Tag: France

Spotify dévoile plus d’opportunités et de fonctionnalités pour les créateurs

March 8, 2023

Des artistes, des auteurs-compositeurs, des créateurs de vidéos et de contenus, des podcasteurs et des fans du monde entier ont rejoint Spotify pour notre deuxième événement Stream On aujourd’hui à Los Angeles. Alex Cooper, Bill Simmons, Ed Sheeran, Emma Chamberlain, Jennifer Lopez, GloRilla, Halsey, Joe Rogan, The Jonas Brothers, Karol G, Luke Combs, St. Vincent Tash Sultana, et d’autres personnalités ont partagé avec les équipes Spotify, échangé autour des annonces, et d’histoires inspirantes, et ont participé à des démo des nouveaux outils pour les artistes et des ressources pour les créateurs.

“Stream On, c’est avant tout pour nous une manière de donner vie à Spotify et de faire savoir aux créateurs, que nous sommes prêts à les accompagner dans toutes les étapes de leur carrière. Nous nous efforçons de créer le meilleur espace possible pour eux – un endroit où ils peuvent lancer une carrière, s’épanouir et grandir et où le monde peut être inspiré par leur créativité”, a déclaré Daniel Ek, fondateur et PDG de Spotify, lors de sa présentation. Il a alors poursuivi : “Et, c’est ce que nous faisons depuis presque 17 ans : créer, améliorer et réimaginer cette plateforme pour mieux répondre aux besoins des créateurs et les aider à se frayer un chemin vers le succès. À l’heure où nous nous tournons vers l’avenir, nous sommes ravis d’étendre cette ambition à encore plus de créateurs au travers de nouveaux formats en leur offrant les meilleures ressources, le meilleur soutien et la meilleure interactivité pour permettre encore plus de créativité, de découverte et de personnalisation.”

De la nouvelle fonctionnalité de l’application à un guichet unique holistique pour le podcasting, en passant par davantage d’opportunités pour les artistes de s’engager auprès de leurs fans, Stream On renforce notre engagement en faveur de la communauté créative.

“Alors que nous nous tournons vers l’avenir, nous sommes ravis d’étendre cette ambition à un plus grand nombre de créateurs. Nous favorisons plus que jamais la créativité, la découverte et la personnalisation en proposant les meilleures ressources, l’assistance et l’interactivité”, a déclaré M. Daniel.

Aider les fans à découvrir des créateurs et des artistes

Nous avons dévoilé l’une des plus grandes évolutions depuis la création de Spotify : une nouvelle interface dynamique sur mobile conçue pour une découverte plus approfondie et des connexions plus significatives entre les artistes et les fans.

Avec cette nouvelle expérience, nous donnons aux fans un rôle encore plus actif dans le processus de découverte audio, et aux créateurs encore plus d’espace pour partager leurs créations.  Grâce à des recommandations avancées, à de nouveaux formats visuels et à un nouveau design, nous rendons la découverte de nouveaux contenus audio plus facile que jamais, en aidant les utilisateurs à découvrir leur prochain artiste ou podcast. Il s’agit de rapprocher les créateurs et les fans – et de préparer le terrain pour des connexions durables et à long terme qui vont au-delà du succès viral.

Le nouveau Spotify sera déployé par vagues pour nos plus de 500 millions d’utilisateurs actifs mensuels à partir d’aujourd’hui. Voici ce à quoi il faut s’attendre :

  • Aperçu de musique, podcasts dans les flux Musique, Podcast pour que les auditeurs puissent écouter un extrait avant d’écouter l’intégralité. Nous ajoutons également des “raccourcis” en haut de vos flux, ce qui permet aux utilisateurs d’accéder facilement aux fichiers audio qu’ils ont écoutés récemment.
  • Un nouvel onglet recherche qui permettra aux utilisateurs d’explorer rapidement et facilement de courts clips Canvas personnalisés à partir de titres de certains de vos genres préférés. Les utilisateurs peuvent facilement enregistrer la chanson dans une playlist, suivre l’artiste ou la partager avec leurs amis, le tout à partir d’un seul endroit. Vous cherchez autre chose ? Explorez les genres apparentés en utilisant le hashtag dans le flux, tout cela dans le but de rendre la découverte encore plus facile.
  • Comme pour la musique, nous proposons désormais la lecture automatique pour les podcasts : lorsqu’un podcast se termine, un autre épisode correspondant aux goûts de l’utilisateur et pertinent commence automatiquement à être lu.
  • Plus de plaisir avec notre DJ IA personnalisé qui transforme la façon dont les auditeurs écoutent et découvrent la musique qu’ils aiment.
  • Smart Shuffle, le moyen le plus simple de redonner vie à des playlists personnalisées en un clic.

