Tag: Russia

Leveraging the Power of Our Platform to Support Ukrainian Refugees

April 28, 2022

Over the past two months, unprovoked attacks have continued across Ukraine. The subsequent devastation has affected millions of individuals who have fled their homes in search of safety for themselves and their families. Throughout this time, the global community has sought ways to aid Ukrainian refugees and help them find necessary safety, shelter, resources, and peace. 

Spotify aims to use the power of our platform to further assist in this endeavor. We also know that those in our worldwide network of artists, podcasters, and listeners have been looking for ways to help those affected by war, as have our employees. So, we have taken part in several initiatives to start lending a hand, and we aim to continue this vital work as long as the crisis persists.  

Working with UNICEF

Starting today, Spotify and UNICEF are embarking on a multiyear partnership that will explore innovative ways to use digital media and the power of music and audio to support the mental health and well-being of children, young people, and their caregivers, including those affected by war. 

Together, we’ll also explore ways in which these innovative approaches can alleviate the mental health distress of Ukrainian children and refugees and promote their psychosocial well-being in the long term. Over the course of our collaboration, we will also provide financial support to UNICEF as their partner in this vital work. 

Tech for Refugees

Earlier today, we announced our participation in a new initiative called Tech for Refugees. As a part of this initiative, Spotify Premium will be offered to Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war at no cost. We believe that our platform plays a critical role in providing our users around the world with trusted news and in the beginning of the crisis launched The Source for News and Info on the Spotify platform to do just that. 

We also know how connected music is to memory, healing, and hope. Through Spotify Premium, we can help ensure that Ukrainians have access to both vital information and the music that soothes them wherever they are throughout this time.

It is an understatement to say that we hope this war comes to an end very soon and that peace is restored to Ukraine and the millions of refugees. Until then, we will continue to work with our partners, and on behalf of our employees, creators, and listeners, to use the power of our platform to aid and assist Ukrainians in the many ways we can.

Spotify’s Statement in Response to the War in Ukraine

March 2, 2022

We are deeply shocked and saddened by the unprovoked attack on Ukraine. Our first priority over the past week has been the safety of our employees and to ensure that Spotify continues to serve as an important source of global and regional news at a time when access to information is more important than ever.

In response to the crisis, we have taken several steps. We have closed our office in Russia indefinitely and we are providing individual support to our people in the region as well as our global community of Ukrainian employees.

Our team has reviewed thousands of pieces of content since the start of the war, and has restricted the discoverability of shows owned and operated by Russian state-affiliated media. Earlier this week, we also took the additional step of removing all RT and Sputnik content from Spotify in the EU and other markets. Today, we launched a global guide on the Spotify platform to provide our users around the world with trusted news. We think it’s critically important to try to keep our service operational in Russia to allow for the global flow of information.

Our employees around the world are committed to helping people affected by the war in Ukraine and we are matching their donations two to one to support local humanitarian efforts. We are exploring additional steps that we can take and will continue to do what is in the best interest of our employees and our listeners.

*Update as of March 4, 2022: As devastating events continue to unfold in Ukraine, the global community of artists and listeners have been looking for ways to help those affected by war. So, we are mobilizing our Artist Fundraising Pick feature in Spotify for Artists to be used to help raise funds for the effort. This feature allows our community to seamlessly contribute by allowing artists to select a fundraising destination to place at the top of their Spotify profile to then collect donations from listeners. Artists will also have the ability to change their artist image on their Spotify profile to support Ukraine. Read more about this feature on Spotify for Artists. 

*Update as of March 25, 2022: Spotify has continued to believe that it’s critically important to try and keep our service operational in Russia to provide trusted, independent news and information in the region. Unfortunately, recently enacted legislation further restricting access to information, eliminating free expression, and criminalizing certain types of news puts the safety of Spotify’s employees and possibly even our listeners at risk. After carefully considering our options and the current circumstances, we have come to the difficult decision to fully suspend our service in Russia.

*Update as of April 7, 2022: Spotify will fully suspend our service in Russia on April 11th.

Manizha Shares Her Vision for Gender Equity in the Music Industry as EQUAL Ambassador of the Month

January 24, 2022

Singer-songwriter Manizha is a strong proponent of using her voice for change. Her up-tempo, Tajik- and folk-inspired beats and eclectic art-pop aesthetic have been the defining characteristics of her music for almost a decade. But Manizha really got people talking during the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021 when she seized the opportunity to champion the causes she is most passionate about—including preventing LGBTQUIA+ discrimination and domestic abuse. Her song “RUSSIAN WOMAN,” a girl-power anthem about the transformation of women’s roles in Russia, landed her ninth place in the competition.

