Tag: artists

Casa Spotify Medallo reúne a lo más fino del talento de Medellín

October 13, 2022

image of a colombian artist with the text Casa Medallo over it

No sorprende que Medellín se haya convertido en un epicentro de la música latina. El sonido de la ciudad, que adoptó como propio el reguetón hace un par de décadas, resuena en todo el mundo gracias a estrellas como J Balvin y KAROL G.

En Spotify, estamos llevando nuestro apoyo al talento colombiano al siguiente nivel con Casa Spotify Medallo. Ubicada en la Plaza Botero frente al Museo de Antioquia, un recinto de importancia histórica por la rica tradición musical de la ciudad, el programa de cuatro semanas se convertirá en un lugar de encuentro tanto para estrellas en ascenso como para talentos emergentes del género urbano. Desde artistas y productores hasta compositores y presentadores de podcasts, los creadores que son el alma de la industria están invitados.

Variedad de espectáculos y programas para artistas

Entre el 11 de octubre y el 3 de noviembre, el recinto albergará estudios de grabación y un espacio para presentaciones en vivo con una alineación que incluye a Ryan Castro, Farina y  Ovy On The Drums. Todos los artistas interpretarán música nueva para sus fanáticos, comenzando con “Empeliculados” de Ovy On The Drums, con ZARAMAY y Elniko Arias. Los próximos éxitos estarán disponibles en una serie especial de Spotify Singles durante el próximo mes.

Además, los fans más fieles de artistas como Feid, Blessd y Farina en la plataforma tendrán la oportunidad de conocerlos y convivir en un ambiente íntimo.

Esta generación de artistas ha cimentado la reputación del país como una potencia exportadora de talento.

a graphical depiction of top stats related to colombian artists

 

Medellín es también la meca de la producción musical en el género urbano. Casa Spotify Medallo reunirá a los compositores y productores detrás de los éxitos que están conquistando los charts de Spotify, tanto en América Latina como en el mundo. Ovy On The Drums, The Rudeboyz, Sky Rompiendo y SOG  estarán presentes una serie de charlas donde compartirán sus consejos con productores emergentes.

Un lugar para que los compositores perfeccionen su oficio

Como parte del programa Noteable de Spotify, The Rudeboyz (dúo de productores formado por Chan El Genio y Kevin ADG que están detrás de éxitos como “Hawaii” de Maluma y “Me Enamoré” de Shakira) realizarán una sesión de trabajo de tres días en la que que trabajarán con compositores como Vibarco, Itzza Primera y Juan Duque para crear nueva música.

Más adelante en el calendario, estos estudios se convertirán en salas Noteable y estarán abiertos para que los usen los compositores, productores y artistas emergentes que se hayan registrado.

Una agenda repleta de talleres y paneles

El corazón de Casa Spotify Medallo es un programa diario que ofrecerá más de 70 actividades educativas e inspiradoras en formatos como talleres y paneles. Además de estos cursos, también lanzaremos MUdaL, una plataforma de aprendizaje creada por Music Ally y Relatable, con el apoyo de Spotify para Artistas.

Casa Spotify Medallo es la primera iniciativa de su tipo en América Latina enfocada en brindar a los profesionales del audio las herramientas y los recursos educativos necesarios para desarrollar sus carreras. El programa cubre temas como cómo hacer el mejor uso de las herramientas de Spotify y los conceptos básicos de diferentes aspectos de la industria, desde los derechos de publicación hasta las giras y el marketing.

Estas sesiones también incluyen un panel EQUAL. EQUAL es el programa de Spotify que busca fomentar la igualdad de género en la industria, y este panel contará con las artistas Farina y Mabiland junto a la diseñadora Daniela Valencia, creadora de la marca TRUE.

Un lugar para que brillen los artistas emergentes y los creadores de podcasts

En el lanzamiento de Casa Spotify Medallo, les pedimos a los artistas emergentes que enviaran música para la consideración de nuestros editores. Algunos de estos artistas tendrán la oportunidad de participar en el Mercadito, una sesión en alianza con Circulart, el mercado de la industria musical más reputado de la ciudad. Estos artistas podrán presentar sus proyectos y recibir retroalimentación de expertos.

El recinto también albergará un showcase con talento del programa RADAR Andinos, el programa de Spotify que, desde hace más de dos años, ha puesto el foco en talentos emergentes como Blessd, Nath y ICON, entre otros.

Casa Spotify Medallo también ofrecerá talleres para creadores de podcasts emergentes, desde la planificación del programa hasta la producción, utilizando las herramientas de Anchor.