“Les recommandations Spotify sont à l’origine de près de la moitié des écoutes des utilisateurs. Et lorsque les auditeurs décident de suivre un créateur, ils consomment, en moyenne, cinq fois plus de sa musique”, a déclaré Gustav Söderström, coprésident de Spotify et Chief Product & Technology Officer. Il poursuit : “C’est pourquoi les découvertes sur Spotify – contrairement à de nombreuses autres plateformes – offrent aux créateurs bien plus qu’un moment éphémère de gloire virale. Ces connexions significatives et à long terme sont un élément clé de ce qui fait de Spotify une plateforme pour les artistes professionnels et émergents.”

Soutenir le succès des artistes grâce au streaming

Nous avons également dévoilé notre rapport annuel sur les redevances musicales, Loud & Clear. La mise à jour de 2023 montre que de plus en plus d’artistes connaissent le succès comme jamais auparavant : le nombre d’artistes générant plus d’un million de dollars, ainsi que ceux générant plus de 10 000 dollars, a plus que doublé au cours des cinq dernières années. De plus, nous estimons que le 50 000ème artiste le plus rémunérateur sur Spotify a généré plus de 50 000 dollars, toutes sources de revenus confondues. 

Loud & Clear explique également comment Spotify reverse à l’industrie la grande majorité de chaque dollar généré par la musique, soit près de 70 %, et comment les paiements de Spotify aux détenteurs de droits musicaux approchent les 40 milliards de dollars.

 Permettre aux artistes de développer leur audience grâce à des outils nouveaux ou perfectionnés 

Nous développons constamment notre gamme d’outils pour aider les artistes à trouver les fans qui aimeront le plus leur musique. Voici quelques-unes des nouvelles fonctionnalités qu’ils trouveront bientôt dans la section Campagnes de Spotify for Artists

  • Marquee est une recommandation sponsorisée s’affichant en plein écran lors d’une nouvelle sortie. Elle est destinée à toucher les auditeurs qui ont montré un intérêt particulier pour la musique d’un artiste. En moyenne, cette fonctionnalité est 10 fois plus efficace pour inciter les auditeurs à écouter de la musique sur Spotify, que les publicités classiques sur les réseaux sociaux. 
  • Discovery Mode est un outil qui permet aux artistes et à leurs équipes d’identifier les chansons prioritaires, et Spotify ajoutera ce signal aux algorithmes qui créent les sessions d’écoute personnalisées. Aujourd’hui, Discovery Mode est directement disponible dans Spotify for Artists, et accessible à un plus grand nombre d’artistes et à leurs équipes, y compris des milliers d’artistes et de labels distribués de manière indépendante.
  • Showcase est une encart mobile sur notre tout nouveau flux d’accueil, qui présente la musique d’un artiste, qu’il s’agisse d’une nouvelle sortie ou d’un catalogue, à des auditeurs potentiels. Nous commençons tout juste à tester Showcase avec des artistes et des labels, et nous le rendrons plus largement disponible dans un avenir proche.

Nous avons également donné plus de détails sur la prochaine ligne de revenus qu’elle souhaite aider les artistes à développer : les produits dérivés et les événements en direct.

  • Les nouvelles fonctionnalités de découverte des concerts et des produits dérivés permettent aux amateurs de show en Live de ne jamais manquer un événement. Les auditeurs recevront des offres de produits dérivés ainsi que les dates et lieux de concerts directement dans l’application. Si un concert retient l’attention d’un fan, il pourra appuyer sur un nouveau bouton “intéressé” pour enregistrer la liste dans son propre calendrier dans le fil des événements en direct. Les utilisateurs peuvent ajuster leur localisation et parcourir les concerts du monde entier, le tout personnalisé selon leurs goûts. 
  • Spotify étend également son programme Fans First à d’autres artistes, en veillant à ce que les auditeurs les plus fidèles reçoivent des e-mails et des notifications qui leur donnent un accès spécial aux préventes de concerts et aux exclusivités commerciales.

Nous avons également dévoilé de nouvelles fonctionnalités et des extensions de produits permettant à un plus grand nombre d’artistes de s’exprimer d’une nouvelle manière et de susciter l’engouement des fans :

  • Spotify Clips, qui permet aux artistes d’ajouter des vidéos de 30 secondes à leur profil et à leur page d’album, afin que les fans puissent en savoir plus sur leur histoire pendant qu’ils écoutent leurs créations ; et 
  • Countdown Pages, qui offrent un espace dédié sur le profil de l’artiste et le fil d’accueil de Spotify pour que les fans puissent préenregistrer les albums, voir des vidéos exclusives, précommander des produits dérivés, prévisualiser les playlists et regarder le compte à rebours jusqu’à la sortie d’un nouvel album.

