Tag: Mia Nygren

Spotify’s 10-Year Journey Elevating Latin Creators

December 18, 2023

In 2013, Spotify embarked on a transformative journey in most of Latin America’s Spanish-speaking countries, a journey that has since reshaped the rhythm of global music. This tenth anniversary of our presence in the region is not just a landmark in the history of Spotify; it’s also a celebration of how Latin creators—propelled by the power of streaming—have taken the world by storm.

Back then, Spotify’s global Top 100 charts featured no Latin songs. Today the musical landscape is radically different. Latin beats have not only appeared on these charts, but they’ve conquered them, growing at 28% annually on Spotify. More than one out of every five songs in the global Top 100 is Latin—a clear indication of the genre’s rising dominance and widespread appeal.

This era has been marked by the emergence of groundbreaking artists from cultural hotspots like Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Puerto Rico who have topped charts and reshaped the cultural fabric. “The music scene has experienced a revolution in recent years, where Latin rhythms from reggaeton to música Mexicana are dictating the global pulse,” says Mia Nygren, general manager of Spotify in Latin America. “At Spotify, more than simply witnesses to this phenomenon, we have been facilitators; we’ve seen constant and permanent growth of the industry in the last decade. It is an honor to be the bridge that unites these talented artists with global audiences.” 

The impact of Spotify in this Latin music surge is undeniable. It’s been the digital confluence where artists have met fans, resulting in a 986% increase in Latin music listeners on Spotify worldwide from 2014 to 2023.

 

“I am extremely excited about the future for us in Latin America. We’ve come so far and we have room to grow, but of course that comes with a huge responsibility,” Mia continues. “There is still more talent to be discovered, and we are excited to help them go from local stages to regional to finally the global scene. It’s noteworthy that 21% of all Spotify global users are in Latin America, highlighting the significant impact and potential of this market.”

For the Record also had the opportunity to hear from a few artists who’ve been with Spotify from the beginning of our journey in Latin America. Read on for thoughts from Argentina’s Yami Safdie, Mexico’s Ha*Ash, and Colombia’s TIMO below.

Yami Safdie

How do you think Spotify has played a role in advancing your career?

Spotify is absolutely essential for anyone starting out in the music industry. It’s been a key player in my journey, unlocking opportunities from being featured on playlists to recommendations that introduce my music to potential fans. I’m so thankful for this; I don’t think I could have come this far without Spotify’s platform.

Can you share a story that highlights how Spotify has changed the way you connect with your audience?

I absolutely love checking out the playlists that feature my songs. It’s thrilling to see that a significant portion of my tracks’ streams come from these playlists and the listeners’ own libraries. The creative titles of these playlists are always a highlight for me—they’re just so much fun. I often share these playlists on my social media and have great conversations about them with my friends and family.

Ha*Ash

How do you think Spotify has played a role in advancing your career?

Spotify has played an essential role in the growth of our career. The playlists and the platform’s wide audience have allowed people who possibly weren’t familiar with our music to now know and enjoy it.

Can you share a specific case or story that highlights how Spotify has changed the way you connect with your audience?

Spotify has democratized music in every sense. Today an artist can create a song at home and freely release it for the whole world to listen to. Similarly, the audience has the freedom to decide whether they like it or not, without any intermediary. It’s democratic for both musicians and audiences alike.

TIMO

How do you think music streaming has transformed the consumption habits of fans around the world?

We think the most significant impact since Spotify entered our lives is the expanded access it provided to music and artists. Previously there were numerous constraints with the formats available, but streaming has simplified everything. This simplicity has skyrocketed the number of times artists’ music is played. Undoubtedly, the advent of Spotify has transformed our lives.

Can you share a specific case or story that highlights how Spotify has changed the way you connect with your audience?

We leverage features like Canvas for our music promotion. When releasing a new track, we invite our audience to share videos of them singing or enjoying the song. We always select the best ones and include them in our Canvas. This helps us attract more listeners to our music on the platform and fosters a deeper connection with the song.