“Nuestro objetivo es establecer Spotify como el hogar de los creadores. Un lugar donde artistas, compositores, productores y creadores puedan desarrollar sus carreras y vivir de su arte”, dice Mia Nygren, Gerente General de Spotify en América Latina. “Y qué mejor lugar para hacer realidad esta visión que Medellín, una ciudad que tiene una enorme influencia en la música que se escucha en todo el mundo”.

Los artistas, productores, compositores y creadores de podcasts interesados ​​en participar en Casa Spotify Medallo pueden registrarse y encontrar el cronograma completo de actividades aquí.

Las playlists editoriales de Spotify son perfectas para los fanáticos que buscan descubrir los sonidos emergentes de Medellín y la próxima ola de talento paisa. Barras 24 presenta música hip-hop, trap y R&B; Reggaetoncito destaca los últimos sonidos pop-reggaeton; y Pa’Perrear destaca pistas de perreo y reggaeton. Si no estás seguro de dónde empezar, te recomendamos que escuches a Pa’Perrear a continuación:

One Year and More Than 184 Markets Later, Spotify’s EQUAL Program Continues To Celebrate Women Artists Around the World

April 1, 2022

400 ambassadors. 184 markets. 13 million hours of listening. 35 playlists. These numbers represent the powerful impact of Spotify’s EQUAL program over the past year. 

Since its launch, EQUAL has shined a spotlight on women artists through global partnerships, activations, new content experiences, and on- and off-platform support—all created to foster equity for women in audio and celebrate their contributions. On Spotify, listeners can find the EQUAL Hub, which is a dedicated space to highlight women creators. The EQUAL Global Music Program extends resources and opportunities to women artists and amplifies their music through the flagship EQUAL Global playlist and EQUAL local playlists. 

On the platform, it’s clear our listeners are big fans of the women who are featured in our EQUAL campaigns. Take a look at some of the things EQUAL artists have achieved over the last year.

Plus, here are just a handful of accomplishments from EQUAL ambassadors and local market initiatives:

  • Seven of EQUAL’s Polish ambassadors have been nominated for the Fryderyk award this year. 
  • Five of EQUAL’s Dutch ambassadors have been nominated for the Edison Award this year. 
  • EQUAL French ambassadors Juliette Armanet and Barbara Pravi were both nominated for Victoire de la Musique awards, the French GRAMMY equivalent, with Barbara winning her category. 
  • Three EQUAL U.K. ambassadors were nominated for BRIT Awards. 
  • Last year in Spain, we hosted a roundtable called “EQUAL ESPANA” where singer-songwriter Rozalén and Spotify’s Head of Music for Southern Europe, Melanie Parejo, came together to discuss the importance of women in the Spanish music industry. 
  • In Japan, two new playlists are launching in the market to celebrate EQUAL’s first anniversary: Curated by Women and EQUAL Anime.
  • In Colombia, Spotify is taking EQUAL to the stage for the first time. Throughout the month of April, across seven performances, Spotify will bring together 13 outstanding artists including EQUAL Colombia ambassadors Goyo, Paola Jara, Lido Pimienta, Andrea Echeverri, Elsa y Elmar, Ventino, and more to make a statement for gender equality at full volume.

 

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We know this is only the beginning of bringing women creators front and center. Spotify will continue to highlight and amplify women’s voices by curating top audio destinations for women artists with global playlists like EQUAL: K-Pop, EQUAL: Indie, Women of Rock, and Galdem – Queens. As we reflect on EQUAL’s first year, we know there’s more work to be done and Spotify is committed to fostering equity in the music industry and beyond. 

 

Now that you know all about EQUAL, it’s time to celebrate the program’s anniversary by listening to the EQUAL Global playlist below.

 

Spotify’s Top 10 Takeaways on the Economics of Music Streaming and 2021 Royalty Data

March 24, 2022

In 2021, Spotify launched Loud & Clear, a resource for artists and industry professionals that breaks down the royalty system, the players, and the process. 

Today, we’re publishing new and updated information and data—and figures from 2021 that show further meaningful progress toward a healthier and more diverse music industry.

Read on for our top ten findings. 


1. We paid music rights holders more money than ever in 2021: $7+ billion, up from $5+ billion in 2020. That’s more than double what we paid out in 2017 ($3.3 billion) and represents a big part of the $30 billion we’ve paid to rights holders since our founding. Even adjusting for inflation, that $7 billion total is the largest sum paid by one retailer to the music industry in one year in history—including any single retailer at the height of the CD or digital download era.

