Tag: k-pop on!

Discover Your K-Pop Persona With Spotify’s New Interactive Experience

April 23, 2024

In the last decade, as K-Pop cemented its status as a global phenomenon, Spotify has helped fans around the world keep their fingers on the pulse at every step of the way.

To date, our flagship playlist K-Pop ON! (온) has amassed nearly 5.4 million saves by Spotify users. Listeners can also merge their music tastes with some of K-Pop’s biggest stars through our Blend feature. In recent years, we’ve teamed up with groups like NewJeans, BTS, and BLACKPINK to create unique installations, pop-ups, and interactive experiences, all to bring K-Pop devotees closer to the artists and music they love.

And the love just keeps on growing. Since 2018, K-Pop streams on Spotify have skyrocketed by over 180% in the United States, over 420% in Southeast Asia, and over 360% worldwide.

Now, to celebrate K-Pop fans and their passion for the genre, Spotify is launching a new interactive experience, Your K-Pop Persona. Available until May 10, this in-app experience lets you discover and embrace what your ideal fan role would be in a K-Pop group and flex your results.

When you enter the experience, you’ll be asked five questions about the way you stan to help determine what your role might be in a K-Pop group. Inspired by the roles usually assigned to group members, you could be a Main Visual, a Main Vocal, a Main Rapper, a Main Dancer, or a Trainee.

Celebrate a Decade of Our K-Pop ON! (온) Playlist With a Special Series of Spotify Singles

February 5, 2024

The global success of K-Pop has opened the eyes and ears of music fans around the world. As part of Spotify’s efforts to help the genre travel the globe, we launched our flagship playlist K-Pop ON! (온) in 2014. The Korean word “온” means “100” or “whole,” the playlist’s title embodying the idea that K-Pop is always on 100 for listeners worldwide.

And that couldn’t be more true. In the last decade, K-Pop ON! (온) has amassed more than 5.3 million “saves” by Spotify users across the globe and racked up billions of streams for Korean artists, connecting them with listeners near and far. In fact, yearly streams from the playlist have skyrocketed by more than 5,600% since 2015. K-Pop ON! (온)’s top markets reflect the global demand for the genre, from the United States to Germany to Japan and beyond.

Whether they’re just discovering the genre or uniting over a shared passion, K-Pop ON! (온) has become a key destination for new listeners and veteran superfans alike.

To commemorate 10 years of bringing K-Pop’s very best to the world, Spotify is launching the first-ever Spotify K-Pop ON! (온) Singles, headlined by ENHYPEN, SHOWNU X HYUNGWON (of MONSTA X), and STAYC.

Centered around the theme of “My First K-Pop Crush,” these Spotify Singles feature covers of songs by the sunbaes (senior artists) who first sparked each band’s love of K-Pop. It’s a nod to every fan’s journey into the genre, which began with that first artist who made their heart flutter with their music, performance, and personality. It’s also a call to K-Pop fans around the world to join in this celebration of a shared passion for the genre, and the artists who started it all.

The Spotify Singles for the K-Pop ON! (온) First Crush campaign will drop exclusively on Spotify every two weeks. First up, stream ENHYPEN’s cover of “I NEED U” by BTS.

Next, listen to SHOWNU X HYUNGWON’s cover of “I Hate You” by 2PM.

Last but not least, stream STAYC’s rendition of “FANCY” by TWICE.

With every launch, listeners can also look forward to exclusive bonus content on Spotify’s K-Pop ON! (온) Video Podcast and YouTube channels. From performance videos to behind-the-scenes content, we’ll be unpacking the stories of the performing artists’ First K-Pop Crushes, the significance behind their song selection, and how the original artists inspired their journey in K-Pop.

Stream our K-Pop ON! (온) playlist to dive into the wonderful world of K-Pop.

Spotify’s GM of Asia Pacific, Gautam Talwar, Discusses the Music of a Rapidly Growing Region

October 17, 2023

The Asia Pacific region seems to never sleep on Spotify. From events celebrating Kalye HipHop, our flagship Pinoy hip-hop playlist, to the tenth anniversary of Spotify in Taiwan, we’ve spent a decade developing relevant products and content offerings to deepen our connection with local users. And our work is just getting started.  

This week, Gautam Talwar, Spotify’s General Manager of Asia Pacific, is joining artists and podcasters at SXSW Sydney, the first time the festival has been staged outside of its Austin, Texas, home base. Via panels and performances on everything from music discovery to what’s next for K-Pop— and how we continue to strive for gender equity—we’ll highlight how Spotify helps music move beyond borders at the iconic Lansdowne Hotel.

For the Record sat down with Gautam to learn more about what’s happening in the region. 

What are some factors that make the Asia Pacific region, APAC, a distinct and notable market for Spotify?

Asia Pacific is increasingly central to our global platform as a driving post for global culture—whether music, entertainment, fashion, gaming, technology, or e-commerce. And the region as a whole is one of our fastest-growing regions at Spotify today. There’s three main reasons for that. 

One is that these countries have large youthful populations. You’re talking about one of the largest clusters of Gen Z customers in the world, over 150 million Gen Zs residing in Asia Pacific who are driving this booming creator economy and online music culture. 

The other thing that makes it very unique is diversity. This is our superpower. There’s incredible diversity across languages, religions, and ethnicities. We also see this diversity play out in music and culture. Music is a very central, core part of expression. And since music has an important role of soundtracking daily life in Asia Pacific, music is a reflection of diversity in this region.