Los 10 años de Spotify elevando a los creadores latinos

December 18, 2023

En 2013, Spotify comenzó un viaje transformador en la mayoría de los países de habla hispana de América Latina, un viaje que, desde entonces, ha redefinido el ritmo de la música global. Este décimo aniversario de presencia en la región no es solo un hito en la historia de Spotify; es una celebración de cómo los creadores latinos, impulsados por el poder del streaming, han conquistado al mundo.

Hace diez años, las listas globales Top 100 de Spotify no incluían canciones latinas, hoy en día el panorama musical es totalmente diferente. Los ritmos latinos no sólo han aparecido en estas listas; los han conquistado, teniendo un crecimiento del 28% anual en Spotify. Actualmente, más de una de cada cinco canciones en el Top 100 global es latina, una clara indicación de su creciente dominio y atractivo en general.

Esta era ha estado marcada por el surgimiento de artistas innovadores que no sólo encabezaron las listas de éxitos, sino que también redefinieron nuestra cultura. “La escena musical ha experimentado una revolución en los últimos años, donde los géneros latinos, desde el Reggaetón hasta la Música Mexicana, están dictando el pulso global”, comentó Mia Nygren, General Manager de Spotify en Latino América. “En Spotify, más que simples testigos de este fenómeno, hemos sido facilitadores, hemos visto un crecimiento constante y permanente de la industria en la última década. Es un honor ser el puente que une a estos talentosos artistas con audiencias globales. Es importante mencionar que el 21% de todos los usuarios de Spotify están en América Latina, lo que definitivamente demuestra el impacto y potencial del mercado”.

El impacto de Spotify en este auge de la música latina es innegable. Ha servido como puente digital donde los artistas conectaron con sus fans, lo que resultó en un aumento del 986% en los oyentes de música latina en Spotify a nivel global entre 2014 y 2023.

 

El extraordinario impulso de la música de habla hispana está profundamente arraigado en el género latino. Artistas de puntos culturales clave como México, Colombia, Argentina y Puerto Rico están a la vanguardia y sirven como embajadores globales.

“Estoy muy emocionada acerca del futuro para nosotros en Latino América. Hemos llegado muy lejos y tenemos espacio para crecer, pero, por supuesto, eso conlleva una gran responsabilidad”, comentó Mia. “Todavía hay más talento por descubrir y estamos emocionados de ayudarlos a pasar de los escenarios locales, a los regionales y finalmente a la escena global. Vale la penadestacar que el 21% de todos los usuarios globales de Spotify se encuentran en Latino América, lo que resalta el importante impacto y potencial de este mercado”.

For the Record también tuvo la oportunidad de hablar con algunos artistas que han estado con Spotify desde el inicio de nuestro viaje en Latino América. Sigue leyendo para conocer las opiniones de Yami Safdie de Argentina, Ha*Ash de México y TIMO de Colombia.

Yami Safdie

¿De qué manera crees que Spotify ha jugado un papel en el avance de tu carrera?

Creo que Spotify es totalmente fundamental a la hora de ser un artista emergente y empezar a construir una carrera musical. A mi me abrió muchísimas puertas, desde las playlists, hasta las funciones de exploración algorítmicas, como le va sugiriendo mi música a gente que le puede llegar a gustar. Estoy super agradecida con eso y probablemente no hubiese sido nada posible si no hubiese tenido la herramienta de Spotify.

¿Puedes compartir un caso o historia específica o que destaques como Spotify ha cambiado la forma con la que t e conectas con tu audiencia?

Me gusta mucho ver las playlists a las que agregan mis canciones, ya que gran porcentaje de las reproducciones de mis temas, vienen de ellas, y de las bibliotecas de los oyentes.  Disfruto mucho poder ver los títulos creativos de las playlists, son muy divertidos. Siempre las comparto en mis redes y converso mucho sobre el tema con las personas cercanas.

Ha*Ash

¿De qué manera crees que Spotify ha jugado un papel en el avance de tu carrera?