Earlier this month, she became the face of Spotify’s EQUAL Global playlist and joined the EQUAL Global Music Program, which aims to combat gender inequality in the music industry. As part of the program, Manizha also recorded her newest single, “Now or Never”—a cover of  the traditional folk song “See-Line Woman,” popularized by Nina Simone—through the Spotify Singles program. The song is Russia’s first Spotify Singles release and will be available on January 28.

Manizha was born in Tajikistan and lived there until the height of the Tajikistani Civil War in 1994, when she fled to Moscow and began studying music and participating in children’s singing competitions. In 2016, she began recording music as a solo artist, and in 2020, she was announced as a Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Manizha speaks out regularly against unattainable beauty standards for women, and at a recent concert, she removed her makeup and handed out wipes to audience members who wanted to follow her lead. 

Fans may spot Manizha on a billboard in Times Square, New York, this month, but in the meantime, we got to ask her about her career highlights, musical inspirations, and vision for the future of women in music. 

     

The artists who have most inspired me are _____.

Björk, Nina Simone, and Tanita Tikaram.

One piece of advice I’d give other women artists is _____ .

Before doing what you’re told, think first, and then say, “Hell no, I’m keeping it the way I want it!”

One notable moment in my career so far is _____.

My first big solo show in Moscow!

My creative process consists of _____.

Finding new ways to be more honest in music.

One way I’d like to see greater gender equity in the music industry is _____.

Not following the stereotypes of beauty, maintaining your own individuality, and not conforming to the majority or whomever.

A few up-and-coming women artists I’m excited to watch are _____.

Ama Lou, Celeste, and Tierra Whack.

My girl-power anthem is _____.

“Got to Be Real” by Cheryl Lynn.

Want to turn up the volume? Listen to new music from Manizha and other women music artists from around the world on our EQUAL Global playlist. 

Artists Pay Homage to Influential Russian Pop Duo t.A.T.u. in New Tribute Album

November 2, 2021

Millennials the world over will have a certain tune running through their heads at the mention of iconic aughts hit “All the Things She Said” by Russian duo t.A.T.u. The artists’ critically acclaimed 2002 debut song was quickly followed by other familiar tunes like “Not Gonna Get Us” and “All About Us.” All three songs went on to top the charts at number one, and their album 200 KM/H In The Wrong Lane achieved huge success worldwide.

Flash forward nearly 20 years and artists around the world are still feeling t.A.T.u.’s impact. This is particularly true in the duo’s home country, where the group is considered one of the most successful and decorated Russian musical exports of all time.

To celebrate the continuing influence of t.A.T.u.’s anthems, Spotify Russia is launching a campaign in Moscow and St. Petersburg that features billboards paying homage to the band. And listeners around the world can tune in to a new 25-track tribute album, releasing November 5, from some of today’s biggest names in Russia’s music scene.

Artists on the upcoming album include: 

For the Record asked six of the featured creators about what their song choice means to them.

One Year After Launch, Local Artists and Hip-Hop Rock Russia

July 15, 2021

Exactly one year ago, Spotify launched in Russia. Since then, Spotify has built a strong fan base across the country, with our most active listeners tuning in from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, and Novosibirsk.

In honor of this anniversary, we took a look into the streaming data to see which artists, songs, genres, and playlists Russians are streaming the most. What we found? Listeners showcase their country pride by streaming local artists, and Russian hip-hop reigns supreme. 

Take a look:

The thirst for Russian hip-hop is best represented by the country’s top-streamed solo male artists—MORGENSHTERN, Scriptonite, kizaru, LSP and PHARAOH—all five of whom are rappers from Russia, Kazakhstan, or Belarus. Other Russian rappers, including Boulevard Depo, SLAVA MARLOW, and MAYOT, also saw their songs and albums in the top 5. 

Spotify’s Emerging Artists Program, RADAR, Kicks Off in Russia

March 9, 2021

Last year Spotify launched RADAR, our emerging artist program that spotlights rising talent from around the globe. RADAR’s goal is to help up-and-coming artists in all stages of their development as they connect with new audiences. Now, after working with creators in the U.S., New Zealand, Spain, and many other markets, the program is ready to launch in Russia.

Since Spotify’s launch in Russia in 2020, we’ve seen tremendous success with subscriber growth and service adoption. According to our 2020 Q3 results, Russia has been our most successful new market launch to date and represented the largest portion of subscriber outperformance for the quarter. 

With RADAR, we will amplify emerging artists in the region through ongoing marketing and editorial support. Artists will be featured in the local creative marketing campaigns, and their tracks will be added to the RADAR RUSSIA playlist in the global RADAR hub, helping fans from all over the world discover their music. For the Record had the opportunity to chat with two bands that are a part of Russia’s RADAR program.