Spotify for Podcasters la plateforme unique pour les créateurs

Les créateurs de podcasts ont rejoint nos dirigeants sur scène pour présenter la nouvelle version de Spotify for Podcasters. Le site rassemble désormais le meilleur des outils de création de podcasts de Spotify en un guichet unique pour créer, gérer, développer et monétiser le contenu des podcasts, y compris :

  • Une plus grande disponibilité des fonctionnalités uniques de Spotify telles que le podcasting vidéo, les épisodes interactifs utilisant les questions-réponses et les sondages, les abonnements et les analyses approfondies.
  • Podcast previews, Podcast Chapters, Spotify Labs et un nouvel espace pour le contenu éducatif.
  • Megaphone, La solution d’hébergement de Spotify pour les entreprises éditeurs sera intégrée à Spotify pour les podcasteurs dans le futur. Netflix et l’Australien Schwartz Media viennent d’être signés comme deux des plus récents éditeurs.

Nous avons également évoqué la croissance de la Spotify Audience Network (SPAN), notre marketplace audio qui met en relation les éditeurs de podcasts et les créateurs indépendants avec les annonceurs, y compris les paiements mensuels aux éditeurs ayant opté pour cette solution.

  • Depuis son lancement en 2021, SPAN a connu une croissance de près de 50 %. La participation des annonceurs a depuis augmenté de 500 %.  
  • Le nombre de podcasters indépendants et d’entreprise participant à SPAN a été multiplié par huit au cours des deux dernières années, NPR étant le dernier éditeur à rejoindre le réseau.
  • Nous nous associons à Patreon, qui permettra aux créateurs de développer leur activité créative grâce aux paiements directs des fans, et aux fans d’écouter le contenu de leur Patreon sur Spotify.

Annonce de nouveaux Spotify Originals et Exclusive 

Les podcasts Spotify Original et Exclusive ont connu un grand succès en 2022, avec Case 63, The Joe Rogan Experience, et Call Her Daddy qui ont pris les premières places du top mondial des podcasts de Wrapped. Et maintenant que Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain est exclusivement sur notre plateforme, Spotify a quatre des cinq plus grands succès mondiaux.

Nous complétons notre catalogue avec de nouvelles émissions, dont T The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark. Ce dernier titre suit la série Batman Unburied et ses personnages dans une toute nouvelle histoire dirigée par Phantom 4 et le cinéaste, romancier et auteur de bandes dessinées David S. Goyer.

Nous proposons également plus de podcasts vidéo, avec Forbidden Fruits with Julia Fox and Niki Takesh qui revient pour une deuxième saison et une édition exclusive de l’émission en podcast vidéo. Le podcast de Drew Afualo, The Comment Section, sera également disponible en exclusivité sur Spotify à partir du 5 avril.

We’ve also entered into an exclusive video partnership with Markiplier to produce exclusive video episodes of Distractible and Go! My Favorite Sports Team for Spotify beginning today. And with innovative partnerships on the way from Collab, Creative Juice, Get Engaged Media, Golden Child, and Karat to bring their creators’ videos to Spotify, as well as limited video series exclusively available on Spotify from Mindset Mentor, we’re looking forward to introducing millions of new listeners to video podcasts. 

Nous avons également conclu un partenariat vidéo exclusif avec Markiplier pour produire des épisodes vidéo exclusifs de Distractible et Go! My Favorite Sports Team pour Spotify à partir d’aujourd’hui. Et avec des partenariats innovants avec Collab, Creative Juice, Get Engaged Media, Golden Child, et Karat pour apporter les vidéos de leurs créateurs sur Spotify, ainsi que des séries limitées de vidéos exclusivement disponibles sur Spotify avec Mindset Mentor, nous sommes impatients de faire découvrir les podcasts vidéo à des millions de nouveaux auditeurs.

Accueillir les créateurs et les artistes chez Spotify

Immédiatement après la présentation, nous avons ouvert les portes de notre campus à Los Angeles Arts District aux créateurs pour l’événement “Play On” afin de présenter de nouveaux outils, d’organiser des ateliers avec les meilleurs créateurs de l’industrie et de partager sur la meilleure façon d’utiliser Spotify avec les personnes qui ont aidé à développer les outils au sein de l’entreprise. Pour conclure, nous organiserons une présentation exclusivement féminine pour célébrer la Journée internationale des droits des femmes. 

“Aujourd’hui, Spotify compte plus de dix millions de créateurs et plus d’un demi-milliard d’auditeurs dans 184 pays et marchés”, a déclaré Daniel. “Pensez au potentiel énorme que cela représente pour les créateurs. Peu importe où vous en êtes dans votre parcours créatif dans le domaine de la musique ou des podcasts. Le potentiel d’atteindre un demi-milliard de personnes. Et cette portée est sur le point de devenir plus puissante grâce à ce que nous avons présenté aujourd’hui”.

Pour les avis de non-responsabilité concernant les déclarations prospectives, veuillez consulter.