Spotify ha desempeñado un rol esencial en el crecimiento de nuestra carrera. Las playlists y la amplia audiencia de la plataforma han permitido que personas que posiblemente no estaban familiarizadas con nuestra música, ahora la conozcan y disfruten.

¿Puedes compartir un caso o historia específica o que destaques como Spotify ha cambiado la forma con la que te conectas con tu audiencia?

Spotify es la verdadera democratización de la música en todo sentido. Hoy un artista puede hacer una canción en su casa, y ponerla libremente a que literalmente la escuchen en todo el mundo a través de la plataforma. Del mismo modo, la audiencia decide con la misma libertad si le gusta o no, sin tener ningún tipo de intermediario. Es democratico para los músicos y para las audiencias por igual.

TIMO

¿Cómo crees que el streaming de música ha llevado a transformar los hábitos de consumo de los fans de todo el mundo?

Consideramos que lo más importante, desde que llegó Spotify a nuestras vidas, fue el mayor acceso que generó a la música y a los artistas. Antes existían muchas limitaciones en los otros formatos que existían, con el streaming todo se volvió mucho más sencillo, lo que ha disparado la cantidad de reproducciones de los artistas. Sin duda, la llegada de Spotify nos cambió la vida.

¿Puedes compartir un caso o historia específica o que destaques como Spotify ha cambiado la forma con la que te conectas con tu audiencia?

Usamos herramientas como los canvas para promocionar nuestra música. Por ejemplo, al lanzar una nueva canción, animamos a las personas a enviarnos videos cantándola o disfrutándola. Siempre seleccionamos los mejores y los incluimos en nuestro canvas. Esto nos ayuda a atraer más oyentes a nuestra música en la plataforma y fomenta una mayor conexión con la canción.

Spotify Brazil Expands Payment Methods With PIX

June 13, 2023

Today, we’re adding PIX, the most used payment method in Brazil, as a payment method for Spotify Premium. Getting access to on-demand ad-free offline music streaming in Brazil has never been so easy. Now, users can pay once and recharge whenever they want—without automatic renewal. 

“Since its launch, PIX has transformed the way Brazilians make digital transactions. It’s secure and fast,” says Mia Nygren, General Manager, Latin America, at Spotify. “We are thrilled to integrate the most-used payment method in Brazil, according to the Central Bank of Brazil, as a payment option for our Spotify Premium subscribers as it aligns with Spotify’s goal to give access to the best audio streaming experience regardless of your need.” 

How to use PIX as your payment option: 

  1. Select the pre-paid one-time payment format. 
  2. Choose your Premium plan—Individual, Duo, Family or Student.
  3. Define how many months of subscription you want to purchase, whether one, three, six, or twelve months. 
  4. Hit play and start enjoying!

In addition to PIX, Spotify Premium users in Brazil can also use credit or debit card, gift cards, and boleto bancário—so there’s always a way to play. 

Premium payment methods vary by country or region—to see payment methods available in your country, visit www.spotify.com/premium and proceed to the payment page.

Spotify Brasil expande formas de pagamento com PIX

June 13, 2023

Hoje, estamos adicionando o PIX, o meio de pagamento mais utilizado no País, como forma de pagamento para Spotify Premium. Ter acesso a streaming de música offline sob demanda sem anúncios no Brasil nunca foi tão fácil. Agora, usuários podem pagar uma única vez e fazer recargas quando quiser – sem renovação automática.

“Desde o seu lançamento, o PIX transformou a forma como os brasileiros fazem transações digitais, é seguro e rápido”, afirma Mia Nygren, diretora-geral no Spotify na América Latina. “Estamos entusiasmados em integrar o PIX como uma opção de pagamento para nossos assinantes do Spotify Premium, uma vez que está alinhado com o objetivo do Spotify de dar acesso à melhor experiência de streaming de áudio independentemente da sua necessidade.”

