Tag: q&a

The Hottest Artists, Trends, and Sounds Coming out of Sweden in 2025

February 18, 2025

Sweden has always had great success showcasing its musical talent globally, especially in the dance and pop spheres. But 2025 is shaping up to be a special year for Swedish music at large, especially when it comes to the artists who are experimenting with genre-defying sounds.

At the start of the year, we put a spotlight on this scene with our list of Swedish Artists To Watch in 2025 featuring some of the country’s most promising indie acts, as well as hip-hop stars who are pushing their styles into new melodic territories. The list exemplifies the global appeal of Sweden’s music scene. 

Next month, the 42nd edition of Sweden’s Grammis awards show returns to recognize the nation’s best and brightest musical talents. As a proud sponsor of this annual celebration, Spotify recently had the honor of announcing the nominees for the Best New Artist category, which include: Becky and the Birds, Hannes Aitman, ORKID, Sunnan, and Y4ska.

Tune In, Tune Up: Five Creators Share Tips To Guide Your 2025 Wellness Goals

January 10, 2025

The new year is a time for fresh starts and a renewed focus on our well-being, and there is a wealth of podcasts you can stream on Spotify to find inspiration and motivation. To help you kick off 2025 feeling your best, we’ve consulted five luminaries in the wellness space to share their insights.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Podcast

Building on Mark Manson’s bestselling self-help book of the same name, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Podcast tackles relationships, careers, health, wealth, and happiness with refreshing honesty. Featuring a mix of guest appearances, burning reader questions, and solo shows with Mark, the show explores all the uncomfortable questions that might just change your life.

Mark Manson

How it started: “It happened by accident. I started blogging my own personal growth journey, had a distinct style and some unique takes, and developed an audience relatively early on. They started asking me for advice, so I went and researched the answers. From there, it just kind of snowballed.”

How it’s going: “Spotify has been the primary home for my podcast audience almost since we launched. It seems like we grow the most organically there, and our listeners are more engaged.”

Mark’s wellness tip: “I know big, ambitious goals are sexy, but you’re far more likely to succeed if you break them down into a series of small, relatively attainable goals and take them down one after the other. It’s not as sexy or exciting but it’s what actually works. If you’re relying on willpower, you’re doing it wrong.”

Stream the latest episode of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Podcast on Spotify.

The Liz Moody Podcast

Hosted by bestselling author and longtime journalist Liz Moody, The Liz Moody Podcast offers research-backed wellness advice. Liz sits down with some of the world’s leading experts to answer some of the biggest health and wellness questions, from what to eat to fight disease to how to take control of your finances.

Liz Moody

How it started: “After experiencing a mental health crisis, I turned to the skill set I’d honed over the years: researching and asking questions. I reached out to people I had absolutely no business talking to (neuroscientists at Stanford, nutrition researchers at Harvard) to try to uncover what was happening in my brain, and how I could potentially feel better. Many of them didn’t write back, but a few did, and with that information I began to cobble together a plan for myself. Slowly—very slowly!—I started to feel better, and I became passionate about helping others feel better, too.”

How it’s going: “People are already listening to their favorite music on Spotify, so it’s easy for them to integrate podcasts—I love making any wellness habits as simple as possible, so meeting people where they already are is huge for that. It’s also so fun to have comments on episodes, and be able to continue the discussions raised and get feedback on what people are loving.”

Liz’s wellness tip: “The world’s largest study on gut health found that the single most important thing to feed our microbes was how much diversity was in our diet. Specifically, the study found that 30 plants per week was the ideal number for optimal microbiome benefits. So start counting your plants—and anything that grows in the ground counts as a plant—and try to add more plants to every meal. Can you hit that 30 a week number? It becomes a fun game, but it also has huge health benefits.”

Stream the latest episode of The Liz Moody Podcast on Spotify.

GrownKid

Following the success of Teenager Therapy, Gael Aitor and Kayla Suarez returned last summer with a brand-new podcast, GrownKid, focused on young adulthood. Bringing diverse perspectives from experts and leading voices across generations, GrownKid offers meaningful conversations around critical topics for Gen Z, like building a career without a college degree or overcoming rejection.

Kayla Suarez and Gael Aitor

How it started: “We started a podcast documenting our coming-of-age when we were 15 years old, and so began our journey into advocating for the importance of vulnerability, mental health, and wellness.”

How it’s going: “Not only has Spotify given us the ability to talk with our audience directly, but it’s also allowed us to get a sense of what’s important to our listeners by helping us track the better-performing episodes and topics we do.”

Gael’s wellness tip: “When you feel yourself getting brain fog, go outside and walk in nature. If that’s not possible, walk inside your house!”

Kayla’s wellness tip: “Dance, dance, dance! I feel like dancing as an act of wellness is underrated. Even just setting aside 10 minutes to play your favorite songs and dance has made such a difference for me.”

Stream the latest episode of GrownKid on Spotify.

Self Obsessed

A renowned self-love and development expert, Tam Kaur is dedicated to helping women become the best versions of themselves. On Self Obsessed, she provides advice on topics like building confidence, embracing authenticity, setting boundaries, cultivating healthy relationships, and pursuing your passions.

How it started: “I’ve always been obsessed with self-development. Along the way, I definitely made mistakes, but the lessons I learned inspired me to share them so that other women could progress on their journeys faster.”

Tam Kaur

How it’s going: “Spotify has allowed me another avenue to provide value to my audience, from my curated wellness playlists filled with uplifting songs to my audiobook, Buy Yourself the Damn Flowers. With my podcast, it’s allowed me to share my story more in depth, connect with my listeners, and create even more content for my audience members who are always on the go!”

Tam’s wellness tip: “Meditate. It’s something I value more strongly now than ever. It’s easy to do and doesn’t have to take more than two minutes, and yet the benefits are endless. You gain peace, clarity, and presence. Not to mention it’s a powerful manifestation tool when you visualize your dream reality at the same time. It has the power to rewire your subconscious so that you can develop a more positive self-concept.”

Stream the latest episode of Self Obsessed on Spotify.

Let’s Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin

On Let’s Talk About Mental Health, writer, counselor, and mental health advocate Jeremy Godwin breaks down complex mental health topics into simple, actionable steps. With practical, research-backed advice and insights from his expertise and personal experience, he seeks to help you build healthier habits, foster resilience, and create lasting positive change.

Jeremy Godwin

How it started: “After going through a breakdown in late 2011, followed by several years of severe depression and anxiety, I wanted to find a way to help others who were dealing with what I went through. Over a decade later, I’ve found a space to help people that also makes me feel incredibly fulfilled!”

How it’s going: “Being able to engage directly with my listeners through comments and polls on Spotify helps me understand what resonates with them, and have real conversations (instead of just talking at them each week in my show!).”