 

 


2. In 2021, recorded streaming revenue alone (across all services) was higher than the entire industry’s revenue from all forms of recorded music for each year from 2009 through 2016. When the music business hit its low point in 2014, it generated $14.2 billion from all parts of the recorded industry (streaming, physical sales, sync, downloads, performance rights). In 2021, recorded streaming revenue alone exceeded $16.9 billion—with Spotify leading the way.

 

 


3. We celebrated a new landmark this year with over 1,000 artists generating $1 million on Spotify alone. But when artists hit new heights, it’s time to launch additional milestones. New to the site in 2021, since so many artists have far surpassed the $1 million level, we’ve added $2 million and $5 million data. In 2021, 450 artists generated more than $2 million on Spotify—an increase of 110% in five years—and 130 artists generated over $5 million—an increase of 160% in the same period.

 

 

4. More artists are hitting milestones across all revenue levels, from $1,000 to $5 million, and the numbers are accelerating fast. The number of artists who achieved each of these milestones has doubled since 2017. And when taking into account earnings from other services and recorded revenue streams, these artists are likely to be generating 4x these amounts from recorded music overall. For the first time this year, a diverse group of more 500,000 artists—across different countries, genres, and career stages—generated $10,000 from Spotify and likely over $40,000 across all recorded revenue sources.

 

 

5. Over the past year, almost all of our music partners have reported record profit and growth for their artists. The three major music labels jointly brought in over $25 billion in revenue last year, with $12.5 billion coming from streaming recorded revenue alone. Spotify payments represent around a third of that streaming total. Major label profits in 2021 exceeded $4 billion—meaning more money to reinvest to grow the industry.

 

 

 

6. Songwriters and producers—through their publishing rights holders—are generating record revenues driven by streaming services. Publishing rights holders earned $3.5 billion from streaming overall in 2020, a sum that is more than publishing revenue from CDs and downloads any year in the 21st century so far, even during the peak of the CD era.

 

 

 

 

7. More artists are sharing in today’s thriving music economy than ever before. In the peak of the CD era, nearly 25% of U.S. album sales were accounted for by the top 50 artists. On Spotify in 2021, only 12% of U.S. streams were of the top 50 artists—meaning that revenue opportunities now reach far beyond the superstars.

 

 

 

 

8. Many artists use distributors like DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, or others to self-release their music on Spotify—and more than ever before, it paid off. Nearly a third (28%) of artists who reached $10,000 in earnings on Spotify released music through an artist distributor in 2021. These 15,150 artists represent a 171% increase since 2017.

 

 

 

 

9. Streaming has lowered the barriers to entry to music and accelerated the path to finding a global fan base—meaning artists can go from first single to first significant paycheck fast. Over 10% of artists (5,300) who generated more than $10,000 on Spotify in 2021 released their first songs ever in the last two years. In 2021, 350 of them generated $100,000 from Spotify alone.

 

 

 

 

10. Streaming revenue is bringing real scale to the music industries of emerging markets, making it increasingly possible to pursue a professional career as an artist in countries around the world. In 2021, Spotify launched in 80+ markets, introducing these artists to new fans in places all over the world. Of the 52,600 artists who generated more than $10,000 on Spotify in 2021, 34% live in countries outside the IFPI’s top ten music markets (Australia, Canada, China, Italy, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the U.K., and the U.S.).

 

 

We’re excited to see progress based on these numbers, but there’s plenty more to do. As our CEO, Daniel Ek, shared, “Music matters. To the world and to Spotify. It’s where we started and what continues to inspire us as we build the most valuable platform for artists. We’re nowhere near done.” Read more of Daniel’s letter on Loud & Clear, in addition to resources detailing the diverse voices represented on platform, context from the industry at large, and reports and FAQs.

DJ Moore Kismet Uses Spotify Artist Wrapped To Learn About Their Fans—and Themself

December 1, 2021

Wrapped isn’t just for fans—it’s for creators too. And today, Spotify for Artists launched its annual 2021 Artist Wrapped microsite, presenting artists with a custom experience and sharecard showcasing their success on Spotify over the past year. It’s a moment created specially for artists, who can also be delighted by a year’s worth of streaming data driven by their fans worldwide. 

On the microsite, artists can view their total hours streamed; increases in followers, total listeners, streams, or playlist adds; total numbers of top listeners and shares; and information showing the journey of an artist’s top track. This year, artists can also enjoy an Audio Aura that gives them their own aura based on elements of their artwork and sonics; a Throwback Track that showcases their top catalog track that is still streaming strong; and a list of all their collaborators.  