Сёстры (pronounced “sestry,” translation: Sisters) is an indie pop duo that debuted their first album, Когда были волны (When There Were Waves), in October of 2020. The group has already seen success, including having recently performed on a popular Russian late-night talk show.

Три дня дождя (pronounced “tri dnia dozhdia,” translation: Three Days of Rain) is an alternative band that released their first album in February of last year. Their most popular track, “Не киряй,” has racked up more than 4.5 million streams on Spotify.

Read what the bands had to say about their music, their experience, and more below.

What are you looking forward to as a Spotify Russian RADAR artist?

Сестры: We have been watching the RADAR program for a long time now, as it’s helped us discover many talented foreign artists, and it is very unlikely we would have discovered them without it. Now, through RADAR, it’s amazing that many more listeners will learn about us—our tracks will become a part of Spotify’s global ecosystem, and our songs will be heard by many people all over the world. We are just at the beginning of getting to know our audience, and it is so important for us to develop strong relations with our fans. 

Три дня дождя: We have big plans and ambitions going forward, and we hope the support of Spotify can help us with establishing our name not only in Russia but also abroad. We are honored to have been chosen as one of the first artists to take part in the program in the country. Russian rock is not dead and we’d love to prove it! We are hopeful that RADAR can help us bring our art to the new audiences.

What advice do you have for fellow emerging artists?

Сестры: Trust yourself and your vision, work hard, and carry on no matter what.

Три дня дождя: First of all, don’t ever give up. Ever! And practice as often as possible. Secondly, try to minimize all factors that restrain you from doing what you love. Lastly, always believe in yourself and your art.

What message do you want people to take from your music?

Три дня дождя: With my music I’d love to convey the emotions everyone is familiar with. And about showing the listeners that love can be a very dangerous thing at times. 

This past year presented many unprecedented challenges. How has it changed the way you approach your musical career?

Сестры: 2020 is exactly the year when our music career began developing. The music industry turned to online, but it somehow brought us all even closer together. We are definitely looking forward to the day when live concerts and performances become possible again, but our approach to our music career has not changed a bit. We will continue gathering at home or at the studio to make new music together.

 

Ready to give these Russian artists a listen? Check out the new RADAR Russia playlist below.

Tchaikovsky, Composer of ‘The Nutcracker,’ is the Top-Streamed Russian Artist Outside of Russia

December 18, 2020

The holiday season is filled with festive modern hits from Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé, but when it comes to wintertime magic and timelessness, The Nutcracker ballet often takes center stage. With compositions like “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Waltz of the Snowflakes,” composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky made his mark, and the streams show it. Tchaikovsky, who is behind both The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, is the most popular Russian artist among Spotify listeners outside of Russia, with a monthly audience of 5.1 million worldwide.

Tchaikovsky’s use of rhythm and melody and his mastery of compositional technique are hallmarks of his work, which remains relevant 150 years later. Today, more than 100 playlists of his compositions are available on Spotify.

To celebrate the musician, we curated a special playlist, “This is Tchaikovsky,” that showcases some of his popular works. Spotify also commemorated the moment by featuring the playlist cover of Tchaikovsky on a billboard in New York City’s Times Square—a first for any Russian artist. 

Revisit Tchaikovsky’s classics with his top five most-listened to tracks on Spotify: 

1. Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act 2: No 10, Scene (London Symphony Orchestra)

2. The Nutcracker, Op. 71, Act 2, No. 13, Waltz of the Flowers (Berlin Philharmoniker) 

3. The Nutcracker, Op. 71, Act 2, Tableau 3, Variation 2, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Russian National Orchestra)

4. The Nutcracker Ballet, Op 71, Act 1, No 2, March (Berlin Philharmoniker) 

5. Album for the Young, Op 39, No 3 Mamma 

Can’t get enough of the timeless composer? Stream “This is Tchaikovsky” below.

5 Questions (and Answers) With Ilia Alekseev, Managing Director, Spotify Russia & CIS

September 29, 2020

For Ilia Alekseev, music has always been a passion. He played the flute as a child and later learned the guitar and drums to be part of a band. Now, as the Managing Director of Spotify Russia & CIS, some of Spotify’s newest markets, he has the opportunity to spread that love for music to listeners in his market and around the world. “Music and the self-expression it embodies help reflect my inner spirit,” says Ilia. “This makes the company’s business very close to me as an individual.”

Ilia takes his role—to create ways to connect artists and listeners and help Spotify become the leading audio platform in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Moldova—seriously. To do that, he plans to adapt Spotify to the local tastes and needs of listeners in the market, as well as work to bring the rich and unique musical culture of Russia to the world.