Jeremy’s wellness tip: “Focus on what you can directly control. It’s so easy to become overwhelmed by the weight of the world and all the stuff we need to deal with in our lives…but when you remember that you can only ever control your own words and actions, it frees you from a lot of stress.”

Stream the latest episode of Let’s Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin on Spotify.

From Breakout Pop Stars to Country Crossovers, Here’s the Scoop on 2024’s Biggest Music Trends on Spotify

December 4, 2024

Music has always been at the heart of the annual Spotify Wrapped experience, offering fans a unique reflection of the year gone by. And 2024 was quite the year, showing up with its own set of trends, moments, and movements that redefined the music landscape.

A new batch of pop stars has entered superstardom, country is reaching new heights of popularity, and indie acts are achieving global streaming success: It’s been an exciting year for music. But what are the real stories behind the trends? Which genres surprised us, and which artists broke through the noise?

To unpack the musical moments that defined 2024 on Spotify, For the Record sat down with two of our editorial experts: John Stein, Head of North American Editorial, and Astrid Storm, Senior Project Manager, Global Editorial.

Happy Wrapped! Level with us: Which 2024 music trend surprised you the most?

John: Country seemed to further extend its dominance and reach in 2024. We had superstars like Beyoncé and Post Malone release incredibly successful albums in the genre, and we saw breakout moments from Dasha with “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” and Shaboozey with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”—the latter on pace to crack a billion streams in less than eight months. The sonic reach of the genre continues to impress on a global level.

Astrid: It’s also been really exciting to see how Afro house has captivated audiences worldwide. The genre has moved from street parties in Lagos to clubs in Mykonos and beyond. This summer’s hit “Move” by Adam Port, Stryv, and Malachiii is a perfect example of the blend of pop and Afro house, racking up more than 370 million streams to date. As a genre, Afro house is hitting the mainstream alongside Afrobeats and Amapiano, which are still resonating globally. Our dance editors are doing a brilliant job showcasing this trend in playlists like Umami, Tantra, and Afro House Pulse.

What about emerging genres or subgenres—what stood out to you both this year?

John: Each year we’re seeing listeners explore new spaces and discover new genres and artists. I’ve loved seeing hard techno have a moment in the dance space this year. It’s high bpm, aggressive, and makes you want to sweat in a packed club. An artist like Sara Landry is a prime example.

Also, the continued emergence of alternative country, folk, and Americana-leaning artists has been amazing to see. We house a lot of them in our playlist Homegrown, and in 2024 we saw the true audience potential of the genre and community.

Astrid: What we now know as “sexy drill” really had a moment in 2024. New York icons like Ice Spice, Chow Lee, Bay Swag, and Cash Cobain—who is widely considered the genre’s pioneer—paved the way for sexy drill’s explosive rise. Yet, it was artists like Don Toliver with his hit “ATTITUDE” and Belfast’s Jordan Adetunji with “KEHLANI” who propelled the sound to new heights on the charts. Artists from both hip-hop and R&B are now embracing sexy drill across the globe. In October, our hip-hop editors launched the Sexy Drill playlist, both a celebration and reflection of the growth in this sound.

How about your favorite music trend of 2024? 

Astrid: One thing that took me by surprise this year was our rock editors opening my eyes—and ears—to the world of hardcore punk. In the wake of the pandemic, hardcore has made a global comeback, still becoming more diverse and striking a chord with younger listeners like myself. Bands like Turnstile, Speed, Scowl, DRAIN, High Vis, and Drug Church are at the forefront of this movement, capturing mainstream attention. Our playlists like The Breakdown and Hardcore Rising are helping me dive deeper into the adrenaline and raw energy of this subculture.

John: My favorite music trend of 2024 was pop star (re)emergence. It had been a slow couple years for emerging pop artists, but this year we had huge breakout moments for Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, among others. Not only did each of these artists have huge songs, but their albums resonated as well. For the first time in a while we had multiple huge albums all taking off at once. I think you could confidently say it was the year of women in pop, and our top albums list showcases that as well.

Social media influences everything these days. How did you see that reflected in music trends and discovery in 2024?

John: We’re not seeing the massive influx of viral tracks as we have in past years. What we are seeing is more dedicated fandoms emerge and create virality—Charli xcx’s BRAT summer meant that many tracks on her album had viral moments and lifespans beyond the release moment. In general, we’re seeing more depth of listening for artists and genres than the flash-in-the-pan moments of the past few years.

Speaking of influential forces, how has Gen Z influenced the music landscape this year?

Astrid: Something myself and our indie editors are excited about—which is particularly popular with Gen Z women—is “fantasy/theatrical indie.” It’s characterized by bold, expressive storytelling and worldbuilding, often with a darker, witchy tone. Think the mythical folklore of Yaelokre, or the baroque-pop renaissance of The Last Dinner Party, or the visceral narratives of Paris Paloma. For me, it follows in the lineage of otherworldly, slightly left-of-center stars like Björk and Kate Bush, but with a very modern twist.

John: Gen Z’s openness to music from any place and any time in history continues to shape the landscape at large. The fact that shoegaze, a genre that emerged out of the U.K. counterculture in the late ’80s, could have so much influence on American teenagers in 2024 really speaks to this. Shoegaze Now is one of the playlists where we’ve seen this discovery happen.

Turning to our influential editorial playlists, how did these shape music trends this year?

John: We’re always at the forefront of new trends, working to establish new genre spaces, introduce listeners to emerging artists, and provide context for listeners. Our Afro Ritmo playlist is a good example—the list encapsulates the crossover between the Afrobeats and reggaeton genres. Fans of individual artists might not even be aware of the cultural influences, but you feel this melting pot of sounds as you listen through the playlist. 

You’ll also find an editorial Watch Feed featured on the playlist on mobile, a new feature that provides editor-written context on artists and tracks on the playlist. This is a very exciting new strategy for our editorial team. Editors spend all day, every day, listening to new music, researching the best new artists—it’s time we talk about those discoveries directly with listeners. On your mobile device, you can tap the rectangle under the Afro Ritmo playlist to read track reviews directly from the experts.

Let’s pull out your crystal balls: Any music trends you’re predicting here for 2025?

John: I think we’ll continue to see more and more new subgenres emerge. 2024 was probably the most sonically diverse year for popular music in history, and I don’t see that changing in 2025. The monoculture will never be what it was, but people are still looking for points of connection: brat summer, the Eras Tour, “Not Like Us.” These moments that cut through will be bigger than ever in 2025—look out for holiday listening to grow even more next year.

