Tag: events

Fans Get In on the Fun With Live Podcast Recordings During The Ringer Residency

August 22, 2024

Laughter, energy, camaraderie—these are just a few of the elements that come to life when a podcast is recorded in front of an audience, rather than in a sound-proof studio. To create more opportunities for hosts and fans to commune during these live recordings, Spotify’s The Ringer recently hosted their Summer Ringer Residency.

Taking place at the famed El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, the residency featured live podcast events for six Ringer shows: The Ringer NBA Show, Talk the Thrones, The Big Picture, The Ringer-Verse, Wrighty’s House, and The Ringer Fantasy Football Show.

For the Record caught up with Geoff Chow, Head of Podcast Studios & Managing Director for The Ringer, to learn more about the residency and the appeal of live podcast recordings.

What have you learned from this first-ever Ringer Residency?

It was a great display of the power of Ringer fandom and a showcase of the broad range of Ringer content from sports—basketball and both kinds of football—to cultural tentpoles like movies, prestige television, and nerd culture. Operationally, the events team led by Elizabeth Fierman did an amazing job putting together an experience that both the hosts and their audiences loved. We observed ways we can continue to grow our events with different markets, sponsorship partners, and content that we’re excited to continue exploring.

How do live podcasts offer a unique experience for both podcast hosts and listeners?

Podcast listening tends to be a fairly solitary experience—in your headphones, while you’re commuting, at the gym—but people build such a strong connection with their favorite hosts. To bring hundreds of people together to experience their favorite shows at a live event, laughing at the same inside jokes and feeling a common bond with others in the crowd, it feels like an instant community, tied together by their shared interest. Being part of that is a special experience. For hosts, who are used to recording in-studio or even at home, getting to hear laughter and real-time reactions is a rush and fosters an even deeper connection to their audience.

Why is it important for The Ringer and Spotify to put on IRL events like this?

At The Ringer, we have always focused on creating content for consumers in the way they want to engage with it. We’re thrilled that audiences choose to spend so many hours per week reading, listening, and watching our content. To be able to bring that to a live experience only strengthens the creator-audience relationship. Building community and creating meaningful experiences for fans develops a deeper affinity for our brand and content. As an audience engagement tool it takes fandom to a different level.

If you didn’t get a chance to attend one of the live recordings, you can still listen to each of the episodes on demand. Below we’ve rounded up the podcasts and the episodes recorded over the summer.

The Ringer NBA Show

Justin, Rob, and Wos start by discussing the Celtics’ NBA Finals victory and Joe Mazzulla’s status as a coach, and debate who’s going to be the Jrue Holiday of this offseason. Next, Chris Ryan joins for an offseason preview. With the upcoming NBA draft, the guys bring on J. Kyle Mann to discuss the perception of this year’s class, all the noise around Bronny James, and more.

Talk the Thrones

Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and Joanna Robinson convene to discuss the latest episodes of House of the Dragon as they entertain fan questions, have in-depth chats, and play fun games in this live show.

The Big Picture

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss movies you need to see, alongside special guest and Ringer colleague Chris Ryan. The topic for this special live recording is 2000s summer blockbusters.

The Ringer-Verse

The Ringer’s expert superfans converse about favorite shows and movies happening this summer. Check out the episode for all of the fun from The Midnight Boys, House of R, the Bad Babies, and the Midnight Mafia.

The Ringer Fantasy Football Show

The guys start with some of the biggest training camp storylines. Next, they play a game of “20s or 40s?” to determine which veteran fantasy stars are still attractive draft picks this season. Along the way, they determine how the D.I.C.A.P.R.I.O. system applies to their favorite aging RBs. They wrap with an Oreos taste test and a special (in person) edition of emails.

Wrighty’s House

Former Arsenal and England National Team striker Ian Wright discusses the latest football headlines, as well as his cultural passions.

Want more live shows from The Ringer? Check out this hub on Spotify.

Spotify and American Express Get Ready for ‘GUTS’ With an Olivia Rodrigo Pop-Up in New York

September 7, 2023

From the moment Olivia Rodrigo’s second album, GUTS, was announced in June, fans have been hyped. The first two singles from the upcoming project, “vampire” and “bad idea right?,” have been fan favorites in the short time since their release, with “vampire” rising to become an unquestionable song of the summer.