Como usar o PIX como forma de pagamento: 

  1. Selecione o formato pré-pago, com pagamento único.
  2. Escolha seu plano Premium – Individual, Duo, Família ou Universitário.
  3. Defina quantos meses de assinatura deseja adquirir – um, três, seis ou doze meses.
  4. Dê o play e comece a curtir!

Além do PIX, usuários do Spotify Premium no Brasil podem utilizar as seguintes formas de pagamento: credit/debit card, gift cards e boleto bancário — sempre há uma maneira de curtir. 

Os métodos variam de acordo com o país ou região — para ver as formas de pagamento disponíveis no seu país, acesse www.spotify.com/premium e avance até a página de pagamento.

Celebrate Medellín with Casa Spotify Medallo, an Open Studio Residency for Emerging Artists and Creators

September 7, 2022

Medellín, Colombia, has been one of the gravitational poles for Latin music and a pillar of the music industry in the region for over a century. This city is home to great Colombian popular music artists such as Lucho Bermúdez and the salsa orchestra Fruko y sus Tesos. Famously, the city also gave birth to the Colombian reggaeton explosion with stars like Maluma, J Balvin, Karol G y Sebastián Yatra, artists that have put Medellin on the map as a capital of urban Latin music.

Now, to celebrate the musical tradition of the city, Spotify is presenting Casa Spotify Medallo, a place for inspiration, collaboration and education, dedicated to urban artists, producers, composers and podcast creators. 

Casa Spotify Medallo will open in Medellín on October 11th to November 3rd, where it will be an artistic residency and recording studio open to emerging audio creators. Artists and creators will find a daily program that includes workshops, masterclasses, panels and showrooms with producers and influential personalities, designed to promote and enhance their creative abilities.

The doors to the house, located in a historic place in the heart of the city, will be open to the new paisa urban wave and local creators, to continue raising the talent of a city that has given so much to the global music industry. 

“We celebrate Colombia for its cultural and musical richness, recognized worldwide thanks to its artists, producers and composers,” says Mia Nygren, General Manager for Latin America. “We are here in Medellin to listen to emerging artists and audio creators with the goal of generating collaboration opportunities and empowering local talent to reach new audiences through our platform. We want to show emerging talent that Spotify is their best ally to get more listeners to discover their art.”

Located within a valley and surrounded by captivating mountains, Medellín is the birthplace of legendary labels such as Discos Fuentes, Codiscos and Sonolux, which shaped Latin music for decades, as well as the city that adopted Carlos Gardel’s tangos as its own. 

In the eighties, rock took over withEkhymosis, which later gave life to Juanes‘ solo career, metal with bands like Kraken, punk with I.R.A, and more recently Hip-hop with legendary bands like AlcolirykoZ. 

Later, the city’s reggaeton boom opened the doors to the new wave of local heroes represented by Feid, Ryan Castro and talents that have been part of Spotify’s RADAR Andinos like Ovy on The Drums and Blessd, and other artists like Farina, our program ambassador of EQUAL Colombia. 

With Casa Spotify Medallo, we seek to recognize the original sounds and stories of the new paisa creators who have shown that their sounds break barriers  while also expressing our commitment to a new generation of creative talent. That’s why creators interested in being part of Casa Spotify Medallo can register on this link and submit one of their favorite compositions hosted on the platform. The link will be open from September 7 to september 13 .

We want you to enjoy Casa Spotify Medallo with us.

Learn more about the programming of all the educational sessions at Casa Spotify Medallo here, where you can sign up for the events that interest you.

Discover the urban sounds of Medellín in our Fino playlist. 

Spotify’s EQUAL Festival Brings Together Outstanding Colombian Voices in an All-Female Lineup

March 17, 2022

Over the past year, Spotify has brought the voices of talented women artists from around the world together through EQUAL—an on-platform initiative aimed at reducing the gender disparity in the music industry. Next month, this initiative will reach the stage for the first time with Spotify’s new EQUAL Festival in Colombia. 