To make a more specific prediction, it feels like a ripe moment for confessional, theater-kid, pop-rock-inspired artists to emerge—imagine if Gavin Degraw and Lady Gaga had a baby, and they were addicted to their phone. Benson Boone, [the animated musical series] Hazbin Hotel, and Olivia Rodrigo are all clues for Gen Z preferences, from my perspective.

Explore your personalized 2024 Wrapped and learn more about this year’s campaign and experience on our 2024 Wrapped hub.

The Art and Science Behind Spotify Wrapped

December 4, 2024

Spotify Wrapped is officially here, and with it comes your highly personal look back at how you soundtracked your year. 

We know your year in review evokes all the feels, but perhaps you’d like a bit more insight into all the ways your listening and our lists come together. From the skilled team of music editors who help develop Wrapped to the ace engineers who are evolving our tools to better fit your listening habits, it’s truly art and science working side by side. 

We caught up with JJ Italiano, Spotify’s Head of Global Music Curation and Discovery, and Molly Holder, Spotify’s Senior Director of Personalization, to reveal more about the magic behind Wrapped.

Happy Wrapped launch to you both! First, how does our annual experience highlight the work of both our brilliant tech team and the expertise of our editorial team? 

JJ: The work of Spotify’s editorial experts is grounded in a deep understanding of music culture. We are always working as a global team of music editors to identify and amplify trending songs, stories, and artists to the user—and, crucially, to contextualize those moments in curated playlists or other editorial offerings to help users form a deep, lasting connection to the track or artist. 

Spotify Wrapped gives listeners a chance to look back at the artist and track connections they’ve made over the course of the year through their personalized Wrapped list while also exploring some of the songs and artists that helped define the year in music culture more broadly through our editorial end-of-year Wrapped playlists.

Molly: The beauty of Wrapped is how much it reflects each individual user. Whether it’s your top song, total minutes listened, or favorite artist, 2024 Wrapped celebrates how you listened this year. 

We believe that great personalization fuels discovery: We’re powering nearly 2 billion music discoveries every day, connecting listeners with artists and genres they might never have found otherwise.

In addition to the work JJ and his team are doing, we’re excited to launch several brand-new personalized Wrapped features this year. From innovations like Your Music Evolution to the expansion of our AI-driven tools (such as AI DJ, AI Playlist, and Wrapped AI Podcast), users will have even more ways to explore the songs that defined their year.

JJ, can you share more about how the work of Spotify’s editorial team influences what users discover throughout the year, culminating in what shows up in their Wrapped? 

JJ: Over the course of the year, our editors around the world are constantly monitoring new music and cultural trends to identify important rising tracks and artists. We look at a vast range of qualitative and quantitative signals both on- and off-platform which inform our editorial decisions. 

We also continuously monitor in-playlist performance to understand what tracks and artists users are responding to. This helps signal what tracks should be added to more playlists. Your Wrapped may be comprised of artists that you’ve discovered anywhere on Spotify, including our editorial surfaces.

Molly, building on that, how do Spotify’s algorithms use those editorial selections to enhance personalized recommendations outside of Wrapped to ensure our users are discovering new music all year round? 

Molly: Spotify personalization is a mix of giving you what you like while pushing you a bit outside your comfort zone, too. We learn about what you like based on the ways you interact with Spotify, and our personalization technology takes into account a number of signals that you, as users, provide. For example, as you add songs to a playlist, listen to an entire song, skip a song, or engage with an artist, it sends us clear signals that help us tailor our programming to your taste.

But it’s also our job to determine when we should introduce you to something new. That’s when we consider certain additional factors, such as signs of popularity and how other users are engaging with tracks. We also rely on our editorial team, who play a crucial role in curating playlists and, through their knowledge, intuition, and expertise, help teach our machines. 

Recommendations are shaped by a number of signals, each contributing to the decision of whether a track should be suggested to a user. While these signals are weighted differently, listener satisfaction is always a priority, and we only recommend music we think listeners will want to hear. For more information on the most significant inputs that drive our personalization, you can learn more here.

How does Spotify use both human curation and algorithms to combat repetitiveness in recommendations?

Molly: Finding the right balance between familiarity and discovery is incredibly difficult. One reason is that music is different from other formats. On other platforms, you may consume a piece of content once and then never revisit it again. On Spotify, you can listen to the same song dozens of times, so we know that some repetitiveness is good.

But we don’t just paint by numbers. We listen to our users and the descriptive way they are saying they’d like to see us better balance familiarity with discovery, new with old, music with podcasts and audiobooks. We take that qualitative feedback to heart just as much as we weigh the quantitative signals when we make decisions about what to tweak in our algorithms. 

Can you share how human expertise and algorithms have worked together to propel a song or artist to success on Spotify?

JJ: One of this year’s most compelling examples would be Charli xcx’s BRAT album and the associated cultural moment, “brat summer.” Our editors were able to hear the album early and identified it as one of the top stories of the summer to come. As the album rollout and cultural conversation accelerated and branched off into new tracks and trends, our editors worked to reflect each moment rapidly and participate in the conversation holistically throughout our editorial surfaces.

BRAT not fitting neatly into any one genre gave us the opportunity to stretch our genre remits and work collaboratively to support her across multiple playlists and destinations on platform. Not only did Charli land on the cover of our New Music Friday playlist on album release day, but also on the covers of hot girl walk, Party Hits, and hyperpop, which helped us target the music to audiences outside of her traditional genre lanes. Watching the data allowed us to find more places for BRAT to be discovered on platform, and served to the right users.

Molly: As I mentioned, recommendations are powered by data. But there are instances—like when an artist releases a new track—where there’s little to no listening data available.

In those cases, we look at additional factors, such as signs of growing popularity. For example, if a song is climbing the charts, it becomes a valuable signal for our recommendation algorithms. 

Another key factor is input from JJ’s team, whose cultural expertise helps identify songs they believe our users will enjoy. And this year, we’ve seen some amazing breakout success from artists all over the world. Check out our 2024 Wrapped top lists to see what our listeners have deemed the songs, artists, and albums of the year! 

Explore your personalized 2024 Wrapped and learn more about this year’s campaign and experience on our 2024 Wrapped hub.

The Year in Audiobooks and How We’re Celebrating Spotify for Authors With a Special Wrapped Experience

December 4, 2024

From building a richer, more dynamic experience for listeners to expanding the data and promotional tools for authors and publishers, we’ve continued to keep “reading” top of mind on Spotify this year. And now, as we reflect back on 2024, it’s time to see what resonated with our listeners and how Wrapped for Authors has provided authors and publishers valuable insights into their work.

What listeners loved

It’s been a year since we launched Audiobooks in Premium, and both new releases and back-catalog titles from buzzworthy authors gained audiences across every genre on Spotify. If you’re looking for new audiobooks to add to your queue, discover the top global and U.S. audiobooks of 2024 here.

