Tag: donations

Spotify Mobilizes Fans, Artists, and Our ‘Music For Ukraine’ Playlist Ahead of Ukrainian Independence Day

August 18, 2022

Last winter, the global community compassionately came together to aid those most harmed by Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine. At that time, Spotify also committed to using the power of our platform to support people who have been most impacted. Now, six months into this war, Spotify is rebranding our Music of Ukraine playlist as UNITED24: Music For Ukraine and creating a new way to support the country and its people. 

We’re relaunching with a special video message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in advance of Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24. The playlist features music from Ukrainian artists, in addition to other artists around the world who have pledged support to Ukraine. Even after Independence Day, the playlist will continue to be updated to help share the voices of Ukraine with the world. 

In his message, President Zelenskyy expresses his gratitude towards music fans and encourages the listening and sharing of Ukrainian music around the world. He also welcomes everyone to support UNITED24, which is why we’re continuing to mobilize our Fan Support feature by adding a donation link to the top of the UNITED24: Music For Ukraine playlist. This link will help raise funds for UNITED24, the official fundraising platform of Ukraine launched by President Zelenskyy. 

 

Looking for ways beyond a symbolic and meaningful $24 donation to show your support? Artists also have the ability to change the image on their Spotify profiles to support Ukraine. Review these best practices for more details on how Fan Support works, and visit our help center for more on how to select yours. Finally, our global guide on the Spotify platform, the Source for News & Info, provides our users around the world with trusted news and information related to the ongoing conflict.

As always, we hope this war comes to an end very soon and that peace is restored to Ukraine and its people. 

Listen to the rebranded playlist below. 

Reaffirming Our Commitment to Combating Inequity

April 27, 2021

Day after day, we are reminded how far we all still must go to combat racism and systemic inequity in our society and our company. Spotify’s support of the Black community remains unwavering, and our commitment to do more is stronger than ever. We’ve made strides in our efforts, but we still have a long way to go. 

Today, we are sharing our progress and how we plan to do more to continue to fight against racism and injustice.

Combating Racism in Our Workplace

Our commitment to combating inequity and racism starts in our hallways—both physical and virtual—which is why workplace diversity (who we are) and inclusion (how we engage with each other) are both so important to achieve equity. The BLK 5-Star Strategy has helped make a holistic and lasting impact at Spotify through our focus on People, Donations & Fundraising, Policy, Content, and Spotify Culture. 

Some of our progress so far when it comes to our own people includes: 

  • Launching our Inclusive Hiring Strategy. As of the end of December 2020, representation of Black Spotifiers in the U.S. increased to 8.3% (from 6.4% in June 2020, 5.7% in 2019, and 3.7% in 2017), with 7.2% at Director+ level by the end of December 2020.
  • Reorganizing and expanding the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) team to encompass DIB Strategy Specialists, Early Career Pipeline, Heart & Soul, Inclusive Hiring, and Social Media & Digital Storytelling teams.
  • Launching the Black Coaching Initiative, with over 60 BLK members participating in executive coaching and 30 BLK members participating in the personal branding academy.
  • Developing an education hub for Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging learning & development.
  • Updating our Racial Equity content on our external career website and expanding our content on DIB via the 2020 Sustainability, Equity, and Impact Report.

Effecting Policy Change

Our commitment to policy change is about using Spotify’s global reach and influence to effect and drive real change. We will do this by supporting legislation and funding organizations that are truly making a difference in the search for racial equity. Our giving initiative provides us with the opportunity to build strategic programs and partnerships focused on empowering the next generation of Black creators. A few examples: 

Empowering and Celebrating Creators On Platform

We’re committed to using our powerful platform to empower and celebrate creators of every race, ethnicity, religion, sexual identity, and gender, and curating top audio destinations featuring Black, LGBTQIA+, women, AAPI, and other underrepresented voices. A few examples that we’re proud of:

Last June, in honor of Blackout Tuesday, we stated: On this day—and every day—Spotify will support our employees, friends, partners, artists, and creators in the fight against racism, injustice, and inequity. We are using the power of our platform to stand with Black creators, amplify their voices, and accelerate meaningful conversation and long-needed change.

We continue to stand with the Black community and fight against racism, injustice, and inequity around the world.