Tag: Innovation

Spotify Brings Entrepreneurs and Trailblazers Together to Talk the Future of Tech in the UK

April 17, 2024

With its particular combination of talent, ambition, culture, and, of course, world-famous music, the U.K. has been an important piece of the Spotify puzzle since we launched in 2008. Today, as one of our biggest research and development hubs, it’s where we experiment with some of our most exciting new launches and products, including audiobooks in Premium, video-based learning courses, and, most recently, AI Playlist.

Spotify’s success in the U.K. is due in large part to the country’s open, connected, and competitive economy. Exceeding £1 trillion, the U.K.’s technology market is the largest in Europe and the third-largest in the world.

But the country is also at a crossroads, with profound technological, political, and economic changes on the horizon. That’s why Spotify decided to gather industry leaders across the tech, media, and policymaking landscape for an action-packed evening at our London office. Together, we celebrated the entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of the U.K. while exploring how the country remains at the forefront of technological advancement and innovation.

On April 16, we assembled entrepreneurs and trailblazers for a series of candid and thought-provoking conversations alongside a group of influencers, commentators, and policymakers. Dustee Jenkins, Chief Public Affairs Officer at Spotify, hosted the evening.

Rachel Bittner on Basic Pitch: An Open Source Tool for Musicians

September 1, 2022

orange open source and coding symbols on a blue, green, and white background

Music creation has never been as accessible as it is now. Gone are the days of classical composers, sheet music, and prohibitively expensive studio time when only trained, bankrolled musicians had the opportunity to transcribe notes onto a page. As technology has changed, so too has the art of music creation—and today it is easier than ever for experts and novices alike to compose, produce, and distribute music. 

Now, musicians use a computer-based digital standard called MIDI (pronounced “MID-ee”). MIDI acts like sheet music for computers, describing which notes are played and when—in a format that’s easy to edit. But creating music from scratch, even using MIDI, can still be very tedious. If you play piano and have a MIDI keyboard, you can create MIDI by playing. But if you don’t, you must create it manually: note by note, click by click. 

To help solve this problem, Spotify’s machine learning experts trained a neural network to predict MIDI note events when given audio input. The network is packaged in a tool called Basic Pitch, which we just released as an open source project. 

“Basic Pitch makes it easier for musicians to create MIDI from acoustic instruments—for example, by singing their ideas,” says Rachel Bittner, a research manager at Spotify who is focused on applied machine learning on audio. “It can also give musicians a quick ‘starting point’ transcription instead of having to write down everything manually, saving them time and resources. Basically, it allows musicians to compose on the instrument they want to compose on. They can jam on their ukulele, record it on their phone, then use Basic Pitch to turn that recording into MIDI. So we’ve made MIDI, this standard that’s been around for decades, more accessible to more creators. We hope this saves them time and effort while also allowing them to be more expressive and spontaneous.”

For the Record asked Rachel to tell us more about the thinking and development that go into Basic Pitch and other machine learning efforts, and how the team decided to open up the tool for anyone to access and to innovate on.

Help us understand the basics. How are machine learning models being applied to audio?

Rachel Bittner

On the audio ML (machine learning) teams at Spotify, we build neural networks—like the ones that are used to recognize images or understand language—but ours are designed specifically for audio. Similar to how you ask your voice assistant to identify the words you’re saying and also make sense of the meaning behind those words, we’re using neural networks to understand and process audio in music and podcasts. This work combines our ML research and practices with domain knowledge about audio—understanding the fundamentals of how music works, like pitch, tone, tempo, the frequencies of different instruments, and more.

What are some examples of machine learning projects you’re working on that align with our mission to give “a million creators the opportunity to live off their art”?

Spotify enables creators to reach listeners and listeners to discover new creators. A lot of our work helps with this in indirect ways—for example, identifying tracks that might go well together on a playlist because they share similar sonic qualities like instrumentation or recording style. Maybe one track is already a listener’s favorite and the other one is something new they might like.

We also build tools that help creative artists actually create. Some of our tech is in Soundtrap, Spotify’s digital audio workstation (DAW), which is used to produce music and podcasts. It’s like having a complete studio online. And then there’s Basic Pitch, which is a stand-alone tool for converting audio into MIDI that we just released as an open source project. We open sourced Basic Pitch and built an online demo, so anyone can use it to translate musical notes in a recording (including voice, guitar, or piano).

Unlike similar ML models, Basic Pitch is not only versatile and accurate at doing this, but it’s also fast and computationally lightweight. So the musician doesn’t have to sit around forever waiting for their recording to process. And on the technological and environmental side, it uses way less energy—we’re talking orders of magnitude less—compared to other ML models. We named the project Basic Pitch because it can also detect pitch bends in the notes, which is a particularly tricky problem for this kind of model. But also because the model itself is so lightweight and fast.