Since its inception in 2017, Artist Wrapped has become a moment that artists and fans alike look forward to all year. It has seen tremendous growth in the five years since its launch:

From year to year, Spotify’s Artist Wrapped has been an opportunity for creators to see how they’ve grown on the platform. One such artist is 16-year-old, LA-based DJ Omar Davis, who creates dreamy dance music under the alias of Moore Kismet. They grew up in a musical family and aspired to be in music or film since childhood. Then, in eighth grade, they created their first piece of music after being inspired by a YouTube video. 

“I came across the official audio video for ‘Hindsight’ by Audien,” Omar explained. “Listening to that song, I was blown away. It made me feel happy; it made me feel energetic. It made me feel safe and uplifted. It was a very eye-opening experience for me. And when I started delving deeper into that, I was like, ‘Hmm, maybe I should try doing this myself.’ So I just downloaded the trial version of FL Studio and I started playing around in it.”

In the nearly five years since, they’ve increased their production, invested in collaborations, and honed their sound. They ultimately posted a single to Spotify in 2018. Now, they have 300,000 plus monthly listeners and two songs with over a million streams. 

For the Record chatted with Moore about creating music during a pandemic, speaking to their audience, and what they look forward to in their 2021 Artist Wrapped. 

Tell us a little about your music. How would you describe your sound? 

If we’re going for a specific vibe, I’ve been using this phrase that a fan once called my music: beautifully controlled chaos. But to put more, genre-specific labels on it: I make experimental electronic pop that touches a little bit with dubstep, R&B, indie folk, soul music, stuff of that nature.

And that’s kind of always been my style. But I’d never truly known how to articulate it in music until the pandemic hit. So, a lot of the music that I’ve been writing more recently feels more like myself than anything I’ve ever written before. So I’m just very grateful for that.

Can you talk a little bit more about how the pandemic allowed you to to find this space for yourself and and claim your music?

When the shutdown first hit, I didn’t know what to do. But my coping mechanism for whenever sh*t hits the fan is always writing music. It creates a kind of catharsis for me. That energy allowed me to access parts of my creativity that I’ve literally never been able to touch before. During that time, I realized that when I was writing something, I could actually get out what I was thinking about in my head—and then make it even crazier. And I’m just like, “Whoa, wait. I’ve literally never been able to do that before. What just happened?” For me, this time has been my way of rediscovering what it truly is I want to create and what I want to put out to the world.

You’ve been on Spotify since about 2018. When did you start looking at your Artist Wrapped?

Right away. I first started because I saw everybody else posting theirs and I was like, “Damn, they have all of these insane streaming numbers! I wonder what mine is.” And then when I went to check, I only had like 3,000. Well that’s anticlimactic! It was kind of disappointing at first. But I’ve been checking every year ever since, especially once I started working on myself, working on my music, and working with Anthony, my manager.

I would honestly have to say that this year is the biggest year I’ve had and I’m really, really, really grateful for that because I was not expecting anything that I released this year to do well or to have as much of an impact on people. I hit my first two million streams this year. “Rumor” is on its way to hitting three million, which is f%#*ing crazy because it hit two million quicker than it hit one million. 

What type of information have you been able to take away from previous years of  Artist Wrapped and then utilize as you go into the next year of work?

Pre-saves, monthly listeners, streams, and followers. Those are the four most important things that I take into consideration every year when I look at my Wrapped. But also, growth is growth. It’s such a crazy feeling to see how far you’ve come since the last time you got one of these things rendered for you.

I also love seeing demographics—like the pie split up—of what specific demographics or gender identities are listening to my music. I’m noticing that the genderqueer categories are starting to grow exponentially, which makes me incredibly happy because I write my music for other queer people. I’ve always tried to do my best to make my Black ancestors and my trans ancestors proud, and it gets hard sometimes when I’m feeling down on myself and my body and my music, and my mind and my ability to do things. 

So I guess I really just try to make sure that people know that I’m doing this for me, and if you resonate with it, then more power to you. Because I wrote it from the perspective of millions of other queer people who feel the same way. So to see that transfer over into my music and how it performs on Spotify, it’s just incredible.

Why are you excited for 2021 Artist Wrapped? 

I’m really excited to see how much everything has changed since 2020. I really am. And you know, every year I check Wrapped because it’s a way to see how much progress you’ve made as an artist on a public platform that can literally make or break your career. 

I’d always been very cognizant of what I was trying to put out into the world up until quarantine. Quarantine was when I realized that I should stop giving a fu%k about other people’s expectations about who I am and what I write for myself and my own mental well-being. I’m just really excited to see how my sudden change of not caring about negligent people’s feelings has translated into the way that people listen to my music and how much people have listened to my music this year. 