This year, we’ve also seen the boom of page-to-screen novels reflected in audiobook listening on Spotify. Colleen Hoover’s romance novel It Ends with Us and Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West are examples of acclaimed books that found their way to the big screen, and listens skyrocketed. James Clavell’s historical novel Shōgun saw a resurgence in popularity this year as its television adaptation kicked off in February. Other popular television shows based on books are George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood and Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mister Bridgerton. 

Check out the Wrapped Audiobooks hub on platform for more listening inspiration with playlists for Breakout Authors, Best Narration, and more. 

Wrapped for Authors

This year marks our first-ever Spotify Wrapped for Authors experience, giving eligible publishers and authors the opportunity to reflect on their achievements from 2024 through personalized data stories. Authors will receive insights about who their listeners are and how their audiobooks resonated with fans around the world, from the most popular time of day for consumption of their titles to the percentage of their audiences who started listening to an audiobook because of one of the author’s other titles. 

For the Record talked with Rebecca McGuire, Manager for Audiobook Partnerships and Licensing at Spotify, to learn more about this year’s inaugural Wrapped for Authors.

What can authors expect to find in their Wrapped for Authors experience? 

When we take a step back, there’s a lot to celebrate with audiobooks in 2024! We carried that spirit into the Wrapped for Authors experience; it’s a fun way to recognize authors, their work, and their fans. For the first time, publishers and authors can get access to their own personalized, one-of-a-kind data stories that give them a sense of how their audiobooks resonated with listeners around the world this year.   

How does Wrapped help authors connect more deeply with their fans? 

Spotify is very committed to helping authors build deeper connections—that commitment comes through in all of the tools and experiences we offer to our partners. For example, we launched Countdown Pages for audiobooks this year, which allows fans to presave upcoming audiobooks and count down to their release, which we know helps build hype and leads to more week-one streams. Wrapped for Authors is an extension of that work, providing the perfect opportunity for authors to learn more about and thank the fans who have listened and come along on their journeys! 

What are some of the biggest Spotify audiobook highlights from the past year?

There is so much to celebrate. First, we’ve expanded audiobooks to more markets so more listeners around the world can benefit from our Audiobooks in Premium offer. We’ve launched powerful new tools for authors and publishers, including the recent addition of Spotify for Authors, our platform for them to gain marketing tools and insights on Spotify. And, as I mentioned earlier, we’ve doubled down on bringing authors and publishers closer to their fans. I had the privilege of attending our recent fan event in New York City with Coco Mellors of Blue Sisters, and it was very rewarding to see the magic between an author and her most devoted readers and listeners. Now I look forward to seeing how our partners across the industry enjoy their Wrapped for Authors experience. 

What was the most memorable audiobook you listened to in 2024? 

It was undoubtedly Dolly Alderton’s Good Material. I listened to it when it was first released in January, and I am still thinking about Jen and Andy and their hilariously tragic relationship woes that were masterfully brought to life by narrators Arthur Darvill and Vanessa Kirby. To me, the sign of a great audiobook is when you can’t imagine reading it in any other format. I literally laughed out loud while listening to this audiobook, and I am now a firm believer that Dolly’s snappy and hilarious dialogue simply must always be listened to! 

And while there were certainly too many great audiobooks published in 2024 to count, I also love that back-catalog titles are finding great success on Spotify, creating pathways for authors to gain new audiences and giving listeners the ability to enjoy books of all kinds, right where they already are. 

If you’re on the hunt for your next great audiobook listen, check out our first-ever Global Top Audiobooks in Premium of the Year list, led by 2024’s buzziest author, Sarah J. Mass, and her A Court of Thorns and Roses series (a series that I have personally listened to about 12 times). There are some great picks on there! 

Explore your personalized 2024 Wrapped and learn more about this year’s campaign and experience on our 2024 Wrapped hub. Eligible authors can work directly with their publishers or Spotify reps to get access to their Wrapped for Authors experience.

Big ‘Higher Learning’ Fan? We Are Too. Rachel Lindsay Shares Why Video Is Such an Important Part of the Podcast

November 14, 2024

This week, talented creators traveled to Los Angeles to join Spotify for Now Playing, where we unveiled a series of new offerings aimed at helping them better monetize their video podcasts on Spotify and grow their audiences. It was an exciting event that spotlighted our biggest update to podcasts on Spotify—including an exciting evolution of the name and brand of our accompanying platform to Spotify for Creators—all to better serve the multiformat needs of our community.

One creator in attendance was Rachel Lindsay. The attorney, internet personality, author, and Bachelorette star is also the cohost of the Ringer podcast Higher Learning. On the show, Rachel and her cohost Van Lathan dissect the biggest topics in Black culture, politics, and sports. At Now Playing, Rachel shared her experience and expertise in a panel titled “Fandoms Are Culture: How Creators & Content Grow on Spotify.”

For the Record caught up with Rachel to learn more about how her show comes together, as well as the creators and artists she’s currently listening to on Spotify.

What inspired you to start your show?

Sometimes other people recognize what is right for you before you can see it for yourself. I always wanted to be in the media but thought that only could be with television. I met Bill Simmons because I was doing some interviews with Juliet Litman on Bachelor Party. I ended up doing some other work with The Ringer, and eventually Bill asked me if I wanted to create a project that was purposeful and I could be proud of. He had an idea and introduced me to my cohost, Van Lathan. We immediately connected and had a brother-sister relationship. Originally we were supposed to start our podcast in March 2020, but COVID hit and changed everything regarding the production and launch of our podcast. We eventually launched in May 2020, which was a very pivotal and dark time for Black people in this country. We decided to change the direction of our podcast to be the pulse of the culture…the rest is Higher Learning history.

How do you select the topics you cover?

We have a topical show that is a reflection of what is happening in the culture. If something is happening in the world, we want people to know that you can find us covering it that week. We select topics by following the news, social media, reading articles, podcasts, and talking with friends. We don’t want to miss breaking news or viral moments. We share stories, ideas, and topics in a group chat and narrow down what is the most effective rundown for our show.

How has working with Spotify helped strengthen your connection with your fans?

Higher Learning was one of the first podcasts to have the video element. This allowed our viewers to feel as if they were sitting at the podcast table with us in an intimate way. Video brings the podcast to life in a different way. My favorite thing is to spot one of our listeners (aka Thought Warriors) in the wild. They will often tell me how they feel like they know us and relate to us, and it is because they can watch us on Spotify with video.

What advice do you have for emerging creators?

