Tag: microsite

Discover the Latest Afrobeats News, Interviews, and Trends on Our Dedicated Site

June 22, 2023

a green and orange background with black and white artist portraits. Afro Beats text is in the center.

With over 13 billion streams on Spotify in 2022, Afrobeats remains one of the globe’s hottest sounds. While countries like the U.S., U.K., and Nigeria remain the biggest consumers of Afrobeats, the genre’s popularity has grown rapidly in countries like France, the Netherlands, and Mexico as fans can’t get enough of artists like Rema, Ayra Starr, and Burna Boy. 

That’s why we’re launching Afrobeats: Journey of a Billion Streams, a dedicated website that will act as a repository of the latest news and developments in Afrobeats.  

Whether looking at the genre’s origins in Ghana, its rise and evolution in Nigeria, or its fusion with other genres, we’re spotlighting how Afrobeats became one of Africa’s biggest cultural exports and are tracking its underreported narratives.

Afrobeats: Journey of a Billion Streams will consist of five key pillars:

  • Origins explores the genres that acted as precursors of Afrobeats as we know it. 
  • Evolution dives deeper into which industry players contributed to the current Afrobeats sound that the whole world can’t seem to get enough of.  
  • Fusion looks at how Afrobeats has emerged by melding itself with other genres, such as reggaeton, amapiano, and other hybrids. 
  • Cultural exportation documents the influence of Afrobeats in music, food, language, and fashion lenses, especially in countries outside Africa.
  • The Women of Afrobeats sheds light on some of the key women in the industry whose contributions propelled the genre to its current status as a global sensation.

The site features regular interviews with leading experts, videos, quizzes, and the latest Spotify data and trends around Afrobeats listening.

“There is no doubt that Afrobeats as a genre is here to stay and will only continue to shatter more ceilings,” says Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Managing Director for Spotify in sub-Saharan Africa. “In 2023 alone, the genre has been played for more than 223 million hours, with streams exceeding 7.1 billion on Spotify. We created this site for both new and longtime fans of the genre who want to better understand how and where this explosive sound came to be.”

Over the next eight weeks, the site will be updated regularly and will continue to remain active with the latest happenings from the global Afrobeats community.

Once you’ve caught up with the latest Afrobeats news, check out the hottest hits on our playlist, African Heat. 

Spotify’s Innovative Fuego Playlist Turns Fans Into Music Curators

May 10, 2023

graphic cover art showing the logo of fuego mixtapes

Spotify’s Fuego has been red hot since launching last year, with surprise updates each week redefining how listeners discover Latin music. But continuously alerting fans to hot new music isn’t the only thing that sets Fuego apart. The compilation of songs is a result of open and collaborative curation between music editors and guest curators. Now Spotify is taking Fuego and its archive of weekly mixtapes to the next level by giving users the chance to curate the playlist themselves, for the first time ever.

Listeners can submit their own music lineup by visiting the Fuego Mixtape microsite. From there, select playlists will have the chance to be featured as the Fuego playlist of the week. This adds a new way to engage with favorite tracks and share them with others.

Creating an opportunity for user-generated playlists is just one of the many ways Fuego is taking music curation in a new direction. In the past, Fuego has featured guest artist curators like Feid, Myke Towers, and Eladio Carrion. In the coming months, Fuego will expand the helm to playlist takeovers from influencers like Jess Judith, Santea, and Sofia Bella. 

Spotify’s Latest Digital Experience and Singles Are a Celebration of ’90s Country Music Nostalgia

September 21, 2021

Nineties country music gave us power anthems like “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” and seven hit-filled albums from the legendary Reba McEntire, and it made stars out of the young duo Brooks & Dunn. As listeners return to these classic songs, albums, and moments in droves, Spotify has decided to honor them with an interactive microsite, Spotify Singles, video content, and more.

These days, the timeless songs and stories behind ’90s country music have found a new generation of ears: Gen Z.

To celebrate this resurgence, today we launched a campaign highlighting the staying power of our country catalog while also promoting the next generation of emerging country stars who are inspired by those that came before them.