To celebrate the release of GUTS on September 8, we’ve teamed up with American Express to bring fans the GUTS Gallery, a highly curated pop-up experience in downtown New York.

WHERE:

25-27 Little West 12th Street NY, NY 10014

WHEN:

Friday, September 8, 1pm – 6pm EST

Saturday, September 9, 12pm – 7pm EST

Sunday, September 10, 12pm – 7pm EST

The GUTS Gallery pop-up will have GUTS merch available for purchase, including t-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts, as well as fun accessories like bumper stickers, dad hats, beanies, tote bags, and more. The elevated shopping opportunity will also feature photo moments and limited-edition giveaways.

Even more special, Olivia’s top listeners on Spotify along with American Express Card Members will be invited to explore the gallery one hour earlier than the general public opening on each day. They’ll also have the chance to experience more of Olivia Rodrigo with epic on-site benefits, including access to a limited-edition t-shirt for purchase, an exclusive gift with purchase for Amex Card Members, and a complimentary tote bag for all fans.

“We’ve worked in close partnership with Olivia and her team even before “drivers license” made its debut, so it was a no-brainer to join forces once again for her sophomore effort, GUTS.” Lucy Davidson, Manager, Label Partnerships for Spotify told For the Record. “Olivia has some of the most loyal and engaged fans in the world – and we’ve loved being there along the way. From supporting her single “deja vu” by sending lyrics to her top fans to facilitating one of the first opportunities for fans to meet Olivia with the Spotify x Olivia SOUR Car Wash – we’re thrilled to help bring Olivia’s creative vision to life again, this time by inviting NY “Livies” into the GUTS Gallery for the weekend. As another huge moment for Olivia, we’re so excited to create special moments with fans that have bolstered her rise along the way.”

For more information, the official website has all the details you need. And if you can’t hardly wait for release day, you can join in on the GUTS countdown and pre-save the album so that it’s in your Library as soon as it comes out.

Get ready for GUTS by listening to the This Is Olivia Rodrigo playlist, which contains all her essential tracks.

Spotify’s Guide to the Best New Artists of 2023

February 3, 2023

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.

Creators and Fans Celebrate the Playfulness of Wrapped Around the World

December 8, 2022

a DJ playing music at a wrapped event in pakistan

In case you missed it, last week Spotify unveiled 2022 Wrapped. To toast the highly anticipated year-end toplist reveals, the unparalleled user and creator experiences, and the beloved data stories, we hosted Wrapped-themed parties in cities across the globe. This year’s Wrapped is all about self-expression and play—celebrating the two-way connections that bring millions of creators and fans together through audio each and every day. From Paris to Karachi, our events invited fans, creators, and influencers to celebrate how they listened in 2022, and encouraged them to revel in activities that highlighted their music listening personalities.

France

For its 2022 year-end retrospective, Spotify France opened the doors of its Wrapped Café, a temporary space in Paris’ 10th arrondissement. The pop-up space gave fans a new way to extend their Wrapped experience into real life. Visitors had the chance to control the venue’s playlist, get a personalized Wrapped Café t-shirt, capture the night in a photobooth with custom audio personality filters, and play Wrapped-themed arcade games.

Over the course of the four-day event, French artists and podcast creators performed at the café. Fans had the chance to enjoy performances by rapper Fresh la Peufra, singer and EQUAL ambassador Chilla, and artist Bianca Costa. Attendees also took part in a live recording of the Spotify Original history podcast Oyez, Oh Yeah with cohosts Manon Bril and Alex Ramires.

Find Shows Tailored to You Right in the Spotify App

June 23, 2022

Screens showing the Live Events Feed in the Spotify app

There are few things like going to see your favorite artist in person. The energy, the bass pulsing beneath your feet, the other just-as-obsessed fans belting out lyrics—whether you’re seeing a solo performer or a 15-person ensemble, being in the crowd for the creators you love holds a special significance. These days, avid fans and touring musicians alike are excited to be back out at live events. And if you’re ready to get out there, Spotify is here to help you find the perfect show.

Some fans already use the Spotify app to look for upcoming shows, but we know we can do more to combine our deep understanding of our users’ tastes with our ability to directly reach them in-app. So we’re introducing a new Live Events Feed, replacing the Concert Hub, and introducing a number of updates to help fans find their favorite creators’ live events. You can find the new feed by searching “Live Events” in the app.