There is so much content available out there that covers every genre, topic, etc. What makes the content different is the creator. I would encourage you to find something that you are passionate about and then apply your unique voice and perspective to it because that is what will differentiate you. Do not try to emulate your favorite creator. Learn from them and use them as a guide to build something special.

Are there any Spotify features or tools that are especially helpful for you?

I cannot talk enough about Spotify video!

Who are some of your favorite creators to follow?

Everyone on The Ringer and Ringer Reality TV, Danny Pellegrino, Kid Fury and Crissle, and Natasha Parker.

What are you currently listening to?

Akeem Ali, Tyler, The Creator, Willie Jones, GloRilla, BigXthaPlug, Doechii, and Muni Long.

Rachel Lindsay, Van Lathan, and Mallory Rubin speak onstage during the “Now Playing” Event

Check out more coverage from Spotify’s Now Playing event.

From Hobby to Phenomenon: ‘Acquired’ Cohost David Rosenthal on the Secret to Podcast Success

November 13, 2024

Some of the world’s top creators joined Spotify at our L.A. campus today for Now Playing, where we unveiled a series of new offerings aimed at helping them better monetize their video podcasts on Spotify and grow their audiences. This marks our biggest update to podcasts on Spotify, including an exciting evolution of the name and brand of our accompanying platform to Spotify for Creators—all to better serve the multiformat needs of our community.

Guests mingled with Spotify leaders and employees, explored our cutting-edge production facilities, and attended panels to hear more about their business opportunities on Spotify. Among these creators was David Rosenthal, who cohosts Acquired with Ben Gilbert. 

David Rosenthal, Colin Rosenblum, Samir Chaudry and Austin Lamon (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for Spotify)

Acquired delves deep into the world’s most fascinating companies, delivering one multihour, meticulously researched episode every six weeks or so. Since debuting in 2015, the show has become a podcast sensation. It has racked up more than 5.2 million listening hours on Spotify since 2019, with consumption hours tripling in the last year alone. And in September, Acquired packed San Francisco’s Chase Center with 6,000 fans for a live show, which included a conversation with Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek.

With so much buzz about the future of podcasting, For the Record caught up with David to learn about Acquired’s origins, the creative process behind the show, and the impact Spotify has had on its journey.

What inspired you to start your show?

We were just friends with a common esoteric interest in company histories and wanted an excuse to scratch that itch and spend more time together. We had no idea or expectations that it would ever amount to anything more than a hobby, let alone change our lives so totally and completely!

How do you select the topics you cover?

We just follow our interests! While we do have a long list of potential future companies to cover, after each episode Ben and I generally just ask ourselves, “What are we most excited about doing right now?” and go with that. Sometimes that’s already on the list and sometimes it’s not.

How has working with Spotify helped strengthen your connection with your fans?

We can’t overstate enough how much Spotify has done to make podcasts mainstream and grow the ecosystem over the past several years. There’s no way we’d be able to reach an audience that’s now in the millions without the platform Spotify has built!

What advice do you have for emerging creators?

One, only do this if you love it. Not because there’s no money in it—there is plenty. But the marketplace for content is so incredibly vast today that unless you’re truly the most obsessed person in the world about your particular niche, someone else will do it better than you. (And they are only one click away, for your audience.) And I think the only way to be the most obsessed person in the world about something is to deeply love it.

Two, quality over quantity—always, always, always. One truly great episode per month is worth infinitely more than four or 10 mediocre ones.

Are there any Spotify features or tools that are especially helpful for you?

We don’t do video often, but when we do for something special (like our recent Chase Center show), being able to have it seamlessly integrate and sync with the audio version on Spotify is tremendously awesome.

Who are some of your favorite creators to follow?

Resonant Arc (deep retro video game analysis). It’s like Acquired for the old-school video games I grew up with.

What are you currently listening to?

Ben Thompson’s [Stratechery episode] on Meta’s AI advantage.

Check out more coverage from Spotify’s Now Playing event.

Biggest. Change. Ever. Go Inside Spotify for Creators, the New Home of Podcasting on Spotify

November 13, 2024

Big news for creators! Today marks the biggest update to podcasts on Spotify ever—including a new monetization program for video podcasts, improved analytics and audience growth tools, new ways to get your podcast discovered on Spotify, and an exciting evolution of the name and brand of our creator platform. 

We’ve been in the podcast game since 2019, and while the podcast ecosystem is as vibrant as it’s ever been, the definition of a podcast is now more fluid. Creators are experimenting and engaging audiences in new ways through video, and podcast fans want the flexibility to seamlessly watch or listen to content depending on what they are doing. And it’s clear that video is growing: According to our most recent Fan Study, we’ve seen an 88% surge in users consuming video podcasts in the past year alone.

That’s why we’re announcing an exciting leap forward in our creator ecosystem: Spotify for Podcasters is evolving into Spotify for Creators. It’s a whole new chapter in our ongoing mission to give creators the tools to grow, monetize, and manage a show, whether it features audio, video, or both formats. And to mark this journey, we’ve launched a set of new features that make it easy to be successful on Spotify, no matter what type of show a creator has.

We sat down with Maya Prohovnik, Spotify’s Vice President of Podcast Product, to discuss what this means for creators.

Congratulations on this evolution, Maya! What’s driving these changes?

Thank you! It’s a big day for podcast creators on Spotify. We’ve seen some pretty major shifts across the industry in recent years. Creators are experimenting with different formats to draw in more fans, and audiences are changing their behaviors, too, by watching more of their favorite content instead of just listening. More than 250 million users have watched a podcast on Spotify, and nearly two-thirds of podcast listeners say they prefer podcasts with a video option! As podcasts and their creators evolve, so does Spotify. 

We’ve updated the branding of our podcast creator platform from Spotify for Podcasters to Spotify for Creators because it better captures the expansiveness of whom we support today: It’s a platform for both audio and video creators to grow, monetize, and manage content on Spotify. We want to be clear that we’re supporting this evolution and this new generation of podcasters. We’ve massively upgraded our analytics and insights because we know how important understanding is for growth, and giving creators more data continues to be a big area of focus for us.  

You mention video. Can you expand on that?

In general, we have been steadily investing in video because of its growing popularity on our platform, and we’ll always focus on things that we believe will make Spotify an even more powerful destination for creators and listeners. For creators, this has meant more tools to engage and connect with fans, better monetization opportunities, and more ways to be discovered and grow. For listeners, we’ve made some great enhancements to the viewing experience. They can still easily switch between watching or listening—whether they’re on Spotify Premium or Free—and now Premium subscribers can watch their favorite video shows uninterrupted by ads. We’re also giving them more ways to discover content because we know podcast fans are always looking for their next favorite show.  

So, what does this all mean for the creator community? 