Head to our 90s Country Digital Experience to reconnect with your old country favorites and discover the classic songs that shaped the genre’s sounds of today. Enter into an interactive experience by answering ’90s-inspired questions like “Who’s riding shotgun?” and “How big is your hair?” Then select an iconic artist (perhaps Shania Twain or Alan Jackson) as your copilot and choose your hairstyle, whether that’s a mullet or a head full of curls. Once you’re done, the site will analyze your responses and generate your top ’90s country albums as well as a personalized playlist.

Spotify’s Notting Hill Carnival Microsite Returns With Original Writing, Playlists, and Podcasts

August 25, 2021

London’s annual Notting Hill Carnival is a 55-year-old celebration of the United Kingdom’s Caribbean community—one full of parades, food, and, of course, music. For the second year in a row, Spotify is supporting the festivities virtually with the Carnival Sounds 2021 Microsite in collaboration with Notting Hill Carnival. 

This year’s site continues to celebrate everything fans love about Carnival and features brand-new content encompassing written, audio, and musical content from influential Black creators. Fans will once again get the chance to virtually explore the official Notting Hill Carnival sound systems, featuring DJs playing a mixture of dub, reggae, soca, soulful house, and everything in between. King Tubby’s, Carnival’s oldest sound, is back, along with Rampage Sound, one of Carnival’s most coveted spots; the all-female line-up Seduction City Sound; and Martin Jay, the prince of U.K. soca.

Spotify has also worked with some of the U.K.’s most iconic Black creators to help curate a Carnival soundtrack with some of the most popular playlists:

  • The Gold List will incorporate selections from British soul icon Billy Ocean.
  • Reggae on the Irie playlist is in expert hands as Protoje takes over.
  • Afro Bashment gets a West London spin from WSTRN.
  • Who We Be, the U.K.’s biggest hip-hop, Afrobeat, dancehall, and R&B playlist, gets curated by Who We Be TALKS_ hosts Harry Pinero and Henrie.

Plus, brand new this year are exclusive essays on the theme of Carnival from some of the U.K.’s most renowned Black writers and creatives. Look out for writing from:

  • Candice Carty-Williams, writer and author of the Sunday Times bestselling novel Queenie, for which she became the first Black woman to win the “Book of the Year” accolade at the British Book Awards in 2020.
  • James Massiah, celebrated poet, spoken word artist, and musician who has read at the Tate Modern, Southbank Centre, and the Houses of Parliament.
  • Malika Booker, writer, poet, artist, and pioneer of the spoken word movement in the U.K.
  • Eddie Otchere, photographer, educator, and curator whose work recounts the Black British experience in art spaces.
  • Lava La Rue, Ladbroke-Grove-based visual artist, rapper, and founding member of NiNE8 COLLECTIVE.
  • Dawn Hill CBE, former chairman of the Black Cultural Archives, the U.K.’s only national repository of Black history and culture.

And as part of the ongoing celebration and to embrace the visual nature of Carnival, Spotify commissioned a mural by London-based multidisciplinary artist Bokiba in the heart of Notting Hill. The piece captures the movement and sounds of Carnival, as well as incorporating emojis as a nod to the virtual element of this year’s event. As with all of her work, women of color are at the heart, along with bold colors and patterns. The artwork mural features a scannable Spotify code so that passersby can dive straight in and immediately immerse themselves in the sounds and experiences of Carnival from their phones.

The Most-Streamed Songs and Podcasts of Summer 2020

August 25, 2020

The summer of 2020 was unique from the start, with celebrations like Pride and music festivals like Notting Hill Carnival taking place virtually for the first time. But as always, people turned to music and podcasts as lively, consistent sources for comfort and entertainment, both in person and apart. And most notably, they turned to “ROCKSTAR” by DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch, which soared to its spot as the most-streamed song of summer 2020.

With more than 380 million streams between June 1 and August 15, the track has been a mainstay on our global chart and is one of the year’s most-played songs on our flagship RapCaviar playlist. The track’s success is certainly not lost on DaBaby himself.

“I knew ROCKSTAR was going to be a hit while I was creating the record,” the rapper told Spotify. “But to watch the world make it into a global hit is an amazing feeling. God is great!”

Read on for more about the songs that dominated summer, plus, for the first time, the top podcasts. Finally, check out our new digital experience to help you feel some of the summer vibes you may have missed.

Sing along to the top songs of summer

Following DaBaby’s “Rockstar” is The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” which takes the slot for the second-most-streamed song this summer. It racked up just under 340 million streams between June 1 and August 15, and although it was released last November, it speaks to cities being “cold and empty.” In third place is SAINt JHN’s upbeat jam “Roses – Imanbek Remix,” which collected over 280 million streams and was added to many workout playlists.