The third thing that makes it very unique is artists and creators. We are talking about an incredibly diverse group of genres and artists that are now crossing borders and building an international audience, all thanks to Spotify. We have some great examples of artists born in Asia, who maybe got their footing in Seoul, Sydney, or Jakarta, who have now crossed borders, gone overseas, and built a global audience. 

What trends are emerging globally with music from the region? 

Spotify has evolved from bringing all the world’s audio to Asia Pacific to taking all the audio from Asia Pacific to the world. 

When I joined Spotify about five years ago, the top charts in most of our Asian markets had mostly international music. Today when I look, it’s increasingly local. It’s increasingly K-Pop. And we’re also seeing some regional and hyper-local artists and genres making it to the top. We are seeing artists from all corners of our countries who are working to build an audience on Spotify. We have examples of not only those who are topping charts in their home country, but who are crossing borders to top charts elsewhere.

K-Pop is one of my favorite examples. Traditionally, the home of K-Pop is Seoul. But if you look at the genre’s top markets, it’s actually the United States, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, and Mexico where streaming is outsizing Korea. Similarly, Mandopop, which was born out of Taiwan and China, ends up traveling to all parts of the world where the Chinese diaspora resides—Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the U.S. We’re seeing this in Aussie music as well, with names like Tones and I, The Kid LAROI, and Troye Sivan finding big audiences in the U.K. and the United States. 

But then there’s country-specific trends, like hyperlocal pop with Javanese Pop in Indonesia and LukThung in Thailand. The countries have rich, vibrant, local ecosystems and creators with big fans on social media. They don’t have to be in a metro region to build a career, but rather could be in any part of the country. Their fandoms help them not only drop music on Spotify but then promote it across social media. Artists care about their expression, they care about their sound, and the story. And what we’re seeing is that great songwriting and storytelling wins. And thanks to the personalization of the Spotify platform and its global distribution, there are numerous examples of artists’ finding an audience outside of their home country. We’re seeing waves. 

Fandoms are a key part of music in the region. How do we embrace and reflect this passion?

Our growth story in the region has always been built on supporting a set of fandoms and really using Spotify as a way for fans to channel and fuel their passions around these fandoms. In many ways, we’ve evolved from marketing to consumers to speaking to and through fans. 

We have a fairly strong presence and investment in K-Pop discovery on the platform. We have a K-Pop hub with a flagship playlist, K-Pop ON! It contains the latest and greatest in K-Pop. It’s what RapCaviar is to hip-hop and Viva Latino is to Latin music. This is for the global K-Pop community of artists and fans. It’s the mothership. It’s where you’ll discover the next big thing on the platform. 

We’ve also evolved this playlist, taking it off-platform to build a strong media network around it, with a YouTube channel, Twitter handle, and Instagram and TikTok distribution. For our fans, it’s really about being very playful and helping create opportunities that let them get closer to their favorite artists. Our storytelling approach is very much speaking to and through fans. They get up close and personal and see artists in their most playful states. And they’re loving it. 

One of the activations we did this year was Bunnyland. NewJeans is a rookie band, a year old, and they’re already commanding an audience as big as BLACKPINK. They are Gen Z, five girls, all incredibly creative and musically strong.  For their debut album release, we created an activation involving a real-life immersive fan experience for called Bunnyland. We had about 100,000 attendees across Bunnyland activations in Seoul, Jakarta, as well as Manila and Tokyo and heavily supported their U.S. debut at Lollapalooza.  So for us it’s about showing up every day, both with playlists and with iconic big-beat moments. 

We’ve also got ideas for how to do this with T-Pop, particularly with the strength of the Boys’ Love fandom, and in Australia, with A1 hip-hop—Aussie hip-hop. This subculture is very strong locally, and I’m very excited about how we’ve taken it to the main stage. 

How about podcasting? 

This is an exciting region for podcasts due to its history of talk radio. Today, markets like Australia, Indonesia, and India are some of the top markets for podcast listening. There’s been a lot of early adopters in this market, especially in Indonesia and the Philippines. When Anchor, now Spotify for Podcasters, launched, we saw radio personalities and social media personalities rally to it as an easy means to express themselves and get onto an audio platform. That has increasingly been going mainstream since.

In Indonesia and the Philippines we’re also seeing a whole new breed of creators who believe in long form as a means of storytelling. (There are some really big commutes in those countries, and podcasts play a role there). The big genres are comedy, horror, and crime, and the audiences tend to be more educated, more affluent, more curious about what’s out in the zeitgeist. Love and relationships is another one—people can use podcasts as a format to talk about subject matter that the mainstream wouldn’t talk about. 

Australia, too, has a very rich podcast ecosystem. We are a lead player there with a thriving ad sales operation. We have a number of original and licensed tentpole shows, both Aussie and American, that really do well. We also just announced the introduction in Australia of our premium audiobook offer. This makes available at least 150,000 audiobooks as part of Spotify Premium subscriptions—something that’s going to be huge in the market. 

What are you most excited to bring to SXSW Sydney?

I’m excited about the platform South By presents for us. It’s at the cutting edge of tech and innovation. It’s one of the most exciting congregations of the sharpest creative minds in the industry. And what I’m excited about is how we are really showcasing our diversity as Spotify, and the things that we are really passionate about, be it our EQUAL or RADAR programs, and how they elevate discovery for artists. 

I’m excited about showcasing artists from multiple genres, everyone from MILLI, one of my favorite Thai hip-hop stars, to, you know, some of the most exciting acts in Korean music and Korean hip-hop.

It’s interesting that Sydney is where the first edition of South By is happening outside of Austin. Sydney is home to musicians, artists, and designers, and there’s a lot of commonalities between Sydney and Austin. I’m hoping to see this become a returning franchise that we can become a part of. 