What else makes Basic Pitch a unique machine learning project for Spotify?

I mentioned before how computationally lightweight it is—that’s a good thing. In my opinion, the ML industry tends to overlook the environmental and energy impact of their models. Usually with ML models like this—whether it’s for processing images, audio, or text—you throw as much processing power as you can at the problem as the default method for reaching some level of accuracy. But from the beginning, we had a different approach in mind: We wanted to see if we could build a model that was both accurate and efficient, and if you have that mindset from the start, it changes the technical decisions you make in how you build the model. Not only is our model as accurate as (or even more accurate than) similar models, but since it’s lightweight, it’s also faster, which is better for the user, too. 

What’s the benefit of open sourcing this tool?

It gives more people access to it since anyone with a web browser can use the online demo. Plus, we believe the external contributions from the open source community help it evolve as software to create a better, more useful product for everyone. For example, while we believe Basic Pitch solves an important problem, the quality of the MIDI that our system (and others’) produces is still far from human-level accuracy. By making it available to creators and developers, we can use our individual knowledge and experience with the product to continue to improve that quality. 

What’s next for Basic Pitch in this area?

There’s so much potential for what we can do with this technology in the future. For example, Basic Pitch could eventually be integrated into a real-time system, allowing a live performance to be automatically accompanied by other MIDI instruments that “react” to what the performer is doing.

Additionally, we shared an early version of Basic Pitch with Bad Snacks, an artist-producer who has a YouTube channel where she shares production tips with other musicians. She’s been playing around with Basic Pitch, and we’ve already made improvements to it based on her feedback, fixing how the online demo handles MIDI tempo, and other things to make it work better for a musician’s workflow. We partnered with her to use Basic Pitch to create an original composition, which she released as a single on Spotify. She even posted a behind-the-scenes video on her channel showing how she used Basic Pitch to create the track. The violin solo section is particularly cool.

But it’s not just artists and creators that we’re excited about. We’re equally looking forward to seeing what everyone in the open-source developer community has been doing with it. We expect to discover many areas for improvement, along with new possibilities for how it could be used. We’re proud of the research that went into Basic Pitch and we’re happy to show it off. We’ll be even happier if musicians start using it as part of their creative workflows. Share your compositions with us!

Create a cool track using Basic Pitch? Share it on Twitter with the hashtag #basicpitch and tag the team @SpotifyEng.

Distributed First Contributes to Spotify’s Strength

September 1, 2022

animation of people working across many workplaces

Enter a meeting room in any Spotify office and you’ll see a reminder on the screen, a mantra to keep in mind as you turn on the monitor to start your meeting: “We are distributed first,” it reads. “Does everyone in the room and on-screen have an opportunity to speak?” 

As a company, Spotify has long appreciated and embraced the intricacies of hybrid meetings. Global and local teams as well as collaborators worldwide meant that combined in-person and virtual meetings were already a big part of the company culture. Still, the majority of our 6,000+ employees were heading into work daily at one of our offices prior to the start of the pandemic. 

Yet Spotify’s leadership team recognized early that in-office work wasn’t the only way to achieve company goals. Particularly, the goals of globalization and digitalization necessitated an even more flexible way of working. So becoming “distributed-first,” or enabling employees to work from the places that were the most conducive to them, was a logical next step. The events of 2020, in addition to employee feedback, served to accelerate this transition. 

Fast-forward two years, in which we’ve incorporated a Work from Anywhere (WFA) policy and converted our offices to become dynamic workplaces. Now, employees are again holding hybrid meetings, with some in offices and others at home across the world. However, much has changed, and more employees now work fully remote, while those who choose to go into the office one, two, or five days a week find themselves in an entirely new set-up. 

All of this ladders up to our distributed-first mentality—one in which Spotify provides a productive work space for everyone, even when no two employees’ work places, preferences, or optimal schedules are the same.

Meet the dynamic workplace

Start with a hub—a location like Spotify’s New York office (where you’ll be treated to sweeping views of the harbor and comfortable seating for meetings and relaxing alike). Around the corner, desks are dotted across open collaborative areas that are great for in-promptu conversations; the space’s quieter padded conference alcoves are ideal for when employees need to focus. Conference rooms with smart monitors for hybrid meetings can be booked for groups of two, four, 10, and more. Employees can flex as their day and work needs require. 