Belgian Artist Stromae Returns With New Music and Nominations

February 13, 2023

a photo of stromae standing on a platform looking out at a crowd

In 2010, Stromae emphatically introduced himself to the world with his electropop track “Alors on danse.” The song reached number one in 12 countries across Europe. The Belgian artist, who has a knack for blending hip-hop and dance music, followed with 2013’s “Papaoutai,” a hit in France, Germany, and Switzerland, among others. But after releasing two successful albums, receiving multiple awards, and performing on stages worldwide, the singer stepped away from the spotlight.

In 2022, Stromae returned in a big way with the release of Multitude, another chart-topper in Europe. He collaborated with Spotify to create a video for the third single off the album, “Fils de Joie.” Four nominations—and two wins—followed at the Victoires de la Musique, a premier music awards ceremony in France, including a nomination for best audiovisual creation for “Fils de Joie.” 

On Spotify, more than 425,000 playlists mention “Stromae,” and more than 25 million playlists include at least one track by the Belgian. Listeners often discover his music on party- and dance-themed playlists. And while his songs are sung in French, after France, the top countries streaming Stromae include Germany, the U.S. the Netherlands, and Mexico.

For the Record caught up with Stromae to learn more about his return to music, the video he created with Spotify, and how it feels to be the most-nominated artist at the Victoires de la Musique.

Multitude was your first album release in nine years. How has your sound evolved since the start of your career?

For this album, I wanted to go further in my musical inspirations and extend them to the whole world. I wanted to use folkloric, traditional sounds from all over the world, no matter what continent. It’s also the first time I collaborated with so many different musicians. I really enjoyed it, and it allowed me to enrich what I already had.

Can you tell us about the “Fils de Joie” music video and its creative direction?

The idea for the video came from Coralie Barbier, my stylist and creative director. We wanted to create a national tribute to a missing sex worker. The idea was to make her a national hero in an imaginary country. The lyrics of the song came to me while watching Faustine Bollaert‘s show, Ca commence aujourd’hui, which talked about the children of sex workers. 

I was very touched by their stories and shocked by the violence of some of the comments made about them. I started from that, and I wanted to take everyone’s point of view (the son, the client, the pimp, and the policeman) except his own [the son’s] because he is never asked for his opinion. It’s a way of highlighting these women who have a very difficult job and who are completely invisible. 

What was it like working with Spotify on the music video?

Spotify’s help allowed us to make a video that lived up to our ambitions. We are really grateful for that. Thanks again to them for their support, and especially to Spotify’s Global Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich!

Why do you think music videos are such a powerful addition to a song? 

I’ve always been a big fan of music videos. It’s a passion I share with Coralie and Luc Van Haver, who is my other creative director and longtime executive director. For us, it’s a way to add an extra dimension to a song and to immerse the audience in a unique universe. 

What was your reaction to your four nominations for the Victoires de la Musique?

I was very honored to learn I was nominated in four categories. It’s the maximum you can get, so it’s very gratifying. I would like to thank all the people who voted for me. It’s very heartwarming.

Mosaert, the creative label you co-founded in 2009, fuses music, visual design, and fashion. Is it important for you to have a creative outlet that expands beyond your music?

Mosaert has allowed me to keep a lot of artistic freedom since I started. My label produces everything I do—all the content we create, the videos, the live shows, the outfits, etc. We love to imagine unique and complete universes that go beyond the music; it allows us to amplify it and add an extra dimension to each creation.

 

Check out the latest music from Stromae on Spotify:

 

Photo credit: Lydie Bonhomme

Gaming and Hip-Hop Go Head-to-Head at a Spotify Event in France

January 20, 2023

When it comes to gaming, nothing quite ups the adrenaline—or helps you focus—like playing music. The two go hand in hand, and nothing proves this more than our listeners’ streaming habits in France.

In the last six months, Spotify France listeners have streamed more than 52 million hours of music across Discord, PlayStation, and Xbox. And the players’ genre of choice? French rap. The rapper Jul, who was the most-listened-to Spotify artist in France last year, is the most-listened-to artist streamed on gaming platforms by French gamers. Gamers have listened to his music on the three platforms for more than 42 million hours.

To celebrate the nation’s love for gaming and music, Spotify France hosted an event called Le Van (The Van in English). We invited three popular gamers and three hip-hop stars to the stage to compete in a series of games. Squeezie, Billy RebeuDeter, and Inoxtag represented the gaming community, while Dinos, Soso Maness, and Niska stepped up for the artists.

See How Fans Celebrated the World’s Game on Spotify

December 21, 2022

a graphic image of black and white soccer balls on a green turf background

Over the past month, football fans around the world joined together to cheer on their countries’ teams as they competed in the world’s biggest sporting event. And whether it was with classic anthems, podcasts, or destinations, Spotify was there to soundtrack the biggest goals, victories, and moments of glory that the world’s game produced.

