In 2018, Spotify launched Heart & Soul, a mental health initiative developed to provide support and promote deep knowledge about emotional well-being.
As conversations around mental health take center stage in the music industry, Spotify is deepening its commitment to artist well-being through our Heart & Soul, Mental Health for Creators initiative. In partnership with leading nonprofits, this global effort aims to provide meaningful support, challenge cultural norms, and ensure that artists, songwriters, and their teams can access the help they need—when they need it.
“Heart & Soul is our commitment to the creators behind the music. Artists and songwriters face immense pressure, and their mental health can’t be an afterthought,” said Lauren Siegal Wurgaft, Head of Social Impact, Spotify. “Supporting creators’ well-being is essential to sustaining a vibrant music ecosystem. By working closely with trusted partners like Backline, we’re not just offering resources, we’re helping drive lasting change in how the industry approaches mental health.”
Here’s how we’re putting that promise into action:
Financial Support
Spotify is providing direct financial support to help expand the impact of the following organizations: Backline (including Chappell Roan’s WE GOT YOU! fund), MusiCares, Music Health Alliance, Music Minds Matter, and Noah Kahan’s The Busyhead Project.
Expanding Access to Care
Together with Backline and Music Minds Matter, Spotify is funding grants to enable one-to-one therapy for current and upcoming EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR ambassadors in the U.S. and U.K. Artist ambassadors from these programs will be given grants through partners that directly cover the cost of therapy that they can use themselves or gift to other artists in their bands or members of their teams.
Backline x Spotify: Supporting Artists Worldwide
We’re making mental health care easier to find and faster to access for creators. Spotify is proud to partner with Backline on the launch of their new global resource hub, an international, multilingual database featuring trusted music industry and mental health support resources and crisis lines from around the world.
“Backline is honored to serve as a steward of Spotify’s investment into the creative community,” said Hilary Gleason, Cofounder and Executive Director, Backline. “Bringing our work to scale is a meaningful way to uplift the well-being of artists all around the world. This collaboration is taking these invaluable mental health and wellness resources beyond borders. Music knows no bounds, and now people who make music happen have access to care and a compassionate community. Our work together will help ensure that artists have the resources, support, and stability they need to thrive both personally and professionally.”
To provide more personalized pathways to care, Backline has also launched global@backline.care, a dedicated concierge email service that provides one-on-one support to help individuals navigate local care options and mental health systems in their countries.
Bringing Wellness on the Road
We’re partnering with Backline and The Busyhead Project to meet artists where they are—in studios and backstage at major festivals like All Things Go NYC—through on-site wellness activations, self-care kits, and guided workshops designed to bring calm to the chaos.
Delivering Everyday Tools for Mental Health
Through our new Heart & Soul, Mental Health for Creators hub on Spotify, creators can access curated playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks specifically designed to support their well-being.
Spotlighting Stories That Support Creators
Across Spotify for Artists and Spotify Songwriting, we’ll spotlight real mental health stories from the creative community and offer resources, reflections, and tools that resonate.
Holding Space for Songwriters
We’re creating spaces for connection and conversation around mental health in songwriting—through intimate dinners and studio residencies that bring songwriters together around mental health themes.
“The mental health challenges artists face are real and the current support systems often fall short,” said Monica Herrera Damashek, Head of Artist and Label Partnerships, Spotify. “It’s on all of us in the industry to respond with action. Spotify is expanding its Heart & Soul for Creators initiative by helping Backline scale its Mental Health & Wellness Global Resource hub internationally for the first time and by offering one-to-one therapy access to EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR ambassadors in the U.S. and U.K. This is only one step, and we’ll continue to build a more supported environment for the artists who shape culture every day.”
Spotify’s Heart & Soul initiative represents a significant step forward in our enduring commitment to artists and creators. By providing direct financial support, expanding access to vital care, and integrating wellness into the everyday lives of musicians, we aim to foster an industry where mental health is prioritized, understood, and supported. This is an ongoing journey, and we are committed to working collaboratively to create a more sustainable and compassionate ecosystem for the individuals who bring the world’s music to life.
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