It’s really great to get messages from listeners, fans, supporters, and everyone else in between telling me, “Your music has changed my life,” because getting into music and writing music in the first place has changed my life. 

What should the world look forward to from Moore Kismet in 2022?

2022 is the year of the f%#$ing Kismet. Next year, my debut album, Universe, is coming out, hopefully in summer. But of course, everything is still tentative. I’m hoping it can be out during Pride month. That is our goal. I have been working on this for the past four years, and I am so unbelievably excited to show people. I’ve been working with some of my best friends—some of the coolest writers in the world. This is the biggest thing coming out from Moore Kismet to date. 

Take it from Moore Kismet: Artist Wrapped is not to be missed. Artists can log in or sign up for Spotify for Artists to view their sharecard and microsite experience, now available in 31 languages. 

This International Podcast Day, Let Us Help You Find Your Perfect Pod

September 30, 2021

Creators worldwide have been busy this year chasing audio inspiration—and in the process have added nearly 1.5 million podcast titles to Spotify over the past year. So this International Podcast Day, there’s quite a lot to celebrate.

Leading the storytelling charge are Taiwan, Colombia, Japan, Spain, Peru, India, Turkey, the Philippines, France, Poland, Argentina, Italy, and the Netherlands. These 13 markets showed the largest growth in their catalog offerings in the last year, with new podcasts across all sorts of genres, topics, and themes. 

And this global audio boom shows no signs of slowing down, which is exciting news for listeners, who have more options than ever to fit their tastes. But our growing catalog also poses a challenge for newbies and audio experts alike as they try to narrow down the next track or even the first episode to add to their queue.

So to celebrate International Podcast Day this year, we’re making the choice simple with our Find the One experience. Answer a handful of questions and let us help you find your perfect podcast match. The experience is available to listeners in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Australia and gives recommendations inspired by your Spotify listening habits.

But that’s not the only way to discover new podcasts tailored to your tastes. Though each user is unique, we have found that some listeners who share a favorite artist also share a favorite podcast. We followed the data . . . and found some of the shows hitting all the right notes.

Many fans of snappy rhymes and rhythm are drawn to . . . horoscopes, gaming, and comedy.

For plenty of listeners, pop melodies and talk shows go hand-in-hand.

Rock ‘n rollers are hard to pin down.

Country fans are hooked on the world around them.

Plus, we noticed a few patterns across our listeners.

These are just a few of the most popular podcasts among some of our artists’ listeners. For those in search of something new, Spotify also has plenty of podcasts to enjoy this season, so be sure to mark your calendars.

Launching this week:

Bonus: Today at 6 PM EST, Spotify Greenroom will close the day with listeners’ favorite podcasts with hosts Gigi Robinson and Jayson Buford. Sign up for Greenroom to tune in and follow your favorite shows here.

Now it’s time to find your next favorite show. Celebrate International Podcast Day by exploring the “Find the One” experience for a personalized podcast recommendation.

Elevate Your GIF Game With GIPHY and Spotify’s New Music Feature

July 22, 2021

After searching GIPHY, an online database that contains billions of GIFs, stickers, and more, you’ve found it. You’ve spotted the perfect GIF. Now, it’s time to share it in your group chat so your friends can get a feel for your reaction—no words necessary.  

No matter how you pronounce it, GIFs are the ultimate visual metaphor. And now, thanks to a partnership with Spotify and GIPHY, music can be part of the equation. We’re teaming up with GIPHY to enable new Spotify-linked artist GIFs. When users click the GIF on the verified GIPHY artists’ pages, they’ll be taken directly to the featured artist’s Spotify page for a listening session. 

Artists Doja Cat, The Weeknd, Post Malone, Nicki Minaj, The Kid LAROI, and Conan Gray have already kicked off the integration, with more to come.

Users around the globe can find the feature on verified GIPHY artist pages and they can be experienced through both GIPHY’s web and mobile platform. Here’s how it works:

  1. Search for artists’ GIFs on their official GIPHY channel via GIPHY.com or GIPHY’s mobile apps
  2. Once on the artist’s official GIPHY channel, click on the GIF you’d like to use
  3. Tap the “Listen on Spotify” button on any participating GIF
  4. Users will be taken directly to the artist’s Spotify page, where they can listen and discover even more music from artists they love

Ready to give it a try? Check out Doja Cat’s, The Weeknd’s, Post Malone’s, Nicki Minaj’s, The Kid LAROI’s, and Conan Gray’s verified GIPHY pages to see the integration in action.