We’ve launched some great things for creators today. As mentioned above, the biggest change is that eligible video podcasters now get to offer the best possible version of their content to Spotify Premium subscribers, who can watch it uninterrupted by ads. And they’ll get paid out by Spotify based on actual engagement, which is better for everyone. We’re really excited about this and think this will immediately translate to more audience growth and retention, as well as more revenue, for most video podcasters.

I think podcasters will love the updated Spotify for Creators. This is where any audio or video podcaster can upload their audio and video content, understand their performance with powerful new analytics, interact with their fans, and monetize their show. We’ve also launched new ways for creators to customize their content on Spotify to help them stand out and grow their audience. 

And why should they choose Spotify?

In terms of Why Spotify, creators today should have their content wherever audiences are online. Spotify is one of the largest platforms in the world—we have more than 640 million users and more than 250 million subscribers. So I think the opportunity to reach new, highly engaged audiences is high. We also find that, generally, audiences on Spotify are more likely to stay loyal and return to a show they love, compared to other platforms that are more focused on driving users to viral content. But I don’t think it’s about choosing Spotify instead of other platforms; we understand that creators are multiplatform and multiformat, so our goal is just to make sure that access to Spotify and our audience is as easy as possible. We want every creator to have a path to success on our platform, and with today’s updates, we think that’s more true than ever before. 

What changes are you most excited about?

I’m excited by the opportunities that the Spotify Partner Program—our powerful new monetization program for creators starting in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia—will unlock. We built it to open more ways for them to earn for their work since we know that’s top of mind for many creators today. With this program, creators can earn a revenue share on ads played on or off Spotify, or they can earn based on how much Premium subscribers stream their video content. The video content will be uninterrupted by ads for Premium viewers.  

I also really love our new promotional and discovery features, like custom video thumbnails and podcast clips that we believe will help drive new audiences to shows. We know that both video and audio podcasters are already making promotional clips for their social channels and now, for the first time, they can upload this short-form content directly to Spotify. We’ll surface these clips across Spotify with the goal of converting new potential audiences to stream the full-length episode. And there’s now a Following Feed so audiences can more easily find the content they already know and love, and creators can continue building their loyal fandoms.  

We know this is just the start of great things ahead. How should prospective creators get started with Spotify?

I’d say head to creators.spotify.com to learn more and get started. We can’t wait to hear what you think of all these new features! 

Check out more coverage from Spotify’s Now Playing event.

Join Author Bella Mackie on a Musical Journey Inspired by Her ‘Darkly Comic’ New Book

September 19, 2024

As many readers will attest, wit and humor make for excellent counterparts to the crime fiction genre. That formula certainly worked for Bella Mackie when it came to her 2021 debut bestseller, How to Kill Your Family. Now the author is back with another darkly funny mystery, What a Way to Go.

Out now, the book follows the aftermath of the death of a multimillionaire husband and father. It features a status-driven widow, four inheritance-obsessed children, and a murderous twist. Last week, Bella stopped by Spotify’s London office to celebrate the release of her second novel, joining creator Jack Edwards for a fireside chat.

The author also curated a Spotify playlist inspired by the themes and plot of the book, with tracks from the likes of Blur, Taylor Swift, and Kendrick Lamar.

For the Record sat down with Bella to hear more about her new novel, as well as her creative process and influences.

What can fans expect from What a Way to Go?

Readers can expect more rich people behaving badly, some pretty gruesome deaths, and a darkly comic look at the British class system. The book also covers the afterlife, true crime enthusiasts, and the financial system—there’s a lot going on!

You’re a British Vogue columnist and a former journalist. How did you get into fiction writing?

I wrote a nonfiction book called Jog On, which did well. After the release, I had some offers to write more nonfiction, but I knew I really wanted to try writing a novel. I thought this would be my best shot, so I offered up some chapters I’d written and luckily a publisher liked it. It was a lot of luck and good fortune.

Speaking of Jog On, that book explores mental health and exercise. Is listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks part of that healthy routine for you?

Definitely. All three! When I want to run long, I listen to podcasts and audiobooks, and when I want to run fast and get that runner’s high, I listen to playlists which keep the tempo upbeat and pacey.

Walk us through your writing process.

It’s a lot of thinking—letting ideas percolate is such a massively important part of writing fiction. I don’t even realize how much the random ideas that pop into my mind at 11 p.m. knit together to form a story until it’s halfway done. And then you’ve just got to write—even if it’s not working the way you want, you can write through it.

Audiobooks have become a popular way to consume novels. How do you think having your words read aloud changes the experience for the listener?

It’s fantastic, honestly. Listening to Charly Clive read How to Kill Your Family was so interesting—she brought the character to life in a new way. It’s lovely to have my words in people’s ears.

What book has had the biggest influence on you?

Probably Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. I think it’s perfect crime fiction, and it inspired How to Kill Your Family with its structure and motivations.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick, which is a book that tells the stories of North Korean defectors. It’s both shocking and tender. Highly recommend.

Stream Bella’s playlist to hear some wonderfully wicked tunes.

J Balvin Travels Back to His Beginnings With New Album ‘Rayo’

August 9, 2024

Colombian hitmaker J Balvin has captivated the world with his music for more than a decade. Fans from Latin America to Europe can’t get enough of “The Boy From Medellín” and his high-energy, infectious beats. In fact, every second, 140 J Balvin songs are streamed on Spotify, and his songs have been added to more than 240 million user-created playlists.

The star is not just one of the biggest names in urban music; he’s the second-most-streamed Latin artist on Spotify—ever. His top hits include “LA CANCIÓN” with Bad Bunny, “I Like It” with Bad Bunny and Cardi B, and “Mi Gente” with Willy William, each having racked up well over 1 billion streams.

Now the reggaetón pioneer is back with a new album, Rayo, that drops today. J Balvin is well-known for his collaborations, and the album’s first single, “Polvo de tu vida,” features Puerto Rican singer Chencho Corleone. Since its release in June, the track has garnered more than 16 million streams. And just to give a taste of where those listeners are, Bogotá takes the spot as the city with the most streams, followed by Madrid, Barcelona, Santiago de Chile, and Mexico City.

A follow-up single, “Gaga,” finds him collaborating with Spanish artist SAIKO. It, too, is rapidly finding listeners, with more than 7 million streams since its July release, and has surged in listens in Spain, Mexico, and the United States.

For the Record caught up with J Balvin to learn more about the inspiration for his latest project, whom he wants to collaborate with in the future, and what other Colombian genres he enjoys listening to.

Tell us about Rayo.

Rayo is about returning to my essence. Rayo is the name of my first car, a car that my father went through a lot of effort to buy me. I used to drive my school friends around and charge them a monthly fee as the driver. 