Hear more from Gautam about our presence at SXSW Sydney on the Spotify: For the Record podcast.

Spotify Fans in South Korea Can Now Enjoy More Than 4 Million Podcasts From Local and Global Creators

October 19, 2022

Lead image of shows included in Spotify Korea's podcast launch

In just under two years, Spotify has established itself as a destination for Korean music fans and artists through playlists like K-Pop ON! (온) and KrOWN. Now we want to do the same for podcasts. 

Starting today, Spotify Korea listeners will have access to more than 4 million podcasts worldwide. This includes global podcasts like TED Talks Daily, TED Business, BBC’s Global News Podcast, and the New York Times’ The Daily; Spotify Originals like Batman Unburied, Kim Kardashian’s The System, and Meghan Markle’s Archetypes; and Spotify Exclusives like Myths Of The World and Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy.

We’re also launching a podcast hub exclusively for South Korean listeners. This one-stop destination can help Spotify Korea listeners find the perfect podcast through personalized playlists and spotlights on local content. Some of the regional podcasts the hub will highlight include Confidentiality by Vivo (comedy), Leestar Radio (sports), Sun Kim’s Relentless World History (educational), Weird Mysterious Stories by Braden (true crime), Daebak Show by Eric Nam (music), Check It Out (arts & entertainment), The Psychiatrists (lifestyle & health), Intelligence Play by Jiyoon Kim (news & politics), Two Women in Talk (story), and more. 

In addition to providing new content for listeners, we’ve also localized our podcast creation tool, Anchor, in Korean. This will make it easier for Korean creators to openly record, edit, and distribute podcasts to Spotify and other services in minutes—all for free.

To learn more about what all this means for the South Korean podcast market, For the Record spoke with four of South Korea’s renowned creators: Eun-i Song, Eric Nam, Jaekuk Lee, and the Leestar Team.


Eun-i Song

Eun-i Song is the founder and CEO of Content Lab VIVO, as well as Media Lab Seesaw, a content creation and management company. She is also a household name in South Korea, where she is highly acclaimed as a comedian and for her pioneering content creation and distribution work with VIVO. Her podcast, Song Eun-i and Kim Sook’s Confidentiality, is now available on Spotify.

What do you like most about podcasts?

Since podcasts are not organized by broadcasting companies and do not require a large amount of production costs, the fact that anyone can create their own program is the biggest attraction. From the producer’s perspective, podcasts provide room to take risks with ideas that could not be done in broadcast, allowing for more diverse and creative content. 

How do you think the podcast market and listenership has changed since 2015, when your show, Song Eun-i and Kim Sook’s Confidentiality, first launched?

Photo of Eun-i Song posing against a white backdrop

Eun-i Song

When our podcast, Song Eun-i and Kim Sook’s Confidentiality, first started, the majority of popular podcasts were focused on politics. Now it seems like podcast genres are branching out to include entertainment, economy, and self help–related content. Similarly, the podcast market is increasingly looking at the older generations—who are familiar with radio culture and political content—and has expanded to include content pioneers who are bringing a diversity of content that hasn’t been given much podcast attention in the past.

Looking at the local entertainment industry in general, what kind of topics or content for audio/podcast services do you expect to gather popularity in the future?

I think the biggest advantage of audio and podcast content is that it allows people to multitask. I’ve heard that the listeners of our podcast like to do so while commuting, working in the office, doing design work, or working in the hospital. And now more audio content such as audio dramas and audio movies are in active production, and a lot of entertainment audio content with broadcasters is in the works. Listeners are selecting and enjoying content according to their individual tastes, and their preferences are constantly changing. Podcasts have also diversified alongside listeners’ tastes, and I hope that eclectic, genre-defying content will be introduced in the near future. 

With Spotify’s opening up of podcasts to listeners in South Korea, what are your expectations for Spotify?

If a variety of different worldwide content flows through a global podcast platform such as Spotify to South Korea, the range of choices for local listeners will expand and I think the overall pie of the industry will also increase. I expect the podcast market to grow bigger and attract more creators as the demand grows.


Eric Nam

Spotify podcast cover art for the Daebak Show

A multitalented veteran in the entertainment industry with fans around the world, Eric Nam is an ever-evolving artist, a singer-songwriter, a K-Pop artist, a CEO, and a podcaster. His globally popular podcast, Daebak Show, is now available on Spotify.

You introduced K-Pop as a genre and its artists through your Daebak Show. Was there a specific reason as to why you started the podcast?

Originally, I wanted to create content for international K-Pop fans because they give so much love to Korea and to K-Pop artists. After meeting English-speaking K-Pop fans, I thought it might be a more accessible way for fans to hear behind-the-scenes stories, learn more about Korean music and culture, and also get to know some of their favorite artists through stories and interviews they’ve never heard before. In addition, I’ve always wanted to host my own talk show of sorts, perhaps because of my background in interviewing. We thought that putting a podcast together would be a great way to start without overcomplicating the process.

Portrait of Eric Nam posing in front of a mirror

Eric Nam

What’s one tip you’d share about Spotify’s podcast creation tool as a podcast creator yourself?

Spotify is such an amazing platform, particularly for international reach, and it provides incredible analytics so you can track where your content gets the most engagement. 

With Spotify’s opening up of podcasts to listeners in South Korea, what are your expectations for Spotify?

I’m very excited for Spotify to finally be launching their podcast service in Korea because I’m personally a huge fan of the format. They’re engaging, entertaining, and educational in so many ways. I hope that Spotify users will be able to find not only their favorite songs, but also their favorite podcasts on the platform, and that they give Daebak Show a listen! Please follow us! 