Soleil Moon Frye Shares the Soundtrack of Her Teens and the Influence of Music in Her Documentary, ‘Kid 90’

April 20, 2021

Photo credit: Amanda Demme

Soleil Moon Frye became a household name upon starring in the 1980s television show Punky Brewster. Now, the actress is once again across our screens, revisiting her adolescence in the documentary Kid 90.

The film chronicles Soleil’s teenage years using never-before-seen footage and features a number of familiar Hollywood stars, like Leonardo DiCaprio, Robin Thicke, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, in their teens. Soleil produced Kid 90 using her personal collection of video recordings from the decade. The documentary also draws heavily on the music of the era, creating an audio time capsule of sorts.

Soleil curated an exclusive playlist for Spotify of songs that represent the soundtrack of her life in the ’90s. For the Record spoke with the actress to learn more about the significance of her song choices and the experience of creating her documentary.

Photo courtesy of Soleil Moon Frye

We now capture and document everything on social media, but the ’90s was a very different world. What drew you to video and document your life as you did for Kid 90?

I feel like there was always this journalist inside of me from the time I was really young. At five years old, I started writing in diaries. By the time I was 12 years old, I had an audio recorder. In my preteen years I started carrying a video camera with me everywhere I went. 

As a teenager, I had so many questions. I was on this path of self-discovery and was going through the trials and tribulations of growing up. The camera almost became like a safety device, a protective device between me and others, where as long as I put my pain or my insecurities through the lens of looking at the world, I could turn it into art.

How does the playlist reflect your experience during that era?

The playlist shows where I was and the songs I was hearing. In New York City, for example, there was so much hip-hop and reggae. We would listen to the most incredible hip-hop and sit around and laugh, share stories, and talk about our experiences. We were so alive at that time.

And growing up in Los Angeles, I remember Portishead and Tricky, music that got me through love and through all of those teen emotions. Liz Phair I would just play over and over again for every one of my teenage angst moments. Pearl Jam, too. It was the soundtrack to my life back then. Sinead O’Connor coming out with “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Jeff Buckley. There were so many albums and artists that I played over and over again.

We noticed a few ’80s hits made it on the playlist. Why did you add those songs?

It was really a challenge to separate between the ’80s and ’90s because there are songs that are so definitive of the ’90s even though they were released in the late ’80s. One of my favorites, which I needed to put in my playlist because it had to do with every teen love experience, is “Almost Hear You Sigh” by The Rolling Stones. I’d listen to it over and over. Another one of the most impactful albums in the ’90s for me was Tom Petty’s Greatest Hits. I’ll never forget going on tour with Danny Boy and House of Pain, and he would pop that CD in, and we would listen to it over and over, so on my playlist I added “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”

The playlist is definitely a collage of lots of moments. I hope people have fun diving into it.

In the process of making the playlist, did you rediscover any songs or artists that you had forgotten?

Some of my favorite musicians have all come back to me. People and bands like Bruce Springsteen, Mojave 3, Mazzy Star, A Tribe Called Quest. And it was so fun to see my kids discovering the music of that time too. My girls love Mazzy Star, they love Portishead and Tricky and Notorious B.I.G.—it’s so fun.

Linda Perry and her first new song in 15 years, “The Letter,” are featured in Kid 90. How did she end up joining the project and collaborating with you?

Linda Perry has inspired me since the ’90s—you can see 4 Non Blondes is on my playlist. Perry has been a true muse to me throughout this incredible experience. She actually saw an early cut of the documentary and said, “I want to give you your own soundtrack,” which was such an honor. Really, she scored the music of my life, and did it beautifully. It was such an incredible experience working together. She just put her heart, soul, pain, love, just everything into it. 

The song itself was inspired by a real letter I wrote to myself at age 15. In it, I asked myself, “Who are you? Have you made your life worthy? Have you found a place to belong?”

It was profoundly moving for me to rediscover the letter because it made me look inward and question whether I made that teenager proud. Was I living the life that I expected for myself? Often in our youth we have these dreams of all that we’re going to become and somewhere along the way, we get caught up in life. And sometimes we steer away from those dreams. Reading this letter and hearing the song Perry created felt like the teen me and the adult me coming together again. It was incredible.

How did Perry’s score influence the film?

Every song connected so much with the emotion that I was going through at that time. Working with her was an incredible source of inspiration. I’d be so moved by songs she sent me that I would cut sequences of Kid 90 to fit the music, which is such a gift.