As the tournament unfolded, there were many unexpected victories and moments of excitement that sparked fans to celebrate with their favorite anthems. And we’ve helped fans capture those moments by tracking some of the key trends and creating new experiences. 

Let’s revisit some of Spotify’s big musical moments from the tournament.

  • Ultimately, the quest for football glory came down to Argentina and France, with Argentina the celebratory victor! In Argentina, football fans were able to enjoy a special Spotify destination from the start of the tournament. Along the way, La Mosca Tse-Tse’s anthem “Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar” saw a massive spike in popularity, and following Argentina’s unprecedented victory, there was a 4,300% increase in global streams of “Muchachos” on Spotify globally, with a 5,300% increase of streams from Argentina specifically. 
  • Fans also celebrated with Queen’s “We Are The Champions,” which saw a 320% increase in streams in Argentina following the final game.
  • There was also something for French fans, who streamed our playlist Allez Les Bleus !, which features local and global football anthems from past and present.
  • Overall, Gala’s 1997 hit “Freed From Desire” proved to be one of the standout football anthems over the last month, with fans in France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Poland all flocking to the song.
  • Following Saudi Arabia’s historic upset of Argentina in the group stages of the tournament, Spotify Arabia celebrated by highlighting Madonna’s 1996 hit from the musical Evita, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” The song saw an over 1,200% increase in streaming in Saudi.

Continue to celebrate the beautiful game and relive your favorite moments from the world’s biggest sporting event with our playlist Himnos de Futbol.

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.

The Brand-New Podcasts (and Your Returning Faves) Being Released From France

September 20, 2022

The fall season is upon us and that means our 2022-2023 lineup of French podcasts is ready to share. Continuing our ongoing support of French audio creators, we have a full slate of shows that will excite and engage fans. With the 12 Spotify Original podcasts returning for a new season, fans will also say bonjour to two new podcasts, including a video podcast from Gen Z star Léna Situations.

So what can listeners expect? Here’s a look at the full slate of French-language podcasts debuting and returning this fall through spring next year:

What’s New 

Canapé 6 places, premiering October 20

Social media superstar and author Léna Situations will make her grand entry into the podcasting world by giving fans an intimate look at her life through interviews and conversations with this weekly podcast that combines audio and video.

Backstory, premiering January 2023

Gloire Savula Mbongo (aka Regloi) gives you the inside scoop on some of your favorite songs by exploring the meaning behind their lyrics and decrypting the historical aspects infused within them.

Coming back 

Spotify France and shesaid.so Partner To Create Online Directory of Women, Trans, and Nonbinary Music Professionals

May 27, 2022

Spotify has been taking steps to increase the number of women and nonbinary individuals in the music industry for years. From our Equalizer project in the Nordics to our collaborative study with USC Annenberg in the U.S. and our EQUAL program elevating talented women musicians around the world, there’s no shortage of initiatives aimed at creating better gender equity in the industry. But it’s not enough, and much more still must be done. 

Yesterday, at the Nuits Sonores in Lyon, France, Spotify and shesaid.so announced Majeur.e.s., the first inclusive online directory of professional women, trans, and nonbinary individuals within the music industry in France. This directory aims to accelerate change in a music industry that is still deeply unequal.

“As the leading streaming platform, we have a responsibility and a role to play in order to build a more egalitarian music industry,” says Julie Beherec, Artist and Label Partnerships Manager at Spotify France. “Beyond the support we give to women artists through our EQUAL program, we deemed it necessary and in fact urgent to give more space to women and minorities within the music industry by making their profiles more visible when they’re so often overlooked. Which is why we’re extremely proud to support this initiative by helping create and develop the Majeur.e.s. Directory.” 

The site majeures.org functions as a database that will allow professionals within the music industry to find and hire experienced individuals. With this inclusive online directory of women, trans, and nonbinary music professionals in France, there’s a streamlined, clear way to find the technician any production needs. This complimentary tool comes a year after the launch of the EQUAL program in France and numerous other countries around the world, and as Spotify France tackles gender discrimination in collaboration with shesaid.so and other NGOs locally. 

“The music industry is in constant evolution, and it’s of the utmost importance that we accompany its actors with the adequate tools,” says Claire Morel, President of shesaid.so France. “It’s majeures.org’s role. Majeur.e.s. is truly an accelerator of equality.”

Check out majeures.org to find a directory of women, trans, and nonbinary music professionals. Then stream our EQUAL France playlist for a taste of the talent there. 

These New Spotify Video Podcasts Are Engaging Listeners Around the World

December 22, 2021

If you love getting to know the personalities behind your favorite podcasts, you’ll be excited to hear that more content creators are turning to video podcasts. In July 2020, Spotify launched video podcasts with Anchor, which gives Spotify Original creators the option of adding video to their audio experience. (This past October, we opened the capability up to even more creators.) Now, cultural commentators like DJ Akademics, host of Off the Record With DJ Akademics, have been using the video format to make their shows more dynamic and form deeper connections with listeners. 