What are some of your favorite podcasts, apart from your Daebak Show?

The Daily by the NYTimes, The Tablo Podcast, and Smartless.


Jaekuk Lee (of Momocon)

Spotify podcast cover art for Sun Kim's Relentless World History

Jaekuk Lee is the general manager and founding member of web and audio content company Momocon (an abbreviation of ‘more than mobile contents”). As an award-winning broadcast writer, he has extensive experience in the South Korean broadcasting industry, including radio. Momocon’s podcast, Sun Kim’s Relentless World History, is now available on Spotify.

What do you like most about podcasts?

I wish I could answer this with the local meme that says “faster than others, different from others” as podcasts provide way faster and more accurate content than radio broadcasts. In addition to allowing listeners to multitask, they are more accessible and offer more diversified information—even compared to video content.

You’ve previously produced numerous memorable podcasts. As a producer, what do you think is the most important factor podcasters should consider when creating a show?

Headshot of Jaekuk Lee Smiling

Jaekuk Lee

I have experimented a lot with podcast content and come to the conclusion that “fun” is the most important factor. After all, entertainment takes up consumers’ time, and I do not think anything without fun can appeal to them. Whether the content is historical, therapeutic, or informational, there must be something “fun” . . . followed by the content’s objective.

You made a big hit with the show Sun Kim’s Relentless World History. How did you come across creating short-form audio content on history?

Everyone loves history-based content, but this is especially true for Koreans. The way history can be interpreted in many different ways also makes it a great topic for discussion. Based on my past experiences as a radio writer, breaking news that would wake people up and short stories that are easy to understand are effective for morning broadcasts. Meanwhile, somewhat comfortable, longer stories that don’t need clear understanding are suitable for nighttime broadcasts to put listeners to sleep. I produced Sun Kim’s Relentless World History with hopes to provide a segment of history that is fun and easy to approach on the way to and from work. I believe that an interpretation of history could also become meme-worthy if it is fun.

In terms of content format and genre, what innovative trends do you think podcasters need to pay attention to moving forward?

I would say audio dramas and audio movies. Sound is the first form of entertainment humans encounter, and we have cultivated our imagination by listening to our parents’ voices in the womb. While the podcast market has grown through informative content so far, it should take a bigger step toward drama and storytelling through audio. While video content about astronauts on Mars would have to show Mars through the lens, an audio drama could let one’s imagination loose with the simple statement that an astronaut has arrived on Mars.

With Spotify’s opening up of podcasts to listeners in South Korea, what are your expectations for Spotify?

I’m hoping that people can be in touch with a wide range of genres and formats, which can, in turn, activate our national podcast industry. I’m thinking that global podcasts that scored a hit worldwide—in particular, audio dramas and documentaries—will actively flow in through Spotify, giving listeners more variety and fun. I hope it will be an opportunity for creative people to try more diverse things.


The Leestar Team

Spotify podcast cover art for Leestar Radio

Jongyoon Park and Jooheon Lee, known together as the Leestar Team, are CEOs of the new-media company Lab Choo Jong Yoon. The pair is famous for their soccer-focused video and podcast content, which has attracted a fan base of hardcore sports fans in South Korea. Their podcast, Leestar Radio, is now available on Spotify.

You have achieved success in the sports podcasting world with the rare distinction of having worked as a professional commentator and caster in the past. Could you tell us more about the state of sports podcasting in South Korea?

Photo of Leestar Team members Jongyoon Park eating a corndog and Jeonhoon Lee smiling and holding a keyboard like a guitar

The Leestar Team

The sports sector makes up a relatively small portion of the podcast market. Generally, politics, culture, and entertainment are the dominant genres, and they seem to be preferred by listeners because they are easily relatable. Meanwhile, sports podcasts are often found and listened to by those who are specifically interested in sports. This niche allows sports podcasts to secure a fixed fan base.

What do you like most about podcasts?

Podcasts have a more relaxed vibe compared to regular radio programs. Also, people can listen to podcasts at any time and pause them whenever they want, unlike radio. Moreover, anyone can record and share their podcast content with others.

팟캐스트 서비스 오픈 기념, 스포티파이가 선보이는 한국 크리에이터들과의 인터뷰

October 19, 2022

Lead image of shows included in Spotify Korea's podcast launch

스포티파이는 지난해 2월 선보인 음원 스트리밍 서비스에 이어 바로 오늘, 한국에 팟캐스트 서비스를 시작했습니다. 이제 국내 스포티파이 청취자들은 8천만개 이상의 음원과 더불어 전 세계 4백만 개 이상의 글로벌 팟캐스트 카탈로그를 이용할 수 있게 됐습니다.

한국 팟캐스트 서비스 개시에 따라 스포티파이는 국내 청취자들을 위한 팟캐스트 허브를 추가했으며, 이를 통해 다채로운 주제 및 카테고리별 손쉬운 프로그램 탐색이 가능해졌습니다. 지금 바로 팟캐스트 허브에서 다음과 같이 다양한 콘텐츠를 만나볼 수 있습니다.

뿐만 아니라 크리에이터들을 위해 스포티파이가 보유한 세계 최대 팟캐스트 제작 및 유통 플랫폼인 ‘앵커(Anchor)’의 한국어 서비스 역시 지원됩니다. 앵커는 쉽고 빠르게 팟캐스트를 제작하고 편집하여 다양한 플랫폼에 배포할 수 있도록 해줄 뿐만 아니라, 청취자에 대한 데이터와 인사이트도 제공합니다. 앵커의 이 모든 기능은 무료로 누구나 자유롭게 사용할 수 있습니다.