Harry Styles infused plenty of flavor with “Watermelon Sugar,” which also landed in the top 5. Dua Lipa features twice in the top 20 with “Don’t Start Now” and “Break My Heart,” two tracks featured on the singer-songwriter’s album Future Nostalgia, which she released during quarantine. Ariana Grande also brought double trouble—in the best way possible—with her hit collaborations “Rain On Me” with Lady Gaga and “Stuck with U” with Justin Bieber. Scroll to see the full song list below. 

Get hooked on the top podcasts of summer 

It may have only launched three weeks ago, but that didn’t stop The Michelle Obama Podcast from becoming the top podcast of the summer with millions of listeners. The former first lady took to the mic to speak to listeners on topical themes such as identity, self-care, and family.  

Speaking of topical, listeners were clearly in the mood for plenty of news: NPR News Now and The Daily were the second- and third-most-popular podcasts based on number of listeners between June 1 and August 15. Other top shows include Call Her Daddy, TED Talks Daily, and Harry Potter At Home: Readings, as read by familiar voices like Daniel Radcliffe and Helena Bonham Carter. The mystery obsessed sunk their teeth into Crime Junkie, Last Podcast on the Left, and My Favorite Murder.

Dive into our new digital experience

Didn’t get to take the summer vacation of your dreams this year? Get transported—digitally—to somewhere summery with our new immersive experience, Wish You Were Here. You’ll be able to enjoy some of the season’s biggest hits overlaid with those summer sounds you may have missed: think crashing waves, a sizzling barbeque, or a crackling campfire.

Audio Connects Us All in Spotify’s Newest Campaign, ‘Listening Together’

May 7, 2020

What are you listening to right now? Whatever it is, chances are you’re not the only one. Every moment, more than 30,000 people around the world press play on the same song on Spotify. Suffice it to say, listening connects us, even when we aren’t expecting it. Now, through our new global campaign, “Listening Together,” we’re celebrating audio’s unique power to unite us—even when we’re apart.

Whether you’re streaming pop, hip-hop, or opera, the initiative highlights the power of audio to bring us closer together through a visualization-based microsite, artist-influenced Together With playlists, and more.

Listening Together Microsite

Back in 2014, media artist Kyle McDonald had a great idea to find the “serendipity” of two listeners pressing play on the same song within moments of each other. Fast forward seven years to today, and Spotify has hundreds of millions of listeners around the world pressing play on the same song within the same moment. The connections are exponential, and with our new microsite, we’re visualizing those serendipitous clicks and taps in a real-time way like never before.  

Say multiple people hit play on “Imagine,” or “Bored in the House.” A virtual, rotating 3D map of Earth will display the track name, as well as the country and city where the connection is happening. And you’ll be there to watch as the connection happens, and which track brought them together at that very moment. 

Want to see for yourself? Check out the Listening Together microsite here to watch in real time as fans around the world listen to the same track, at the same time.

Listening Together With Playlists 

During this time, we’ve also enlisted the help of artists like Selena Gomez, Lil Yachty, and Dolly Parton to share the music and podcasts that are soundtracking their days. Our new Listening Together With playlists feature these artists, as well as Lennon Stella, Anitta, Grimes and others sharing commentary about what they are currently listening to. Here’s a sample of what each artist had to say about what they’ve been streaming, and why.

“Listening to music brings me such hope and joy even during these hard times.” — Dolly Parton

 “I’ve been listening to kind of down-tempo vibes while I game.” — Lil Yachty

“I’ve been listening to an eclectic mix of classics and current music while feeling inspired to cook new dishes.” — Selena Gomez

We’re constantly adding new playlists from your favorite artists and creators. This week, check out Alicia Keys’ “Cooking Together” playlist for her favorite nourishing tracks.

Whether in good times or challenging ones, Spotify believes in the limitless power of audio. Our hope is that these playlists will allow listeners to forge a common bond with people around the world who are also using audio to stay connected.

Check out how people are Listening Together on the new microsite, or stream our flagship Listening With playlist. 