With such a feature offering a unique experience on Spotify, we’re now starting to roll out original video content in several additional countries—including Japan, Italy, France, and Sweden. Here’s a look at some of the Spotify Original video podcasts topping charts around the world.

Educast: Passionate Learning University

Spotify’s first video podcast in Japan is Educast: Passionate Learning University, which launched in collaboration with television network Nippon TV. The educational show covers a variety of topics, and every other Monday three new episodes are released featuring lecturers who are experts in their respective fields. Recent guests include model and video creator Neo, Tokyo Olympics skateboarding gold medalist Sakura Yosozumi, and Japanese actor Ryuji Sato. 

New G

Italy debuted its first-ever video podcast, New G, this past November. The show releases new episodes every Thursday and features five dynamic hosts, each of whom comes from a different cultural background. In each episode, the group discusses and debates different subjects, all with a common thread: how diversity influences our life experiences. The first episode tackles the question, “Do parents belong on social media?” Only four episodes in, New G has already become a hit among Italian listeners. 

La Fabuleuse 

Starring a team of five influencers living under one roof, La Fabuleuse is France’s first video podcast from Spotify Studios France. Every Wednesday, a new episode is released on a different topic: friendship, mental health, astrology, sexuality, gender identity—you name it. Each member of this fabulous fivesome brings their own opinion to the table. So far, the show has seen great success: Every La Fabuleuse episode has made it to the top 10 on the Spotify Charts in France, with most reaching the top five, or even the number one spot, on the week of their release. 

​Bakom micken med Filip Dikmen 

Sweden recently joined the video podcast game with Bakom micken med Filip Dikmen, an interview series where comedian Filip Dikmen takes listeners behind the mic with Swedish artists. Since the podcast premiered on September 1, Filip has interviewed Myra Granberg, A36, B.Baby, Mona Masrour, Lamix, and Peg Parnevik. With Filip’s trademark humor and the format’s engaging nature, it’s no surprise that this show has thousands of listeners tuning in. 

 Ready to watch, listen, and learn? Stream all of Spotify’s video podcasts directly from the Spotify mobile app, or head to Anchor’s blog to find out how you can start creating your own video podcasts. 

Spotify’s Music + Talk Show Format is Expanding Across the Globe

August 18, 2021

Music + Talk gif

Last October, Spotify launched a pioneering listening experience called Music + Talk that brings together music and spoken-word content. The unique format weaves full songs and talk commentary together​ into one show.

Through Anchor, Spotify has also made Music + Talk an accessible format that anyone can use to create these unique shows. Anchor’s suite of tools is already available to users in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. 

Starting today, we’re expanding the experience to millions more creators and listeners around the world and sharing the tool with 15 new markets across Europe, Latin America, and Asia. 

Here’s everything you need to know.

Where in the world is Music + Talk?

With this expansion, Japan, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia will have access to the blended audio experience.

Creators in these markets will now have access to the “Music” tool in Anchor, where they can incorporate full songs from Spotify’s library of 70 million tracks into their spoken-word audio creations. And in return, listeners can interact directly with the music within an episode by liking, saving, and sharing with each track as they would in any playlist. 

The shows will be available to Premium and Free listeners. Spotify Premium users will hear full tracks as part of these shows, while Free users will hear 30-second previews of each song. Shows can be listened to globally wherever Spotify is available.

Our catalog of Music + Talk Spotify Originals will also get a boost across a number of markets as new shows from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, India, Japan, and the Philippines join our library today. Plus, there’s more to come from all the markets included in our latest launch. These shows will explore the many facets of music, from the stories and inspiration behind a song to the listening trends of the modern age, and they will offer an opportunity for artists to engage listeners in a unique way.

More ways to get inspired

Along with the market expansion, Spotify will begin offering a variety of new educational and inspirational resources for creators interested in using Music + Talk.

Today also marks the launch of an exciting new Spotify Original called Music + Talk: Unlocked, which will explore creative uses of the Music + Talk format—from guided runs to music trivia and more. Listeners and creators can find more best-in-class shows in the Music + Talk hub in the Spotify app.

Since we rolled out Music + Talk last year, we’ve learned from the needs and behaviors of listeners, as we always do with new products. Savvy streamers will notice that we’ve implemented small tweaks to improve the listening experience and reflect those needs: clearer visual distinction between the music and talk segments of an episode and music previews on episode pages.

We can’t wait to see new creativity and stories from around the globe as more markets make the audio storytelling features their own. Check out Anchor’s blog post and creator landing page for more information on how to get started with Music + Talk.

Spotify Listeners in 11 Markets Can Now Ask Alexa to Play Podcasts—Here’s How

December 16, 2020

Last year, we announced that U.S. listeners could ask their Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts. Starting today, listeners in 11 new markets—Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, India, Austria, and Ireland—can ask Alexa to do the same. 