That car allowed me to take my music to different neighborhoods, clubs, and schools. I sold CDs on the street and at events like “Sonido sobre Ruedas” [Sound on Wheels], where everyone shows up with their sound systems and cars. I even sold clothes from the trunk of Rayo.

Rayo played a big role in the reggaetón history of Medellín because it took me to so many places that, nowadays, have been hugely impacted by the reggaetón scene. So, Rayo, the album, brings a lot of nostalgia, because it’s about returning to my essence, to who I was when I made music with no pretensions, without thinking about numbers or streams, but just enjoying it like a little kid.

Which artists inspire you?

Daddy Yankee is the reason I decided to enter the world of reggaetón. But I have many inspirations: Craig David, Kurt Cobain, James Hetfield from Metallica, and Ed Sheeran, who is a great friend of mine. 

Every era has artists who make a huge impact with different moments. These are some of them, but there are hundreds more.

What other genres of Colombian music do you listen to?

I really love Colombian salsa, especially the salsa from Cali and Medellín. I’m also fascinated by vallenato music, like that from Silvestre Dangond. I love what Andrés Cepeda does—same with Fonseca. And I really enjoy the rock music from Juanes, who is from my hometown. El Rock De Mi Pueblo from Carlos Vives is also an album I like a lot. I think Colombia has a lot of incredible music. Of course, there’s also native music like cumbia and joropo. While that music may be less commercial, their flavor and groove is carried in the rhythm of the music from the country.

You’re known for your collaborations. Which artists, songwriters, or producers would you like to collaborate with from the new urban music scene in Colombia?

So many have emerged. Right now, there’s Kapo with his Afrobeat song “Ohnana,” Esteban Rojas from Cali, who I really like, and Philip Ariaz from Medellín, who is amazing. Nath from Medallo is also very good. Pirlo from Cali is also fantastic, and El H from the coast is great, too. There are so many artists. But with all of them, I know that if the opportunity arises, we can work together and enjoy the connection we have.

How has Spotify supported you and your music?

Spotify has contributed a lot to my career. The platform helped me reach a truly global audience. Since becoming the most-streamed artist worldwide a couple of years ago, it has really shown me how great Spotify is for helping artists get discovered, and how listeners can explore different cultures from other countries through their Top 50 lists. 

How do you like to discover new music on Spotify?

Thousands of songs are released every day. I like to focus on the Top 50 lists—not just in Latin countries, which is typically the core or base where our music plays, but I’m also very interested in what’s being listened to in places like Nigeria, Japan, Sweden, Netherlands, Lithuania, and Poland. It helps broaden my perspective and makes me think about other genres and languages that I didn’t know before.

Go back to the beginning with J Balvin and his new album, Rayo, available now.

J Balvin Regresa A Sus Comienzos Con Su Nuevo Álbum ‘Rayo’

August 9, 2024

El aclamado colombiano J Balvin ha conquistado al mundo con su música durante más de una década. Fans desde Latinoamérica hasta Europa están cautivados por la energía del  “El Niño de Medellín” y sus ritmos contagiosos. De hecho, cada segundo, 140 canciones de J Balvin son reproducidas en Spotify, y sus temas se encuentran en más de 240 millones de playlists creadas por los usuarios.

No solo es uno de los nombres más influyentes en la música urbana, sino que también ocupa el segundo lugar como el artista latino más escuchado en Spotify de todos los tiempos. Sus grandes éxitos incluyen “LA CANCIÓN” con Bad Bunny,  “I Like It” con Bad Bunny y Cardi B, y  “Mi Gente” con Willy William, cada uno con más de mil millones de reproducciones.

Ahora, el pionero del reggaetón regresa con su nuevo álbum Rayo, que se estrena hoy. J Balvin es bien conocido por sus colaboraciones estelares, y el primer sencillo del álbum,  “Polvo de tu vida”, lo hace junto al puertorriqueño Chencho Corleone. Desde su lanzamiento en junio, la canción ha acumulado más de 16 millones de reproducciones. Y para dar una idea de dónde provienen esos oyentes, Bogotá es la ciudad con más streams, seguida por Madrid, Barcelona, Santiago de Chile y Ciudad de México.

El segundo sencillo, “Gaga”, es una colaboración con el artista español SAIKO. Este tema también está cosechando éxito rápidamente, con más de siete millones de reproducciones desde su lanzamiento en julio, y ha visto un aumento notable en escuchas en España, México y Estados Unidos.

For the Record habló con J Balvin para descubrir más sobre la inspiración detrás de su último proyecto, con quién le gustaría colaborar en el futuro y qué otros géneros colombianos disfruta escuchar.

Cuéntanos sobre Rayo.

Rayo trata de volver a mi esencia. Rayo es el nombre de mi primer carro, un carro que mi padre compró con mucho esfuerzo para mí. Solía llevar a mis amigos del colegio y les cobraba una tarifa mensual como conductor.

Ese carro me permitió llevar mi música a diferentes barrios, clubes y escuelas. Vendía CDs en la calle y en eventos como “Sonido sobre Ruedas”, donde todos llegaban con sus sistemas de sonido y sus carros. Incluso llegué a vender ropa desde la parte de atrás de Rayo.

Rayo tuvo un papel importante en la historia del reggaetón en Medellín, porque me llevó a muchos lugares que hoy en día han sido profundamente impactados por la escena del reggaetón. Así que, Rayo, el álbum, trae mucha nostalgia, porque se trata de regresar a mi esencia, a quien era cuando hacía música sin pretensiones, sin pensar en números o reproducciones, sino simplemente disfrutando como un niño.

¿Qué artistas te inspiran?

Daddy Yankee es la razón por la que decidí entrar en el mundo del reggaetón. Pero tengo muchas otras inspiraciones: Craig David, Kurt Cobain, James Hetfield de  Metallica y  Ed Sheeran, que es un gran amigo mío.

Cada época tiene artistas que dejan una gran huella en diferentes momentos. Estos son algunos de ellos, pero hay muchos más.

¿Qué otros géneros de música colombiana escuchas?

Me encanta la Salsa Colombiana, especialmente la de Cali y Medellín. También me fascina la música vallenata, como la de Silvestre Dangond. Admiro mucho lo que hace Andrés Cepeda, al igual que Fonseca. Disfruto mucho del rock de Juanes, que es de mi ciudad natal. “El Rock De Mi Pueblo” de Carlos Vives también es un álbum que me gusta mucho. Creo que Colombia tiene una música increíble. Por supuesto, también está la música tradicional como la cumbia y el joropo. Aunque esa música puede ser menos comercial, su sabor y ritmo están muy presentes en la música del país.

Eres conocido por tus colaboraciones. ¿Con qué artistas, compositores o productores de la nueva escena de música urbana en Colombia te gustaría colaborar?