 

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The concept of providing an office space that reflects the needs of employees, or a “dynamic workplace,” was under consideration even pre-pandemic. According to Mattias Stålhammar, head of Global Workplace Services, Spotify started office transformations in autumn of 2019. “We consider the dynamic workplace to be an approach and not a solution,” he explained. “The goal is to provide a workplace that reflects the needs of the employees and thus the business. The three main objectives are flexibility, well-being and sustainability.”

Some view collaboration as their primary motivation for spending time in the office; for others, it’s the focus time. Our offices are being designed accordingly. Unassigned desks allow employees the flexibility to change up their office environment depending on their work needs or even their moods. 

“Some of the coolest things I’ve worked on here have grown out of small talk in the hallways and around our desks,” says J.J. Italiano, Head of Global Hits, who works out of Spotify’s Los Angeles office. “With the layout of the LA office, it’s so easy to run into people that I might not interact with in my normal day-to-day work. Moving from one conference room to another or getting up to grab a snack can turn into a 30-second conversation with a colleague that helps to inspire something I’m working on or get me up to speed on something interesting happening elsewhere in the company that I wasn’t aware of before.” 

 

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But for J.J., a best-of-both-worlds approach allows him to do his best work. “Some work is easier to do alone at home, like catching up on emails or working on a project,” adds J.J. “Other stuff—like planning, brainstorming, and problem-solving—are easier to do in person with the team, where ideas can be bounced around and refined in a group setting.” 

In any location, proper equipment is critical. “We provide three different types of workplace nodes,” continues Mattias. “Our Spotify offices, coworking spaces, and home offices. In our office and home office nodes, we make sure that we provide an ergonomic set-up together with a proper IT set-up.” So employees who work primarily from home and those who are hybrid can order ergonomic equipment to ensure a comfortable environment. 

At the end of the day, J.J. chose to primarily work from the office—something we call “Office Mix”—because his teammates are his favorite thing about working at Spotify. And that’s a sentiment that’s shared across the business. 

“Our people are our most important asset and it’s crucial that we provide the best possible conditions for them to be productive, stay healthy, and feel connected to the company—and, let’s not forget—to have fun!” says Mattias. “Our workplace plays an important role in attracting and retaining top-talent to make sure the company continues to develop in a positive way.”

 

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A Work-From-Anywhere mentality

Our “Work from Anywhere” (WFA) policy, which was rolled out in early 2021, cements that the office isn’t the be-all and end-all for work at Spotify. “We believe that work isn’t something you come to the office for, it’s something you do” is a philosophy long held by Katarina Berg, Spotify’s Chief HR Officer. “Giving people freedom to choose where they work will make great people more effective, and this flexibility will better support work-family balance, ultimately helping to attract and retain talent.”  

 

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This mindset has already paid off for plenty of employees. Maria Rossi, a Product Insights Manager for Personalization who relocated from Argentina to the Netherlands six years ago, says she was only looking for jobs where she could work mostly remotely from Amsterdam. She enjoys the flexibility of working from home, which allows her to harness deep focus time during the workday as well as daily runs right before sunset. She doesn’t miss opportunities for in-person connections, either.

“Working from Amsterdam while my direct team is distributed across Europe means that going to the office brings the best of both worlds,” she says. “I get the flexibility to live in a city I love with friends and family that are here, while having a global team and collaborating with colleagues across the world. Being able to have a distributed-first mentality also enables us to have, in my opinion, the biggest benefit of all: creating a team with different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences by acknowledging that you cannot always find that in one place.” 

Marina Cupaiuolo, an Operations Manager, was hired in Stockholm but relocated during the pandemic to Östersund, a five-hour train ride north of the city. The benefits of remote work and the culture surrounding it have enabled her to enjoy her new home and stay connected to colleagues. 

“Without WFA, I wouldn’t have been able to live this close to relatives, or afford the kind of living situation I can now—with a house and a big garden and a lake view. I’m able to go outside during lunch and pick veggies from my garden. I get to immediately play with my daughter as soon as I’m done with work. I value the trust that I’m delivering on the work that I was hired for, no matter if I’m sitting at an office desk or not.” 

 

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That trust is core not only to her day-to-day life working from home, but the Spotify mentality that contributes to a positive—and productive—distributed-first environment.

“We believe we can make people and teams more effective by building on the lessons we’ve learned on how Spotify works and rethinking how that work is done,” noted Katarina. “Operating as a distributed organization will produce better and more efficient ways of working through more intentional use of communication and collaboration practices, processes, and tools.” 

“I know this is a journey and that there are still things we have to figure out, but what I have found amazing is that there’s really been a mindset shift towards working distributed first,” says Maria. “People are very open and everyone is doing their best to make this work out. I’m confident it can only get better.” 