And finally, for all the Punky Brewster fans out there, we have to ask: Is there a song on your playlist that speaks to that inner strength or Punky Power for you?

Oh, my God, there are so many! “One,” U2? “Hallelujah,” Jeff Buckley? Each song speaks to that experience and time of love and life and joy and fun.

Revisit the ’90s with Soleil’s playlist below and catch her new documentary on Hulu.

Meet 7 RADAR Artists Reinventing Italy’s Music Scene

April 15, 2021

It’s been six months since RADAR, Spotify’s global emerging artist program, debuted in Italy, and its artists are already making a worldwide impact. 

Since its launch on October 15, RADAR Italy has connected 12 up-and-coming artists with new audiences, bringing a fresh and assorted sound to listeners’ ears. “The team spent months listening to unreleased music from a vast group of artists, and we wanted the final list to be as strong and diverse as possible,” shared Melanie Parejo, Head of Music Southern Europe at Spotify. From indie and pop to reggaeton and rap, Italy’s RADAR lineup spans a variety of genres. “Through strong editorial support like curated playlists and tailor-made marketing campaigns, we’re helping our RADAR artists to be discovered by new fans both in Italy and globally,” said Melanie.  

Get to know seven of these Italian newcomers: 

Dig Into Music Streaming in the Latest Episode of ‘Spotify: For the Record’

March 25, 2021

At Spotify, we believe artists deserve clarity when it comes to the economics of music streaming. That’s why last week we unveiled Loud & Clear, a new microsite that breaks down the players and process involved with the royalty system. 

Artists want the opportunity to make a living from their work. We want that, too: Although more artists than ever are finding success through streaming, we’re nowhere near done, and we’ll keep pushing to grow the industry. As we make those strides, the Loud & Clear site demystifies how the money flows while also sharing more context when it comes to streaming numbers and how they stack up on Spotify in 2020.

In this week’s episode of our podcast, Spotify: For the Record, we continue the conversation about streaming economics and Loud & Clear.

Our first guest is Sammy Andrews, CEO of Deviate Digital and a board member of the Music Managers Forum (MMF) in the UK, who discusses industry reaction to Loud & Clear and where she thinks we should go from here.

We also speak with Charlie Hellman, Spotify’s Head of Marketplace, who provides more context on Loud and Clear and details how more artists than ever are finding success in the music industry.  

Listen to “Loud and Clear: A New Conversation on Music Streaming.” 

Spotify Founder and CEO Daniel Ek Discusses the Economics of Music Streaming

March 18, 2021

Since its 2014 low, the music industry has grown by 44%, driven primarily by streaming revenues, which increased 500% over this same period. In 2020 alone, Spotify paid $5B+ and makes up about 20% of global recorded music industry revenue, more than any other streaming service. That number is massive on its own, and it doesn’t include the other music streaming services, or other sources of music revenue. 

Still, artists ask me all the time why they’re not making more money. If the music industry is generating so much, then where the hell is it going? These are fair questions. So, we’re launching a new site, Loud & Clear, to increase transparency and shed light on the complicated economics of music streaming. 

Streaming is thriving and has been key to helping more artists find a global audience. There are more artists than ever before. That’s awesome. It means new genres, more music crossing borders, and more artists finding new fans. It also means new artists joining Spotify every day, along with the entire history of music that came before them. More artists want to share their art, reach fans and earn a living from music. And it’s happening. 

From streaming on Spotify alone, we’re seeing growth from artists at all stages of their career: since 2017, the number of artists generating

    • more than $50K/yr is up 80%
    • more than $100K/yr is up 85%; 
    • and more than $1M/year is up 90%. 

Today, 57K artists now represent 90% of monthly streams on Spotify — a number that has quadrupled in just six years. This means that the number of the most listened to artists in the world is growing and more diverse.

Our goal is to help musicians that aspire to be, or are professional to make a living. It’s something we take seriously every day. Of course not every one of the millions of artists on Spotify have found the same success. That will never be true. Fans will ultimately decide who succeeds and thrives, but our focus remains clear: Continue to create more opportunities for more artists to reach more fans. 

We know we have much more work to do, but we’re confident in what we’ve built and the innovations we continue to deliver for artists and their fans. We’ll continue to empower the most talented artists in the world to turn their passion into a profession, grow the money paid to rights holders, diversify and expand the number of professional artists succeeding, and propel the music industry forward.