Whether You’re Spending Thanksgiving Near or Far, Spotify Has a Playlist to Help Make the Day Extra Special

November 21, 2019

Do your Thanksgiving plans include going over the river? Perhaps through the woods? Or maybe to grandma’s house? Or maybe you’re staying home and cooking up a feast for your own guests. Whether you’re spending hours on the road, in the kitchen, or both, you’ll need ample amounts of sure-fire audio entertainment.

Thanks to Spotify’s annual Turkey Timer and all-new Soundtrack Your Ride microsites, you can soak in music and podcast playlists geared specifically for you while traveling to your holiday destination or whipping up a culinary creation.

And just like the food on your dinner table, these playlists have something for everyone. So gather round and check out these custom playlists to help you survive—and thrive—this turkey (or tofurkey) season. 

Get Movin’ with Soundtrack Your Ride 

If you’re one of the millions of people hitting the road for the most-traveled day of the year, make sure you don’t leave the house before taking our interactive Soundtrack Your Ride quiz to generate a custom playlist that fits the mood and duration of your journey. The playlist is made just for you and is customizable based on everything from the car you’re driving to your passengers, top genre, and all-time-favorite driving tunes on desktop and mobile.

And if you’re headed to a cozy cabin in the woods (read: no cell service) or just want to save data, Spotify Premium users can download the playlist before their journeys to listen in offline mode. If you’re not already a Spotify Premium subscriber, check out our annual Spotify Premium holiday offer. From November 18-December 31, new users can get three months free* (so your wallet will thank you, too), and anyone who was previously on Premium but has since dropped can get three months for $9.99 (meaning you pay once and get the next two months on us).** 

There’s also a multitude of ways to connect to Spotify from your car. Not sure how? We’ve got this handy guide to help you get started.

Get Cookin’ with the Turkey Timer


That’s right, the Turkey Timer is back, helping you roast your Thanksgiving dinner to perfection while giving you a playlist to match.

Simply select the weight of your turkey and whether or not it’s stuffed, and we’ll give you a playlist that matches the cooking time so you can go work on the side dishes and desserts. You’ll also be able to select your cooking playlist vibe. Not only do we have six music moods to choose from—from family favorites to top hits, and even a little something to help you get in the Christmas spirit—but this year, we also have a podcast playlist on the menu.

Podcast playlists are a new Spotify feature that allows you to build playlists full of podcasts, or add podcasts to existing music playlists for a mixed-media experience. When it comes to your Turkey Timer playlist, you can choose to fill the room with music or learn something new from a podcast. And if you’re bringing DJ skills (rather than a dish) to follow the meal, you can even make your own playlist with that special blend of podcasts and music to keep the energy up even when the food coma starts to creep in.

Whatever mood you choose, make sure you leave the playlists unshuffled—the last track will remind you that it’s almost time for the turkey to be done and the meal to begin.

 Check out Turkey Timer and Soundtrack Your Ride to get your playlists ready for the big holiday.

* Three Months Free is for new users who have never tried Premium, available across all Premium plans: Individual, Student (where available), Family (where available) and Duo (where available).
** Three Months for $9.99 is only for individual plan users and is not available to users who ended their Premium subscription after October 19, 2019.

Spotify’s “Turkey Timer” Matches Just the Right Playlist to Your Bird

November 8, 2018

The average Thanksgiving dinner takes seven hours to prepare—and timing is everything. That’s why we created our Turkey Timer, which cranks out a special holiday playlist based on the size of your turkey and your Thanksgiving mood.

It’s simpler than setting the table: Select the weight of your turkey and indicate whether it’s stuffed. Then, choose your vibe from one of our six playlists: Bastin’, All the Seasonings, Deep Fried, Fam Faves, Holiday Countdown, or Sabor de Sangsgiving. Songs are timed to play for exactly how long your turkey should be cooking.

Pro tip: Playlists are best left unshuffled—the final track will remind you to take your food out of the oven, as well as call your hungry guests to the dinner table.

Not sure which option suits you best? Dig in to these:

If you like: Refreshing our Global Top 50 playlist every day like it’s Christmas morning

You should try: Bastin’. For those who like to marinate in today’s hits 24/7, this playlist supplies only the hottest tracks from artists like Ariana Grande, Drake, Rita Ora, and more. You and your loved ones can discover new music together—and maybe even find some fresh favorites that you can all be thankful for.