스포티파이의 팟캐스트 서비스 개시가 한국 팟캐스트 시장에 어떤 의미를 가져오고, 또 어떤 영향을 미칠까요? 이에 대해 자세한 이야기를 나누기 위해 한국의 인기 팟캐스트 크리에이터이자 다양한 분야에서 활발히 활동 중인 송은이, 에릭 남, 모모콘 이재국 본부장, 그리고 이스타팀(박종훈, 이주헌 랩추종윤 공동 대표이사)과 인터뷰를 진행했습니다. 이들의 이야기를 확인해 보세요!


송은이

Spotify podcast cover art for confidentiality

송은이는 콘텐츠 제작사 ‘컨텐츠랩 비보’와 매니지먼트사 ‘미디어랩 시소’의 대표다. 한국에서 인기 코미디언으로 명성을 이어가고 있으며, ‘컨텐츠랩 비보’를 설립하여 콘텐츠 제작 및 배포를 선도한 선구자로도 높은 평가를 받고 있다. 송은이가 진행하는 ‘송은이 김숙의 비밀보장’은 스포티파이에서 청취할 수 있다. 

팟캐스트의 매력이 무엇이라고 생각하시나요?

팟캐스트는 방송사에 편성되어 있지 않고, 비교적 큰 제작비가 들지 않아 사실상 누구나 본인의 방송을 만들수 있는 것이 가장 큰 매력이라고 생각합니다. 제작자 입장에서는 방송에서 하지 못했던 새로운 아이디어를 시도해 볼 수 있어 더 다양하고 기발한 콘텐츠들이 나올 수 있는 것 같습니다. 

2015년 ‘비밀보장’을 시작한 이후 2022년 현재까지 팟캐스트 시장과 청취자가 어떻게 변화했나요?

Portrait of Eun-i Song posing against a white backdrop

Eun-i Song

2015년 송은이 김숙의 비밀보장을 시작할 당시 인기 팟캐스트는 대부분 정치나 시사 콘텐츠였던 데 반해, 현재는 예능, 경제, 자기개발 등 장르가 다양화되는 추세인 것 같습니다. 청취자 또한 초기에는 정치 콘텐츠와 라디오 문화에 익숙한 일부 기성세대들이었다면 현재는 영상, 책, SNS 등 주류 문화뿐만 아니라 아직 주목받지 않은 새롭고 다양한 것을 찾아 나서는 콘텐츠 선구자들로 확장된 것 같고요.

앞으로 어떤 주제의 오디오 콘텐츠 및 팟캐스트가 인기를 끌 것이라고 예상하시나요?

팟캐스트를 비롯한 오디오 콘텐츠의 이점은 청취를 하면서 다른 일을 할 수 있는 것 아닐까 싶습니다. 실제로 비밀보장 청취자들도 운전이나 출퇴근하는 이동시간을 활용하거나 업무 중에도 팟캐스트를 듣는 것으로 알고 있습니다. 현재 오디오 드라마나 오디오 영화의 제작도 활발해졌고, 방송인을 섭외한 예능형 오디오 콘텐츠도 많이 만들어지고 있습니다. 

많은 사람들이 각자 취향에 따라 콘텐츠를 선별하여 즐기고 있고 취향이 다양화되고 있기도 합니다. 팟캐스트 또한 한 가지 장르에 치우치지 않고 더욱 다채로운 콘텐츠가 많이 나오면 좋겠다는 생각입니다.

스포티파이의 국내 팟캐스트 서비스 시작에 따라 기대하는 점이 있나요?

스포티파이와 같은 글로벌 팟캐스트 플랫폼을 통해 다양한 글로벌 콘텐츠가 유입되면 팟캐스트 콘텐츠 이용자로서 선택의 폭이 넓어지고, 이로 인해 이용자 파이도 늘어나지 않을까 싶습니다. 수요 증가에 따라 팟캐스트 시장이 더 커지고 크리에이터도 더 많아지길 기대합니다.


에릭 남

에릭 남은 아티스트, 싱어송라이터, CEO이자 팟캐스트 크리에이터로 활동 중이다. 다재다능한 면모로 전 세계 팬들의 사랑을 받는 에릭 남의 팟캐스트 ‘대박쇼’는 스포티파이에서 들을 수 있다.

‘대박쇼’에서 다양한 K팝 음악과 아티스트를 소개하셨는데, K팝 위주의 토크쇼를 진행하게 된 계기나 이유가 무엇인가요?

글로벌 K팝 팬들이 한국과 K팝 아티스트들에게 너무나도 큰 관심을 보이고 사랑을 주기 때문에 그들을 위한 콘텐츠를 만들고 싶었습니다. 그러던 중 영어권의 K팝 팬들과 만나게 됐고, 이들에게 팟캐스트가 K팝 업계의 비하인드 스토리를 듣고, 한국의 음악과 문화를 배우고, 또 새로운 이야기와 인터뷰를 통해 좋아하는 아티스트에 대해 더 알아갈 수 있는 통로가 될 수 있겠다는 생각이 들었습니다. 저는 인터뷰 진행 경험이 있기도 해 항상 저만의 토크쇼를 진행하고 싶기도 했죠. 팟캐스트 제작은 이 모든 것을 이루기 위한 가장 좋은 수단이라고 생각했습니다.

Photo of Eric Nam posing in front of a mirror

Eric Nam

팟캐스트 크리에이터로서 스포티파이의 팟캐스트 제작 툴의 활용법이나 팁이 있다면 공유해 주세요.

