During Stream On, we’ll share new developments to help creators continue to chart pathways to success and build a truly global audience.
When competition is fair, both consumers and companies win. Learn about our efforts to even the playing field for all developers.
Artists deserve clarity about the economics of music streaming. This site sheds light on the global streaming economy and royalty system.
Music and football come together in a way that’s entirely new in our partnership with FC Barcelona.
On Monday, February 22, Spotify is hosting Stream On, a virtual live-streamed event exploring the power of audio creation. Mark your calendar and join us here on For the Record at 11 am EST to hear more about our commitment to empowering creators—the new, the rising, and the icons—around the world.
Check out the latest episode of “Spotify: For the Record” to learn more.
It’s been quite a year for Spotify. At For the Record we captured it all—from major milestones and playlist launches to Q&As with the biggest names in the business—plus some “bonus tracks.” But we couldn’t have done it without you, our readers, and your never-ending curiosity. That’s why we’ve rounded up the stories that resonated most around the world in 2019—and make us excited for the year ahead.
Whether you caught them the first time around or are just joining us now, take a look at some of For the Record’s biggest hits.
“What’s your sign?” Whether you love or hate the question, the cultural obsession made its mark this year. Astrology is no longer simply synonymous with bold predictions about love, fame, and fortune. Instead, it’s attracting more and more people who use horoscope readings as a way to reflect and find direction in their lives. Music can provide that same effect, and that’s why we worked with astrologer Chani Nicholas to create Cosmic Playlists. Check it out and see what’s in store.
Early this year, our CEO Daniel Ek explained our goal of becoming the world’s number one audio platform—and how that takes us beyond just music. He also announced the addition of podcasting companies Anchor and Gimlet to Spotify. Then, later in 2019, we shared the acquisition of Parcast. We are family.
We believe that music is meant to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of network connectivity, data plan, or access to the latest phone. That’s why we introduced Spotify Lite earlier this year. Lite is a small, fast, and simplified version of our unparalleled music experience that works much like the main Spotify app. You can still search and play your favorite songs and artists, as well as save them, share with others, discover new music, and enjoy playlists made just for you. But it also includes a few extra features that make it ideal for older devices and operating systems. See if it’s available in your market.
This past fall, we released two more personalized discovery options into the mix of Discover Weekly and Release Radar: On Repeat and Repeat Rewind. These playlists let you listen to your favorite tracks from the past 30 days and the not-so-far-off past. They were stuck in your head then; they’ll get stuck in your head now.
We’re committed to bringing audio content such as music and stories, to more people in more ways—including the next generation of listeners. That’s why we recently launched a fun standalone app designed with safety in mind specifically for kids and families. If you’re a Family Plan user, check it out for your little ones.
As 2019 draws to a close, so too does a stellar year of streaming on Spotify. We dove into the newcomers, showstoppers, and top performers who united the globe with music and podcasts this year. And ahead of the brand-new decade, we also looked back on the last 10 years in music to reveal who dominated global listening. Take a look at the toppers—or check out your own Spotify Wrapped.
While the last decade has come and gone, there’s one thing we know for sure: if 2020 is anything like 2019, it’s going to be a good one. Stay tuned into the For the Record newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Spotify in the year ahead.
There are more than 3 billion user-generated playlists on Spotify. That means hours upon hours of carefully curated lists of tracks listeners can’t get enough of. Until recently, playlists were exclusive to music. But now, in the true spirit of Audio First, Spotify users can combine music and podcasts on the same playlists.
With this recently released, frequently requested functionality, users can build playlists of podcasts, or add podcasts to existing playlists for a mixed-media experience. Users can also set up a playlist of multiple podcasts in a row—perfect for a long drive or maybe a run—or integrate their favorite songs with news, comedy, or sports podcasts. (Here’s an idea: set up a selection of sunny, feel-good songs for before, after, and in between a bunch of great true crime podcast episodes—you know, to balance yourself out.)
With these new opportunities for creativity, the options are endless. And the best part—it’s as easy as making a playlist full of music.
To add a podcast to a playlist on mobile:
Then, once you’re ready to play hours of queued-up content, head back to “Your Library” to see all your playlists in one place under the “Playlists” tab in Music. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever made a playlist for your favorite songs, you’re already a pro.