Throughout the month of April, across seven performances, Spotify will bring together 13 outstanding women in music in Colombia at El Teatro in Bogotá. These women represent a great diversity of genres and sounds—and together, their monthly listeners on the platform equal more than 3.4 million. The headliners—Goyo, Paola Jara, Lido Pimienta, Andrea Echeverri, Farina, Elsa y Elmar, Ventino, Karen Lizarazo, Juliana Velásquez, Nidia Góngora, María Cristina Plata, Bad Milk, and Las Villa—are coming together in conjunction with Spotify to make a statement for gender equality at full volume.

According to the Spotify-sponsored USC Annenberg study on the representation of women in the music industry, only one in five artists on the charts is a woman. This knowledge has driven our commitment to generating more impactful opportunities for women artists.

“To begin to change this disparity, we must expand the work of creative women and create more opportunities for emerging artists. That is the reason for the EQUAL global initiative,” says Mia Nygren, Managing Director for Spotify in Latin America. “We want to do our part: We know that when we empower artists, more people listen, and that music shapes the future. We are excited to bring the EQUAL playlist to a live experience for the first time, hand in hand with a spectacular lineup.”

Hear from some of the artists—and see which dates they’re performing—below.

April 1: Goyo / Elsa y Elmar

“The best thing about being a woman in the industry right now is that we can use our platform to say a lot of things with our female voice, building a path for all women,” says Goyo, voice of legendary band ChocQuibTown, who will be performing her solo project at the festival. “I have always felt proud to use my platform as an Afro-Latin woman and thus continue the legacy of many artists like Celia Cruz who have opened doors for us.”

“Being a woman and a musician is walking on a rocky path, but one that has already been traveled by women before, especially women who were not willing to occupy the roles pigeonholed for their gender. Now we can be ourselves,” says Elsa Carvajal, known under the name of her multi-award-winning “spiritual pop” or indie folk project, Elsa y Elmar. “In my career, at no time have I had to divert my message or my music to fulfill a role. I feel proud to make my music.”

April 6: Ventino / Juliana Velásquez

“We return to the stage for the EQUAL Festival. We are proud to be women in the industry, breaking the stereotype that women cannot work together to achieve our goals,” say the members of the pop group Ventino.

“We can dismantle preconceptions such as the fact that our voice does not have as much repercussion as that of men,” says pop singer-songwriter Juliana Velasquez. “You only have to look at the lists to see that there are many women who have a lot to say in all genres, from indie to pop to urban. That vulnerable image has changed a lot, and we can go out and sing things that make us feel uncomfortable, represent us, and make us feel powerful.” 

April 8: Karen Lizarazo / Las Villa

“We are very excited to announce that this is the first time we will perform in Bogotá as part of the EQUAL Festival,” say twin sisters Laura and Lucia, who form the urban pop duo Las Villa. “For us as women, it is very important to be part of this movement and continue opening the way for other girls who come after us.”

April 20: Paola Jara

“I am proud to be able to represent women in this first edition of the Equal Festival and of course my genre, the popular music of Colombia,” says Paola Jara, who is considered one of the greatest in Colombian folk singing, earning respect in a genre dominated by male artists.

April 22: Lido Pimienta / Nidia Góngora

“The best thing about being a woman artist is that through music we can break stereotypes, transform, and educate. We get the chance to bring love and joy to many people,” says Nidia Góngora, an Afro-Colombian singer-songwriter from Timbiquí and ambassador of the characteristic marimba music of the Colombian Pacific coast.

April 27: Andrea Echeverri / Maria Cristina Plata

“We are expanding awareness, and spaces are being conquered thanks to today’s feminist movements. I see that songs I wrote 25 years ago like ‘Cosita Seria’—which speaks about harassment and gender violence—are being validated and make more sense because they are perfect for everything that is happening,” says Andrea Echeverri, founder and voice of the legendary rock band Aterciopelados. 