스포티파이는 자신의 팟캐스트 콘텐츠가 어디에서 가장 인기를 얻고 있는지 등 청취자에 대한 분석 데이터를 제공해주는 훌륭한 플랫폼으로, 특히 글로벌 청취자 확보에 매우 유용합니다. 

스포티파이의 국내 팟캐스트 서비스 시작에 따라 기대하는 점이 있나요?

스포티파이 플랫폼의 열렬한 팬으로서 스포티파이가 드디어 한국에 팟캐스트 서비스를 시작했다니 너무 기쁩니다. 스포티파이의 팟캐스트는 다방면으로 매력적이고 흥미롭고 또 배울 점이 많이 있습니다. 스포티파이 청취자들이 스포티파이에서 좋아하는 음악뿐만 아니라 팟캐스트도 찾아보고, ‘대박쇼’도 들어봐 주시길 바랍니다. 저희 팟캐스트도 팔로우 해주세요!

본인의 ‘대박쇼’ 외에 좋아하는 팟캐스트를 소개해 주세요.

The Daily by NYTimes, 에픽하이 타블로의 The Tablo Podcast, Smartless 등이 있습니다. 


이재국

Spotify podcast cover art for Sun Kim's Relentless World History

뉴미디어 예능 및 오디오 콘텐츠 제작사 모모콘(More than Mobile Contents)의 창립 멤버인 이재국 본부장은 라디오 및 방송 작가로 활동하며 한국 방송 업계에서 명성을 쌓았다. 모모콘의 팟캐스트 콘텐츠 ‘썬킴의 세계사 완전정복’은 스포티파이에서 만나볼 수 있다.

팟캐스트의 매력이 무엇이라고 생각하시나요?

“누구보다 빠르게, 남들과는 다르게” 요즘 유행하는 밈으로 대답을 대신할 수 있을 것 같습니다. 팟캐스트는 지상파 라디오 방송과 비교했을 때 콘텐츠 속도와 정확도 면에서 압도적입니다. 동영상과 달리 멀티태스킹이 가능할 뿐만 아니라, 훨씬 편하고 다양한 정보를 얻을 수 있다는 점도 큰 매력이라고 생각합니다.

훌륭하고도 다채로운 팟캐스트를 다수 제작한 제작자의 관점에서 팟캐스터가 프로그램을 만들 때 가장 중요하게 고려해야 할 점이 있을까요?

Headshot of Jaekuk Lee smiling

Jaekuk Lee

그동안 콘텐츠에 대한 다양한 시도를 많이 해봤는데 역시 가장 중요한 건 재미인것 같습니다. 엔터테인먼트는 결국 소비자의 시간을 뺏는 건데 재미가 없으면 그 무엇도 소비자에게 다가가지 못합니다. 역사, 힐링, 정보 등 무엇을 전달하든 결국 콘텐츠에 있어 제일 먼저 고려해야 할 건 “재미”고, 그 다음은 왜 만들어야 하는지라는 “목적”이라고 생각합니다.

‘썬킴의 세계사 완전정복’이 크게 히트했는데, 숏폼 오디오 역사 콘텐츠를 만들게 된 배경은 무엇인가요?

역사는 모두가 좋아하고 특히 우리나라 사람들이 좋아하는 콘텐츠입니다. 역사에 대한 해석도 다양하기 때문에 다른 사람들과 토론하기에도 좋은 아이템입니다. 저는 라디오 작가를 오랫동안 했는데 아침 방송에서는 잠이 깰만한 소식을 한번에 알아들을 수 있게 단문으로 쓰는 것이 효과적입니다. 반면 심야 라디오에서는 마음 편한 이야기를 무슨 말인지 정확히 잘 몰라도 되는 장문으로 써야 청취자들이 편하게 잠자리에 들 수 있습니다. “썬킴의 세계사 완전정복”은 출퇴근길에 쉽고 재밌게 접할 수 있는 역사 이야기 한 토막을 제공하겠다는 취지에서 제작하게 됐습니다. 재밌게 만들면 역사에 대한 해석도 “밈”이 될 수 있으니까요.

콘텐츠 형식이나 장르 면에서 앞으로 팟캐스터들이 눈여겨봐야 할 혁신적인 트렌드가 있을까요?

오디오 드라마와 오디오 영화라고 생각합니다. 소리는 인간이 최초로 접하게 되는 엔터테인먼트로 우리는 뱃속에서부터 부모님의 목소리를 들으며 상상력을 키워왔습니다. 팟캐스트 시장이 그동안 정보 콘텐츠로 많은 발전을 했다면 이제는 오디오로 전하는 무궁무진한 드라마와 스토리텔링의 세계로 또 한번 발전해야 한다고 생각합니다. 비디오는 화성에 간 사람을 촬영해서 보여줘야 하지만 오디오 드라마는 “나는 지금 화성에 도착했다”는 한마디로 무한한 상상력을 응집시킬 수 있습니다. 

스포티파이의 국내 팟캐스트 서비스 시작에 따라 기대하는 점이 있나요?

청취자들이 다양한 장르와 형식의 콘텐츠를 접할 수 있길 바라고, 그 덕분에 한국 팟캐스트 시장도 활성화 됐으면 하는 바람입니다. 특히 오디오 드라마나 다큐멘터리 등 글로벌 히트를 기록한 팟캐스트가 적극적으로 유입되어 청취자들에게 다채로운 재미를 주고, 창작하는 사람들에게는 더 다양한 시도를 할 수 있는 계기가 됐으면 좋겠습니다.