**Pro tip: If you’re using Spotify on your computer desktop, you can stream the playlists you’ve made on mobile that include podcasts. You just can’t make a playlist with a podcast in it from your desktop—yet.
One of the most-streamed podcasts on Spotify isn’t a daily news update or a true crime saga. It’s Fest & Flauschig, a current-events comedy show hosted by two German radio hosts—in German. The show came to Spotify in its current iteration in May 2016 and is now one of several German podcasts high on Spotify’s global streaming charts.
On the heels of the release of Spotify Exclusive popular podcasts Herrengedeck and Gemischtes Hack, we sat down with Managing Director, Spotify Central Europe, Michael Krause, to get his thoughts on why German listeners connect with podcasting like no one else.
Germany was a diverse audio market from the very beginning, with our users listening to both music and audiobooks. That began to pave the way for an audio strategy or an audio focus for us even before it was the global direction.
Now in Germany, there’s a new original podcast episode being released every day. So there has been a lot of habit-forming, or ritualizing. People like to listen at a certain time or while doing a specific chore. Daily podcasts, like what Parcast is doing in the U.S. with Horoscope Today and Today in True Crime, could be very interesting here because podcast listening is such a part of the everyday routine.
We’re also seeing really big talents moving into the medium. And it’s not limited to people who can express themselves visually like streaming stars or TV hosts—it’s also great for authors, for example, who now have a new channel for their creative output.
Finally, I’m excited to see popular podcasts from other markets, like Sandra, be adapted for our German audience. It demonstrates that we can leverage global synergies in the podcast space.
We always hear from podcast creators that all the data and insights we give them are very, very helpful. On many other platforms, they don’t know how many streams they have, or at what point people stopped listening during the episodes. We have all the analytical tools for partners. Our creator team was very fast in making Spotify for Podcasters because we learned from Spotify for Artists.
Unlike in the music industry, there is no big podcast community that meets on a regular basis in Germany. This is why we’ve held various master classes and industry events that connect people in the podcasting field. For us, it’s very important that we bring the industry together and provide thought leadership and inspiration for our creator partners.
Many Germans actually grow up listening to audiobooks and audio plays. I peeked a bit into the history, and because the theaters had been bombed after World War II, people had no access to entertainment. Radio then picked up audio plays. Those were very successful, and later they were released on cassettes and CDs. Today, children grow up listening to hours and hours of audio content. Even adults are listening to these audio plays on Spotify to relax, enjoy sweet childhood memories, or fall asleep.
I also think podcasts are successful here because they’re very authentic and truly personal, like Paardiologie with Charlotte Roche for example. I think it touches people in a way that’s more than just watching a video clip or other news formats. So it’s definitely something that is working very well because it feels like you’re part of something intimate and interesting.
I’d say mobile network connections. It might sound a bit odd because Germany is an industrialized country. But in terms of mobile data, we’re like a developing country. We don’t have mobile data coverage in many parts of the country. And the price for data is also very high.
In the German market, physical music still makes up 35% of revenues, which means people are still buying CDs in Germany. It’s a bit like Japan—we are late-bloomer markets. It’s only been in the last one or two years that we have achieved this level of change from physical to digital music consumption, and only this year that streaming has become the largest source of income for the industry.
Unsurprisingly, German hip-hop is a very important part of the culture, but we are now focusing on more diverse electronic pop and alternative rock genres. That’s why we have also launched a new flagship playlist called OFF POP. But Modus Mio (the equivalent of RapCaviar) is still going very strong, and in fact we’re putting Modus Mio live onstage for the second time with a big event on December 14 in Dortmund.
In my commute this morning from Hamburg to Berlin, I listened to the latest episode of Ja Ja Nee Nee, which is one of our newest Spotify Original Podcasts. It has this German author (think a German Nick Hornby) who’s speaking to a younger actor, and they talk about everyday life. They approach their topics in a very philosophical but fun way. So even things like office supply products can become magical topics when discussed by our very special anchors.
Take a listen to OFF POP, Spotify’s latest flagship focusing on great music outside the mainstream, to get a feel for the current flavor of Central Europe.
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