April 29: Farina / Bad Milk

“Women today have a platform and the means to make our point of view prevail,” says Medellín-born singer-songwriter Manuelita García of Bad Milk. “We come from a country that has always been marked by gender violence and where women in the music industry have been overshadowed. I feel proud to represent women and give them a voice that many artists used to do with me.”

Get more information and buy tickets to the festival here. And in the meantime, enjoy the sounds of these artists with the EQUAL Colombia playlist.

El Festival EQUAL de Spotify reúne a destacadas voces colombianas en un cartel exclusivamente femenino

March 17, 2022

Durante el año pasado, Spotify reunió las voces de mujeres artistas talentosas de todo el mundo a través de EQUAL, una iniciativa en la plataforma destinada a reducir la disparidad de género en la industria de la música. El próximo mes, esta iniciativa subirá al escenario por primera vez con el nuevo Festival EQUAL de Spotify en Colombia.

A lo largo del mes de abril, Spotify reunirá a 13 mujeres destacadas de la música en Colombia a través de siete funciones en El Teatro de Bogotá. Estas mujeres representan una gran diversidad de géneros y sonidos, y juntas, sus oyentes mensuales en la plataforma suman más de 3,4 millones. Las artistas en el cartel —Goyo, Paola Jara, Lido Pimienta, Andrea Echeverri, Farina, Elsa y Elmar, Ventino, Karen Lizarazo, Juliana Velásquez, Nidia Góngora, María Cristina Plata, Bad Milk, y Las Villa se unen a Spotify para hacer una declaración a favor de la igualdad de género a todo volumen.

Según el estudio Annenberg de la USC sobre la representación de las mujeres en la industria de la música patrocinado por Spotify, solo una de cada cinco artistas en las listas es una mujer. Este conocimiento ha impulsado nuestro compromiso de generar oportunidades para las mujeres artistas.

“Para comenzar a cambiar esta disparidad, debemos expandir el trabajo de las mujeres creativas y crear más oportunidades para los artistas emergentes. Esa es la razón de la iniciativa global EQUAL”, dice Mia Nygren, Managing Director de Spotify en América Latina. “Queremos hacer nuestra parte: sabemos que cuando empoderamos a los artistas, más personas escuchan y esa música da forma al futuro. Estamos emocionados de llevar la playlist EQUAL a una experiencia en vivo por primera vez, de la mano de una alineación espectacular”.

Escucha a algunas de las artistas, y ve en qué fechas se presentarán, a continuación.

1 de abril: Goyo y Elsa y Elmar

“Lo mejor de ser mujer en la industria en este momento es que podemos usar nuestra plataforma para decir muchas cosas con nuestra voz femenina, construyendo un camino para todas las mujeres”, dice Goyo, voz de la legendaria banda ChocQuibTown, quien presentará su proyecto en solitario en el festival. “Siempre me he sentido orgullosa de usar mi plataforma como mujer afrolatina, y así continuar con el legado de muchos artistas como Celia Cruz que nos han abierto puertas”.

“Ser mujer y músico es caminar por un camino pedregoso, pero que ya ha sido transitado por mujeres antes, especialmente por mujeres que no estaban dispuestas a ocupar los roles encasillados a su género. Ahora podemos ser nosotras mismas”, dice Elsa Carvajal, conocida con el nombre de Elsa y Elmar, un multipremiado proyecto de “pop espiritual” o indie folk. “En mi carrera en ningún momento he tenido que desviar mi mensaje o mi música para cumplir un rol. Me siento orgullosa de hacer mi música”.

6 de abril: Ventino y Juliana Velásquez

“Volvemos a los escenarios para el festival EQUAL. Estamos orgullosas de ser mujeres en la industria, rompiendo el estereotipo de que las mujeres no podemos trabajar juntas para lograr nuestras metas”, dijeron las integrantes del grupo pop Ventino.