이스타 팀

Spotify cover art for the Leestar Radio podcast

‘이스타 팀’으로 알려진 박종윤과 이주헌은 뉴미디어 회사 랩추종윤의 공동 대표로, 축구를 주제로 한 영상 및 팟캐스트를 제작하여 한국 스포츠 팬들의 마음을 사로잡았다. 이스타 팀의 팟캐스트 ‘이스타 라디오’는 스포티파이에서 만나볼 수 있다.

전문 해설위원과 캐스터라는 인터넷 방송에서 보기 드문 조합으로 팟캐스트에 진출해 스포츠 분야 청취율 1위를 달성하기도 했는데, 한국 시장 내 스포츠 팟캐스트 현황에 대해 설명해 주세요.

Image of Leestar Team members eating a corndog and holding a keyboard

The Leestar Team

전체 팟캐스트 시장에서 스포츠 분야는 비교적 낮은 비율을 차지하고 있습니다. 기본적으로 팟캐스트는 정치, 교양, 예능 분야의 비중이 높은데 누가 들어도 쉽게 공감할 수 있는 주제이기 때문에 더 많이 선호된다고 보여집니다. 물론 스포츠 팟캐스트는 스포츠에 관심 있는 사람들이 찾아서 듣는 경우가 많고, 이는 곧 고정적인 팬층을 확보할 수 있다는 강점으로 연결됩니다.

팟캐스트만의 매력이 무엇이라고 생각하시나요?

팟캐스트에서는 일반적인 라디오 프로그램보다 자유롭고 편한 분위기를 접할 수 있습니다. 또한 라디오와는 달리 내가 원하는 시간에 원하는 방송을 들을 수 있고, 중간에 잠시 멈출 수도 있고요. 누구나 녹음해서 본인의 방송을 남들과 쉽게 공유할 수 있는 것 역시 큰 장점이라 생각합니다.

Six Playlists To Get Your Dance on From South Korea’s 1MILLION Dance Studio

September 21, 2022

Based in Seoul, South Korea, 1MILLION Dance Studio originally started in a basement in 2014. It has since grown in both size and cultural significance, welcoming students from all over the world, establishing itself as one of South Korea’s most-prized dance agencies, and representing some of the top dancers and choreographers in Asia and around the globe. 

1MILLION’s dancers have collaborated with companies; choreographed routines for superstars; and appeared in numerous music videos, concerts, and television shows. Its frequently updated YouTube channel has over 25 million subscribers worldwide to date, and now the famed studio is ready to connect with fans on Spotify. 

To celebrate the launch of the official 1MILLION Dance Studio Spotify account, the world-renowned studio has created 1MILLION!—a special playlist consisting of fan-favorite tracks that have appeared in its videos. Tracks include “The Greatest” by Sia, “bloodline” by Ariana Grande, “SUNDOWN (ft. Justin Bieber)” by BEAM, and more.

But 1MILLION Dance wasn’t content to leave fans with just the one playlist. The studio also tapped five of its brightest stars—Yoojung Lee, Bale, Woonha, KOOJAEMO, and K-Chan—to create their own specially themed playlists to help fans get warmed up, cooled off, and in a relaxed state of mind.  

Curious which tracks these top dancers keep on repeat? Let’s find out.

Yoojung Lee 

Yoojung joined the ranks of the 1MDS elite in 2015. She became interested in dance at the age of 16 and went on to immerse herself in everything related, starting with commercial dance and moving on to other genres including street-dance fundamentals.  

With her Mystery Party playlist, Yoojung shares some of her favorite daily warm-up songs, which include tracks from Shawn Mendes, BIBI, and more. 

Bale 

Known for winning first place in Asia’s most prestigious dance competition, the Feedback Competition, Bale has been dancing since he first learned how to pop at the age of 15. He’s gone on to participate in countless competitions and dance battles and joined 1MDS in 2020. 

Before class or practice, Bale likes to listen to his playlist Relax, Warm-Up, which includes hits from Khalid, Daniel Caesar, and Jeff Bernat.

Woonha 

Known for her dark and gothic style of choreography, Woonha began dancing as part of her high school’s junior dance club. She later passed an audition and was invited to perform with 1MILLION Dance, which led to her officially becoming a choreographer at the academy in 2019. 

With selections from Mura Masa and FKA twigs, Woonha’s Low Wave playlist is equally suited for relaxing before or after dance class. 

KOOJAEMO 

Appearing in countless music videos including Solar’s “HONEY,” NCT U’s “Maniac,” AleXa’s “Xtra,” and “Blue Moon” by kyungri, KOOJAEMO is one of the rising street dancers in South Korea. 

Before a 1MILLION Dance class, you need to get pumped. And KOOJAEMO’s playlist All That Hip does just that, with cuts by Ari Lennox, UMI, and Sam Smith.

K-Chan 

While having famously appeared in SUNYE’s “Just a Dancer” music video, K-Chan is a rookie in the dance scene. He notably choreographed for K-Pop artist Hong Eunki and former BESTie member Jung Yu Ji on the hit competition show Sing Again 2 and appeared in Korea Tourism’s famous “Feel the Rhythm of Korea: SEOUL” ad, which has garnered over 48 million views to date.

Get your groove on with Burna Boy, Omah Lay, and more with K-Chan’s Feel Groovy playlist. 

1MILLION aims to break the barrier between dance professionals and enthusiasts to create a dance culture that is accessible to all. And now that it’s officially on Spotify, fans will have a chance to stay up with all the tracks that inspire their favorite dancers.

Want to keep the dance party going? Turn ON the movement with Spotify’s K-Pop On! playlist!