Han surgido muchos talentos. En este momento, está Kapo con su canción Afrobeat “Ohnana”, Esteban Rojas de Cali, que me gusta mucho, y Philip Ariaz de Medellín, que es increíble. Nath de Medallo también es muy buena. Pirlo de Cali es fantástico, y  El H de la costa también es genial. Hay tantos artistas. Pero con todos ellos, sé que si surge la oportunidad, podríamos trabajar juntos y disfrutar de la conexión que tenemos.

¿Cómo te ha apoyado Spotify a ti y a tu música?

Spotify ha sido fundamental para mi carrera. La plataforma me ha ayudado a llegar a una audiencia realmente global. Desde que me convertí en el artista más escuchado a nivel mundial hace un par de años, realmente he visto lo valioso que es Spotify para ayudar a los artistas a ser descubiertos, y cómo los oyentes pueden explorar diferentes culturas de otros países a través de sus listas Top 50.

¿Cómo te gusta descubrir nueva música en Spotify?

Cada día se lanzan miles de canciones. Me gusta concentrarme en las listas Top 50, no solo en los países latinos, que suelen ser el núcleo donde se reproduce nuestra música, sino que también me interesa mucho lo que se escucha en lugares como Nigeria, Japón, Suecia, Países Bajos, Lituania y Polonia. Esto me ayuda a ampliar mi perspectiva y a pensar en otros géneros y lenguajes que quizá no conocía antes.

Regresa a los inicios con J Balvin y su nuevo álbum Rayo, disponible ahora.

250,000 Video Podcasts and Counting: Creators and Audiences Are Embracing Video Content on Spotify

June 28, 2024

As one of the most powerful forms of human expression today, video ​​is becoming core to the global Spotify experience. We have been steadily investing in the format to connect creators and fans in new, deeper ways on our platform, from the recent launch of music videos in beta to testing video-based learning courses in the U.K. But the medium has seen the most growth in the podcasting space, where video is truly changing the game—in fact, more than 170 million users have watched a video podcast on Spotify.

Spotify introduced video podcasts for a select number of shows in 2020, and we’ve since made the format available for creators in nearly every market. We recently made it possible for non-hosted podcast creators to upload video to Spotify for the first time, opening up yet another avenue for their engagement and success.

All the while, video podcasts have been growing in popularity, with creators around the world leaning into the format to deepen engagement with their fans. More than half of the top 20 podcasts on Spotify have video, including heavy hitters like The Joe Rogan Experience and Call Her Daddy. The format is resonating with audiences, who want to be able to choose how to engage with their favorite content. Globally on Spotify, the average daily streams of video podcasts have increased by more than 39% year-over-year. In the U.S., nearly two-thirds of podcast listeners say they prefer shows with video, according to a recent Cumulus Media survey.

“Spotify is always evolving to better serve our users and drive success for creators,” said Jordan Newman, Head of Content Partnerships at Spotify. “With podcasts, the video format can add an additional layer of authenticity and connection for fans. That’s why we continue to hear that audiences want the ability to not only listen, but also watch their favorite shows. And we see that in the data: Audience retention increases when creators add video—and every creator wants a loyal, highly engaged fan base that keeps coming back.”

“We continue to see demand for video from both creators and their audiences,” Newman continued. “The number of creators publishing video each month keeps growing, and more and more of our users are watching. As demand continues to rise, we will keep enhancing our video capabilities.”

The rise of video content on Spotify

Globally, video consumption hours on Spotify have grown faster than audio-only consumption hours year-over-year, and audiences retain video podcasts at higher rates than audio podcasts. But what exactly does that growth look like? During VidCon 2024 this week, Spotify revealed new stats around the popularity of video as a medium on our platform.

  • There are now more than 250,000 video podcast shows on Spotify—up from 100,000 in 2023.
  • More than 170 million users have watched a video podcast on Spotify.
  • More than 70% of users consuming video podcasts watch them in the foreground. 
  • On Spotify, nearly 1 in 3 U.S. podcast monthly active users (MAUs) engage with video, while nearly 1 in 4 global podcast MAUs engage with video. Globally, the number of video podcast MAUs has grown by 40% year-over-year.
  • The number of creators actively publishing video each month has grown nearly 70% year-over-year.
  • The largest markets by creators publishing video are the U.S., Brazil, and Mexico.
  • In Brazil and the Philippines, roughly 20% of all monthly active podcast creators are publishing video. This share has nearly doubled since last year.
  • At the market level, especially in Chile and Brazil, we are seeing video grow its share of total podcast consumption hours. In Chile, video hours make up a quarter of total podcast consumption hours. In Brazil, video hours make up more than 15% of total podcast consumption hours.

For creators on Spotify, video offers a huge opportunity to deliver content to new global audiences. For the Record spoke with Jon Youshaei, host of the popular weekly podcast Created with Jon Youshaei, about the medium and its impact.

What are the benefits of video for creators?

Video has been our edge, especially when it comes to our intros. A lot of viewers comment on how our podcast intros feel like mini movie trailers. We spend a lot of time picking the right sound bites, using sound design, and adding graphics to draw you in. During the actual interview, we create a lot of custom visuals, which often get shared on social media afterwards to help draw even more people back to our Spotify page.

What are some of the content trends you’re seeing right now?

We’re living in the super-long-form era. The pendulum is swinging from short form back to longer viewing sessions as creators start to rival traditional Hollywood shows when it comes to consumption. Video plays a huge role in this, especially as more people start to watch creator content on their TVs.

You’ve been called “The Creators’ Creator.” What words of wisdom do you have for aspiring video content creators?

There are three phases to the creator journey: Upload, upgrade, and upscale. If you’re starting out, just focus on uploading. Get your reps in. Learn the craft. After that, it’s time to start upgrading your gear: Get a better microphone, camera, and think more about your production quality. After that, it’s important to upscale your team, hire, and create processes to sustain your business. Most creators get overwhelmed because they try to upgrade before they upload. Or they think they have to upscale their team on day one. The order of the phases—and what you do during each phase—matters a lot.

How have Spotify’s different creator tools and resources helped you?

Spotify has been essential to building our show—and the community around it. One of my favorite features is the audience polling. We use it to ask whom we should interview next, get insights on episodes, or ask for feedback. Spotify has also been helpful in providing the support and analytics so we can double down on what’s working.

At Spotify, we’re committed to building the best podcast and video tools for creators to make great content, find new audiences, and grow. To that end, our Spotify for Podcasters platform will host a video-related Masterclass on July 25. Led by Jordan, it will feature two masters of the video format: Colin and Samir, cohosts of The Colin and Samir Show. Click here to register.