Spotify’s Intentions Around ‘Gender-Inclusive Language’ on Our Platform in Germany

July 19, 2022

the word "kunstler*innen" on an orange, black, white, and green background

At Spotify, we work to amplify those who aren’t traditionally represented in audio media—whether that’s uplifting women as songwriters, producers, editors, and sound engineers in music; making accessible to people of color podcasts that resonate with them; or enabling LGBTQ+ individuals to hear queer stories reflected in their favorite music. But there’s another vitally important element of representation: language. 

Language—and our understanding of it—is constantly evolving, and in Germany, there’s been a movement in more recent years to help move away from the gender binaries within the language to provide room for inclusivity and diversity within existing words and grammar. This is called “gender-inclusive language” or “gender-responsible language.” 

“Gender-responsible language as we see it on Spotify means using and deploying language that addresses all genders or identities in an equally visible and appreciative manner,” says Michael Krause, General Manager Europe, Spotify. “It refers to language use which, with regard to personal designations, aims at the equal treatment of women, men, and, moreover, people of all genders, and wants to express gender equality in spoken and written language.”

In some languages (like Spanish, German, and French, to name just a handful), grammar is more clearly gendered. In languages where this is the case, the grammar used for individuals’ professions defaults to the masculine. So imagine opening up the Spotify app and seeing the word “artist” but knowing that the way it’s written actually refers to “male artist.” If there’s a female artist, a variation of the word would be used. For some of our listeners, including women, trans, and non-binary individuals, this meant their identity was rarely reflected while scrolling through our app. 

German-language speakers who want to utilize gender-responsible language can pay attention to using gender-neutral formulations and avoid using the generic masculine as default. In Germany, individuals and organizations have started to address this in a few ways. And as of January 2020, Spotify has decided to use an asterisk (*) to denote gender on the Spotify app in Germany. We chose this because it best explicitly addresses people who do not want to or cannot identify as male or female. 

So, for example, instead of the masculine word Künstler (artist), German Spotify listeners see Künstler*innen. Now we use this convention not only on our platform and in-app, but also in all our communications materials and on social media. And our spokespeople also use it, to the best of their abilities, in spoken-word content we engage in—such as in interviews, panels, or podcasts—by verbally stressing the word ending.

Although this language doesn’t capture every intricacy of identity, it’s a big step in the direction toward inclusivity and representation on our platform. 

“Gender-responsible language is important to us in Germany because language shapes our consciousness and our thinking,” says Michael. “Language is constantly evolving, and many new words are adopted as a matter of course. We believe that this is also possible with gender-responsible language. By using gender-responsible language, we raise awareness of this issue in Germany and support people in gradually incorporating these changes into their own day-to-day life.”

CES 2020: Spotify Makes Noise with SAI Announcement, Ludacris Performance, and More

January 10, 2020

This week, industry experts once again converged at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Spotify was on the ground for the seventh year in a row, contributing to the mix of innovative discussions and product debuts.

From the launch of Spotify Podcast Ads, powered by Streaming Ad Insertion (SAI) to partying with Ludacris at our annual Spotify Supper, we listened, learned, and connected in person and through a love for all things audio. Take a look back at some of Spotify’s notable CES 2020 moments.

Wired x Spotify: The Trends That Will Define 2020 and Beyond

“There’s no other medium like podcasts. They’re a uniquely intimate format that resonates with listeners, and our research proves it—81% of users take action after they’ve heard a podcast ad.” —Lee Brown, Spotify VP, Global Head of Ad Sales at the Wired x Spotify fireside chat with Wired Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Thompson

Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Spotify

Cheers to Happy Hour

“I’m so excited to launch Spotify Podcast Ads powered by our proprietary Streaming Ad Insertion tech. We’re bringing real-time targeting, measurement and interactivity to the format for the very first time.” —Jay Richman, Spotify Head of Global Ads Business and Platform

Credit: Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Spotify

ELLE Women in Tech Panel with Dustee Jenkins

“I always had an inner voice that said ‘keep going.’ We have to be intentional about supporting and advocating for other women.” —Dustee Jenkins, Spotify Global Head of Communications

Credit: Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Spotify

“Yeah!” It’s Spotify Supper

With a performance by Ludacris and bites from three James Beard Award-winning chefs—Tim Hollingsworth, Charleen “The Veggie Whisperer” Badman, and Kwame Onwuachi—there was plenty to chew on and a lot to celebrate.  

Oh yeah, did we mention Lele Pons, Paul Feig, Sophia Bush, and Paris Hilton hit the dance floor during Luda’s performance?