Podcasts delight, entertain, inform, and inspire people across the world, and there’s always more to stream, for both Free and Premium listeners. Now with Alexa, you can get listening to any of the millions more on Spotify—just by using your voice.

Ready to get started? Setup is easy, and only takes a few moments:

  1. Go to the Amazon Alexa App.
  2. Open the menu, head to Settings, then Music & Podcasts.
  3. If Spotify is not connected, tap “Link New Service” and select Spotify.
  4. Link your Spotify account to your Alexa account.
  5. If you’re in Brazil, Mexico, Germany, or the UK, tap “Default Services,” and then select Spotify as the default podcast service.
  6. Say “Alexa, play [your podcast of choice] podcast on Spotify” and get listening!


Not sure what to start with? New podcasts from every market and in many languages are increasingly available on Spotify. Just check out a few that have come out in each of the markets where Alexa is available this year:

To learn more about playing podcasts on all your Alexa devices at home, head to the Amazon Alexa Explore Spotify page.

*Update February 4, 2021: Listeners in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts.

*Update March 31, 2021: Listeners in Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Sweden, Poland, and the Netherlands can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts.

*Update April 28, 2021: Listeners in Belgium and Switzerland can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts.

*Update May 26, 2021: Listeners in Singapore, Denmark, and Norway can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts.

*Update June 16, 2021: Listeners in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts.

*Update December 8, 2021: Listeners in Saudi Arabia and U.A.E can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite songs on Spotify. Users in U.A.E can also enjoy their favorite podcasts.

*Update May 25, 2022: Listeners in Ecuador, Hong Kong, South Africa, Taiwan, and Thailand can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite music and podcasts.

Spotify’s ‘Sandra’ Podcast Goes Global—and Local—With ‘Sara,’ ‘Susi,’ ‘Sonia,’ and ‘Sofia’ Debuting in France, Germany, Mexico, and Brazil

July 6, 2020

In April 2018, Gimlet (now a Spotify company) launched Sandra, a seven-part fictional drama depicting a world where artificial intelligence isn’t so artificial. With big names (and voices) like Alia Shawkat (Helen), Kristin Wiig (Sandra), and Ethan Hawke (Dustin), the show launched to critical acclaim. And due to its relevant themes of technology, security, and self-actualization, Spotify deemed it a story worth telling listeners around the world. 

So on Tuesday, July 7, Spotify and Gimlet will premiere an exclusive localized version of the Sandra podcast in four markets: France, Germany, Brazil, and Mexico. The show has not only been translated into each local language—it’s also been specially adapted via a culturally relevant name (Sara in France, Susi in Germany, Sonia in Mexico, and Sofia in Brazil), a customized storyline, and more.

Other podcasts have been translated, but these Sandra adaptations will be the first truly localized adaptations ever made of a hit fictional podcast. The Spotify Studios teams in France, Germany, Brazil, and Mexico have worked with local directors to adapt the script, cast local talent, and reimagine the podcast with an appreciation for local culture, language, and nuance. In each market, the podcast has an A-list cast mixed with traditional TV and film actors as well as digital creators and influencers. 

Take a look at the names behind each market’s version and the unique spin the creators have taken to make it their own.

France — Sara

  • Starring Virginie Efira as Sara (Sandra), Natoo as Helen, and Stéphane De Groodt as Dustin
  • Biggest change for Sara: “The geographical localization of the story is a change which required a lot of thinking. We needed to find the French equivalent of Helen’s hometown, a small city with little perspective and excitement. But it also needed to fit the story’s actions in a realistic manner. Which French city is close enough to a prison so that you can go and come back in a day as Helen does when she visits her husband? This is how Guymon became Ruffec, in the French region of Charentes.” – Claire Hazan, Head of Studios, France & Benelux
  • Biggest challenge for Sara: “Keeping the original rhythm and dynamic of a scene is something that can be tricky when changing languages. The words can be longer or shorter, they can impact how a sentence feels, the duration of a whole scene and, in the end, the pace of the story. We chose to work with a production studio who developed a very specific creative response to that issue. They created a tool which synchronizes the soundwave of the original English-speaking audio and the words in French. It has greatly helped our actors to find the right tone and rhythm for their acting.” – Claire Hazan, Head of Studios, France & Benelux

Germany – Susi

  • Starring Martina Hill as Susi (Sandra), Almila Bagriacik as Sara (Helen), and Bastian Pastewka as Jens (Dustin)
  • Biggest change for Susi: “All the little details that will make it authentic to the German audience. For example, the big change is in where the story is set and things you can hear in the background—watch out for the TV program in one scene.” – Saruul Krause-Jentsch, Spotify Head of Studios Germany
  • Biggest challenge for Susi: “We ended up casting quite big names even for the smallest roles which, obviously, made scheduling and recording difficult from time to time. But after hearing the result, that was all worth it.” – Saruul Krause-Jentsch, Spotify Head of Studios Germany