BLACKPINK and Spotify Celebrate New Album ‘BORN PINK’ With a Pop-Up Experience and Special Gift for BLINKs Around the World

September 20, 2022

Two years after their last release, The Album, BLACKPINK’s fab four—Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé—have finally dropped their new studio album, BORN PINK. 

And BLINKs, your patience has paid off. BLACKPINK collaborated with Spotify to give fans around the world* the ability to listen to the album for free as many times as they want, and in the order they wish, for the first week of release. In addition to accessing the “listen free” feature exclusively via the BORN PINK by BLACKPINK playlist, fans can also treat themselves to exclusive bonus content available on Spotify K-Pop ON! Track.

Pulling from a wide range of influences, including classical music and ’80s pop, the eight tracks that make up BORN PINK truly offer something for everyone. “Shut Down” samples Niccolo Paganini’s “La Campanella,” blending classical music with hip-hop to create a track with a mysterious and alluring edge. Meanwhile, the fun synthy production on “Yeah Yeah Yeah” is nothing short of an earworm that you can’t get out of your head. And perhaps most impressively, BORN PINK’s lead single “Pink Venom” generated the most single-day streams of any song released by a female artist or group in 2022 so far. 

To mark this momentous occasion, we hosted BORN PINK: The Pop-Up Experience in Los Angeles this past weekend, and BLACKPINK went all out. The group’s four members curated every element of this three-day pop-up, which included custom photo moments, a pink boba tea bar, the opportunity to purchase BLACKPINK merch, and an exclusive giveaway. 

Choreographer Bailey Sok Brings Her K-Pop-Inspired Dance Routines to Roblox’s Spotify Island

September 8, 2022

Back in May, we debuted Spotify Island on Roblox to connect fans and artists in an otherworldly digital destination. Then came K-Park—which celebrates the K-Pop genre, the launch, and the culture it inspires as the first of several themed islands unveiled on Roblox. Now, we’re bringing professional K-Pop choreographer Bailey Sok into the mix. 

Bailey Sok’s K-Park avatar

We’ve partnered with Bailey to create her official Roblox avatar, and from September 8 through September 19, fans globally will be able to visit K-Park and join her for a virtual dance session. In addition to dancing alongside Bailey herself, players will also be able to engage with her avatar.

Bailey’s dance career took off at a young age when multiple videos of hers on YouTube went viral. Since then, she’s been dancing professionally, teaching young dancers, and choreographing routines for K-Pop groups like Red Velvet and SHINee. 

In celebration of Bailey’s arrival to K-Park, we invited some of her biggest fans to Spotify’s downtown LA campus where they had the opportunity to connect with Bailey in person and learn a dance routine fit for a K-Pop star. 

The class was part of a K-Park-themed event that captured the magic of this new island almost precisely as it blurred the lines of reality and the metaverse. Guests mingled on K-Park cafe’s checkerboard flooring and admired the Korean Hangul signs, bright crystals, and larger-than-life foliage that seemed to be plucked directly from the digital experience. They also enjoyed traditional Korean foods while taking a virtual trip to Spotify Island on a Roblox gaming station. Then it was time to get in a formation with Bailey, who taught guests a routine set to SUNMI’s “Gashina.” 

‘K-Pop ON! Track’ Is Spotify’s Newest Site Dedicated to All Things K-Pop

June 20, 2022

K-Pop has long dominated the charts on Spotify, thanks in part to its passionate fans and their streams of our K-Pop ON! (온) playlist. The genre has no plans of slowing down, and neither do its listeners. That’s why Spotify launched K-Pop ON! Track, a website dedicated to all things K-Pop that brings casual listeners and veteran superfans alike closer to the artists and music they love. With news, exclusive artist interviews, industry updates, trends, and more on the site, there’s no shortage of ways fans can keep their fingers on the pulse of this global phenomenon.

Explore while you stream

Got BLACKPINK or Billlie blasting in the background? K-Pop ON! Track complements your streaming experience with handy tools and how-tos, including a glossary dedicated to K-Pop terminology, a step-by-step guide on creating a Spotify Blend playlist with BTS, and a series dedicated to the artists and groups we love, called We Stan. Created for K-Pop fans by the people who love K-Pop most at Spotify, the site has three main sections where you can discover all the in-depth content:

  • Recent News: As ON! Track’s home base, this is where our most recently published stories will greet visitors when they first open the website. This includes artist content, genre stories, trends, data, milestones, and interviews with both artists and industry players. 
  • K-Pop ON!: This section is dedicated to our flagship playlist, K-Pop ON! (온), where you can find updates about what’s new, like artist takeovers and spotlights on the hottest new talents.
  • Spotlight ON!: Here we take a closer look at the musicians and playlists that are making waves on Spotify, from featured artists to classic K-Pop tracks and new releases of the month. 

Making records, breaking records 

K-Pop fans have long been streaming in droves, helping break records for artists and bringing much-deserved exposure to the genre. Each month, K-Pop receives over 8 billion monthly streams on Spotify, and our newly renamed K-Pop ON! (온) playlist has racked up over 3.9 million followers.* 

The greatest number of K-Pop ON! listeners are streaming from the U.S., Indonesia, and the Philippines—evidence of the genre’s worldwide appeal. And as the popularity of K-Pop continues to grow, we want K-Pop ON! Track to be a destination that fans from all corners of the globe can visit to stay in the know. 

March to the beat of K-Pop by visiting Spotify’s newest site, K-Pop ON! Track.

https://kpopontrack.byspotify.com/ 

*As of May 2022