If you like: Rhythm as smooth as your grandma’s mashed potatoes

You should try: All the Seasonings. A collection of gospel, hip-hop, and R&B tracks like Mary Jane Girls’ “All Night Long,” “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars, and “Real Love” by Mary J. Blige will keep everyone dancing until dinner is done.

If you like: Wearing plaid, sitting by the fire and sipping on mugs of hot apple cider

You should try: Deep Fried. The laid-back feel of this playlist featuring country legends like Luke Bryan and Rascal Flatts is sure to bring out your inner cowboy while cooking.

If you like: Multigenerational cooking (your aunt’s secret-recipe apple pie is the stuff of legends)

You should try: Fam Faves. We may come from different walks of life, but everyone is family on Thanksgiving. This mix of oldies and family-friendly tunes from Aretha Franklin to Demi Lovato has ageless appeal.

If you like: The minute blasting Christmas music finally becomes acceptable again

You should try: Holiday Countdown. With ’tis-the-season classics like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” and more, it’s for anyone who sees Thanksgiving as the perfect pregame to the rest of the holiday season.

If you like: Bringing a little bit of Latin flavor to everything you do

You should try: Sabor de Sangsgiving. This collection of hits from Hispanic greats like Celia Cruz, Bajofondo, and Gipsy Kings will bring the flavor to your dinner table (even if you botch the gravy).

Food coma setting in? We’ve even created a Stuffed Snooze playlist to help you nap once the leftovers are put away.

Celebrate Father’s Day with the Dada—Er, Data—Proven Perfect Playlist

June 15, 2018

Some songs have special ways of connecting you with a loved one, and there’s nothing like the musical bond you share with your dad. Whether it’s music from the CD that was always playing in your parents’ car or the song from a father-daughter dance, certain tracks will always make you think of him.

Despite that old assumption that kids and parents can’t stand each other’s music, the music you grow up with can have a huge influence on your musical tastes later in life. Singer, actress, and social influencer Inanna Sarkis finds that the music she listened to when she was younger had a lot to do with her father Mirza’s favorite artist, Shaggy.

“Our music taste is actually pretty similar,” says Sarkis. “Growing up, the music I listened to was largely inspired by my dad, Jamaican and Latin flavor, with a lot of uplifting, fast rhythms. Hearing stories from my Dad in Syria and how powerful music has been in his life inspired me to use my voice to bring change and put out my first song, “No Beauty in War.” It has the same uplifting vibe with a great positive message! Even though I live in Los Angeles now and have adapted to more of an indie vibe, I still love listening to the reggae I grew up with.”

Inanna and her dad, Mirza Sarkis

 

While it’s easy to be nostalgic about what we listened to as kids, finding music that everyone actually wants to listen to can be a challenge. In honor of Father’s Day, Spotify partnered with Sonos, the home sound system that fills your whole home with music, to help music lovers across generations build the perfect Father’s Day playlist and bridge that gap. On fathersday.sonos.com, you can enter your favorite band and your dad’s favorite band. Then, Spotify will do the rest.

When athlete and social influencer Johannes Bartl used the Sonos & Spotify generator, the songs on his playlist that stood out to him the most weren’t his favorite tracks, but his father’s.

“I picked Sido as my favorite artist, and Elvis Presley for my dad Ernst,” he says. “I loved that ‘Jailhouse Rock’ was included on there, because it was probably the first Elvis song I ever heard.”

Young Johannes and his dad, Ernst Bartl

 

Better yet, Spotify’s partnership with Sonos makes it easy to give the gift of music—a Sonos speaker—this Father’s Day. Create your Musical Connection playlist to get access to 15% off Sonos products. Then, the two of you can enjoy that ultimate sound system while listening to your playlist out loud—and together.

“A lot of Spotify listening is personal, on headphones, with your own playlists,” says Ari Greenberg, Global Partner Marketing Lead at Spotify. “There’s something very powerful that happens when you’re listening in your home with people of multiple generations. Music has the power to bring people together.”

The playlist generator will hopefully inspire you to share the music you love with the people you love. And if you’re looking to fill out that playlist even further with other great “kid-tasted, dad-approved” songs, check out this collection of songs that Spotify listeners have added most to their “Father’s Day-” and “dad”-themed playlists.

If Dad gave you a love of music, now you can give it back to him.

Happy Father’s Day!