Mexico – Sonia

Brazil – Sofia

  • Biggest change for Sonia and Sofia: “This is our first podcast project on a global scale on Spotify. Our expectations are high with Sonia in Mexico and Sofia in Brazil.” – Javier Piñol, Head of Spotify Studios in Latin America and U.S. LatinX audiences
  • Biggest challenge for Sonia and Sofia: “Our main challenge when it comes to adapting a global project is that it doesn’t always allow you to introduce some local tones and nuances, but when we decided that Sandra would go global, we agreed on one common goal: to adapt it to the local culture. And that’s exactly what we did by having a local production and casting these talents. The result couldn’t be better.” – Javier Piñol, Head of Spotify Studios in Latin America and U.S. LatinX audiences

The Sandra adaptation marks a podcasting milestone across the world. “Spotify is uniquely positioned to grow podcasting globally, but we know our customers also want authentic local programming,” says Courtney Holt, Global Head of Studios and Video, Spotify. “Adapting Sandra is a great example of that. By thinking and programming locally, and using our creative teams on the ground in each market, we’re able to develop a show that feels like a German, or French, or Mexican, or Brazilian podcast, rather than a translation. Sandra was also Gimlet’s first scripted podcast when it launched in 2018. The fact that podcasting, and specifically Sandra, has drawn such a group of A-List talent in each market is also a great endorsement of the medium growing at a global scale.”

Missed out on the original? Stream Sandra below.

Spotify Kids Is Now Available in the U.S., Canada, and France

March 31, 2020

Last year, we helped bring families together with Spotify Kids—our stand-alone app in beta  designed specifically for kids ages three and older. The app, which has been exclusive to Spotify Premium Family subscribers in select countries, was developed with safety and privacy in mind. It’s an ad-free experience where young listeners can explore sing-alongs, soundtracks, and stories on their own or with their families. Now, at a time when so many kids are home from school, we’re bringing the experience to even more people as the app rolls out in the U.S., Canada, and France—and we hope parents there will find it useful as well.

This comes off our initial launch of Spotify Kids in beta in Ireland, followed by Sweden, Denmark, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. With more than 125 playlists, Spotify Kids makes it easy for families to listen to their favorite songs and stories while also discovering new ones. Everything on Spotify Kids has been hand selected by our editors, so you can be sure that the content is both kid friendly and—most importantly—fun!

 

We’re constantly working on ways to make the Kids experience even better, and we had the opportunity to take into consideration the ideas and feedback from parents who have already used the app with their kids. So here’s what’s new and launching soon on the app:

More to love

  • In the U.S. and Canada, there are now more than 8,000 songs available in the Kids app—that’s 30% more than when we first launched. And because variety is the spice of life, every day we’re adding more songs in all markets. We’ve also added more audiobooks and stories to the library, including Disney Music Group Stories, fairytales, classics, and short stories. 

Bedtime is even better

  • Parents told us that they love using Kids around bedtime, so we’ve added more lullabies, calming music and sounds, and bedtime stories to help lull your little ones to sleep. Sweet dreams!

A more customized experience

  • Parenting is personal. That’s why we’re working on giving parents more control over what kids can (and can’t) listen to and new features that will allow parents to further customize the experience. In addition, half of the content you’ll find in Kids is based on what’s popular in the country you live in.

Even more educational content

  • There has always been a focus on educational musical content for kids on the app, including a playlist hub called Learning that features songs that teach kids about counting, the ABC’s, science, and more. Recently, we also added a new global playlist with songs to help kids learn general hygiene best practices, like how to wash their hands and cough and sneeze properly into their elbows. This playlist features the newly released song from Pinkfong, “Wash Your Hands with Baby Shark.” Plus, relevant educational content on the app will continue to grow.

We even have some new offerings specifically for our U.S. users. Here are some of the unique features U.S. families can expect:

Diverse content

  • The U.S. is a melting pot of cultures, and the music our listeners stream reflects that. So in addition to all the core favorites you’d expect, the U.S. Kids app also includes Spanish-language, country, Christian, Motown, and soul dance party playlists.

Pop culture crazy

  • Just like the main Spotify app, Kids taps into the big cultural moments listeners love. For example, we know that movies and music go hand in hand, which is why you’ll find the Trolls World Tour playlist and an official Frozen playlist featured in the app.

Because two heads are better…

  • We’re working alongside children’s brands like Disney Music Group, KIDZ BOP, and Nickelodeon to create totally unique Spotify Kids content and experiences. Stay tuned: we think you’ll like what you hear.

 

The Spotify Kids app is available exclusively for Spotify Premium Family subscribers at no additional charge and can be downloaded on iOS or Android devices. New Premium subscribers are also eligible for one month free of Premium Family—just visit spotify.com/family.