“Podemos desmontar preconceptos como que nuestra voz no tiene tanta repercusión como la de los hombres”, dice la cantautora pop Juliana Velásquez. “Solo hay que mirar las listas para ver que hay muchas mujeres que tienen mucho que decir en todos los géneros, desde el indie al pop, pasando por el urbano. Ha cambiado mucho esa imagen vulnerable y podemos salir a cantar cosas que nos incomodan, nos representan y nos hacen sentir poderosas”.

8 de abril: Karen Lizarazo / Las Villas

“Estamos muy emocionadas de anunciar que esta es la primera vez que nos presentaremos en Bogotá como parte del Festival EQUAL”, dicen las hermanas mellizas Laura y Lucia, quienes forman el dúo de pop urbano Las Villa. “Para nosotras como mujeres es muy importante ser parte de este movimiento y seguir abriendo camino a otras niñas que vengan después de nosotras”.

20 de abril: Paola Jara

“Estoy orgullosa de poder representar a la mujer en esta primera edición del Festival Equal y por supuesto mi género, la música popular de Colombia”, dice Paola Jara, quien es considerada una de las más grandes de la música popular colombiana, ganándose el respeto en un género dominado por artistas masculinos.

22 de abril: Lido Pimienta / Nidia Góngora

“Lo mejor de ser mujer artista es que a través de la música podemos romper estereotipos, transformar y educar. Tenemos la oportunidad de llevar amor y alegría a muchas personas”, dice Nidia Góngora, cantautora afrocolombiana de Timbiquí y embajadora de la música de marimba característica de la costa pacífica colombiana.

27 de abril: Andrea Echeverri / María Cristina Plata

“Estamos ampliando las conciencias y se están conquistando espacios gracias a los movimientos feministas de hoy. Veo que canciones que escribí hace 25 años como “Cosita Seria”, que habla de acoso y violencia de género, se están validando y tienen más sentido porque son perfectas para todo lo que está pasando”, dice Andrea Echeverri, fundadora y voz de la la legendaria banda de rock Aterciopelados.

April 29: Farina / Bad Milk

“Las mujeres hoy tenemos una plataforma y los medios para hacer prevalecer nuestro punto de vista”, dice la cantautora nacida en Medellín Manuelita García, de Bad Milk. “Venimos de un país que siempre ha estado marcado por la violencia de género y donde la mujer en la industria de la música se ha visto opacada. Me siento orgullosa de representar a las mujeres y darles una voz como antes muchas artistas lo hicieron conmigo”.

Obtén más información y compra entradas para el festival aquí. Y mientras tanto, disfruta de los sonidos de estos artistas con la playlist de EQUAL Colombia.

6 Questions (And Answers) with Mia Nygren, Managing Director, Spotify Latin America

July 23, 2019

Artists who emerge in Latin America often catch fire around the Spanish-speaking world—and beyond—thanks to streaming (just look at “Despacito”). In the six years since Spotify’s launch in the region, Latin America has quickly become one of Spotify’s fastest-growing music and podcast markets. 

We sat down with Mia Nygren, our Managing Director of Latin America, to learn how streaming spread so rapidly throughout the region, transformed its music industry, and then began to influence the rest of the world. 

Tell us about your professional background, particularly your work in the music industry prior to joining Spotify. How did that prepare you for your current role?

I have seen and been a part of the massive transformation that the music marketplace has experienced in the past 20 years. After university, my first job as a market research consultant for Nordic internet companies brought me to Spain. Then in 2001, I joined a Swedish mobile music creator and distributor of ringtones. It was pretty clear that the technology would improve with time and that labels and publishers would enter the space. From there, I went to Universal Music Group (Spain and Portugal) in 2003 and lived through the sharp decline in physical sales and the consistent growth in digital distribution. After nine years at the label, I moved back to my hometown, Stockholm, to join Spotify.

My time at Universal was invaluable in so many ways, but was particularly helpful at first in driving the Spotify business forward through partnerships with labels—my primary responsibility as Business Development Director in Europe. Moving into my current role, a deep understanding of the music industry and how to identify innovative growth opportunities through content was also key—especially in a part of the world where music consumption is through the roof.