Celebrate the 2021 Best New Artist Nominees in the Latest Episode of ‘Spotify: For the Record’

March 11, 2021

Every year, Spotify goes all out to show our support for the rising stars nominated in the Best New Artist category for music’s biggest night: The Grammys. The breakout artists nominated in the category this year are Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Ingrid Andress, Noah Cyrus, Phoebe Bridgers, D Smoke, CHIKA, and KAYTRANADA.

In this week’s episode of our podcast, Spotify: For the Record, we explore the Best New Artist category with a few special guests. Listeners get to sit in on an intimate conversation between Noah Cyrus and her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus. The 2021 nominee chats with the iconic country music singer-songwriter about what it means to be selected (Billy Ray was also nominated for the category in 1993), and she reveals some of her favorite advice that’s been passed down from father to daughter.

We also chat with Charles Holmes, cohost of The Ringer Music Show. The former Rolling Stone writer explains the history of the Best New Artist category and how these nominees—which formerly included the likes of The Beatles, Carpenters, Bon Iver, and Kacey Musgraves—often go on to make a name for themselves. 

Marian Dicus, Spotify’s Co-Head of Music, joins us to share how Spotify has supported this category for the last five years. From playlists to parties, our goal is to amplify the developing talent of those nominated for Best New Artist. This year, we are releasing a series of Spotify Singles from five of the nominees: Ingrid Andress, Noah Cyrus, Phoebe Bridgers, D Smoke, and CHIKA.

Gear up for Sunday’s award show by listening to the full episode, “Music’s Biggest Night: The Best New Artists.”

Spotify’s Emerging Artists Program, RADAR, Kicks Off in Russia

March 9, 2021

Last year Spotify launched RADAR, our emerging artist program that spotlights rising talent from around the globe. RADAR’s goal is to help up-and-coming artists in all stages of their development as they connect with new audiences. Now, after working with creators in the U.S., New Zealand, Spain, and many other markets, the program is ready to launch in Russia.

Since Spotify’s launch in Russia in 2020, we’ve seen tremendous success with subscriber growth and service adoption. According to our 2020 Q3 results, Russia has been our most successful new market launch to date and represented the largest portion of subscriber outperformance for the quarter. 

With RADAR, we will amplify emerging artists in the region through ongoing marketing and editorial support. Artists will be featured in the local creative marketing campaigns, and their tracks will be added to the RADAR RUSSIA playlist in the global RADAR hub, helping fans from all over the world discover their music. For the Record had the opportunity to chat with two bands that are a part of Russia’s RADAR program.

Сёстры (pronounced “sestry,” translation: Sisters) is an indie pop duo that debuted their first album, Когда были волны (When There Were Waves), in October of 2020. The group has already seen success, including having recently performed on a popular Russian late-night talk show.

Три дня дождя (pronounced “tri dnia dozhdia,” translation: Three Days of Rain) is an alternative band that released their first album in February of last year. Their most popular track, “Не киряй,” has racked up more than 4.5 million streams on Spotify.

Read what the bands had to say about their music, their experience, and more below.

What are you looking forward to as a Spotify Russian RADAR artist?

Сестры: We have been watching the RADAR program for a long time now, as it’s helped us discover many talented foreign artists, and it is very unlikely we would have discovered them without it. Now, through RADAR, it’s amazing that many more listeners will learn about us—our tracks will become a part of Spotify’s global ecosystem, and our songs will be heard by many people all over the world. We are just at the beginning of getting to know our audience, and it is so important for us to develop strong relations with our fans. 

Три дня дождя: We have big plans and ambitions going forward, and we hope the support of Spotify can help us with establishing our name not only in Russia but also abroad. We are honored to have been chosen as one of the first artists to take part in the program in the country. Russian rock is not dead and we’d love to prove it! We are hopeful that RADAR can help us bring our art to the new audiences.

What advice do you have for fellow emerging artists?

Сестры: Trust yourself and your vision, work hard, and carry on no matter what.

Три дня дождя: First of all, don’t ever give up. Ever! And practice as often as possible. Secondly, try to minimize all factors that restrain you from doing what you love. Lastly, always believe in yourself and your art.

What message do you want people to take from your music?

Три дня дождя: With my music I’d love to convey the emotions everyone is familiar with. And about showing the listeners that love can be a very dangerous thing at times. 

This past year presented many unprecedented challenges. How has it changed the way you approach your musical career?

Сестры: 2020 is exactly the year when our music career began developing. The music industry turned to online, but it somehow brought us all even closer together. We are definitely looking forward to the day when live concerts and performances become possible again, but our approach to our music career has not changed a bit. We will continue gathering at home or at the studio to make new music together.

 

Ready to give these Russian artists a listen? Check out the new RADAR Russia playlist below.