk far beyond Brazil’s favelas and onto a worldwide stage.

“Spotify and the Internet are great instruments for spreading good music around,” said Anitta. “It’s powerful, simple and fast, and it makes things easier for different artists to show their songs with Spotify.”

“The great partner of artists like Anitta, MC Kevinho, MC Fióti and Ludmilla, is the Internet, more precisely Spotify and music streaming services, which allowed this phenomenon to expand outside Brazil,” Pate said. “Proof of this success away from home and its internationalization, funk has a playlist focused on international users on Spotify, called Mother Funk.”

“Mother Funk,” the Brazilian funk-filled Spotify playlist, tells the history of funk, with greatest hits from the 80’s until today. It’s especially popular in the United States, Portugal, Argentina, Paraguay and Mexico. To hear what all the buzz is about—top songs from Anitta, Dani Russo, MC Kevinho and DJ Malboro included—check it out here.