We took a moment to get to know Ilia and the work he’s done so far.

1. Just a few months ago, Spotify launched in Russia. What was the reaction like?

Russia is one of Spotify’s 92 international markets and has a population of about 140 million people, making it one of our largest markets. Before the launch we did a lot of research and localization work to ensure that our product would match local preferences and expectations for all those users. 

What’s interesting is that the Russian audience had been long awaiting Spotify’s entry in the market, so the day before the launch, we saw high emotional anticipation from listeners on social and messaging apps. On the first day we had tremendous download rates, and the news about Spotify’s launch was so huge that three days after launch, headlines about Spotify were still trending on Russia’s largest news service. 

Yet what’s massively exciting for us is that there’s so much more room to grow in Russia. We’re really focused on doing that.

2. How is Spotify supporting Russian artists, both by way of launch and since then?

During the first days of launch in Russia, we also wanted to make sure listeners got the warm welcome from local artists Little Big, FACE, GONE.Fludd, MARUV, Mot, Nina Kraviz, Mujuice, Sharlot, Levan Gorozia, Klava Koka, Olga Seryabkina, Malbec, Siuzanna, Rauf & Faik, Max Barskikh, Tima Belorusskikh and Noize MC. International artists Katy Perry, Thirty Seconds To Mars, BTS, Imagine Dragons, Hurts, and Twenty One Pilots also joined the celebration of the long-awaited launch in Russia—that felt amazing!

In analyzing the first 30 days listening data, we discovered that BTS was the most popular artist among Russian listeners but that local artists also prevail in the top songs, genres, and artists. For example, MORGENSHTERN took second place, with Scriptonite, kizaru, and Max Korzh following closely.

We really hope that with the arrival of Spotify in Russia we don’t only introduce international artists to the market, but we also allow local artists to expand their international audience. We’re already seeing it happening. Recently, the popular Russian DJ Nina Kraviz was featured in Spotify’s new suite of track ID playlists that were cocurated by Spotify and DJs from all over the world. They’re now available for discovery by 299 million people.

3. How are Spotify’s editorial and algorithmic playlists unique to your market? How did this play into your launch strategy? 

Russia has a long-standing music heritage with various music tastes across the country. Analysis from the first 30 days’ listening data showed that, for example, cities such as Yekaterinburg and Perm clearly have a preference for rock music, and Moscow is more about K-Pop.

Prior to the launch, our music editorial team curated more than 100 playlists specifically for Russia—including Hip-Hop Cannon, Pop Non-Stop, Rock Today, Solaris, Indie Squad, More Fume, and Hits of Russian Rock, among others. We saw that this was the right move—some of the local playlists have since become the most popular among Russian listeners. Locally curated playlist Wind In Your Hair, for example, became the most popular among Russians while they were driving.

4. Spotify is known for its ubiquity—meaning listeners can seamlessly transfer what they’re listening to between devices and platforms. How are you leaning into this strategy in Russia?

We don’t want to corner our listeners into one ecosystem. We want to give them freedom to play music across a wide range of devices and offer app integrations with social media, popular apps, gaming consoles, TV and phone services, top brands, and more. We know that Russia is an Android-first market in terms of smartphones and has its own cultural behaviors, but mobile data is cheaper compared to other markets worldwide, so we expect high mobile usage and engagement from our mainly young audience. We took these factors into account when planning and localizing our ubiquity strategy.

This strategy also allows us to feature country-wide partnerships such as the one we have with MTS, one of the largest mobile carriers in Russia, that can now offer its over 78 million-person audience best-in-class personalized music recommendations with special terms. These kinds of partnerships enable people to try out audio streaming services.

5. Finally, if we were to take a look at your “recently played,” what would we find?

I’m a big fan of our local editorial playlists. I really enjoy Neopop, which helps me to navigate through the new wave of Russian pop music. Last week I felt a bit of nostalgia, so I listened to alternative bands from the ’90s like Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead. And after my 10-year-old son played his Minecraft playlist on my account several times, I discovered some really . . . shall we say “cool?” new artists in my algorithmic playlists.

Get to know Russia’s top hits by streaming one of Ilia’s favorite pop playlists, Neopop

This Week on the ‘Spotify: For the Record’ Podcast, Explore New Markets and New Partnerships

August 27, 2020

A lot has been happening this week at Spotify; we shared news of our League of Legends esports partnership with Riot Games and celebrated our one-month anniversary in Russia with a look at the top-streamed songs and artists in the market. On this week’s episode of our new podcast Spotify: For the Record, we take listeners behind the scenes of these big strategic moves for the company. 

First up, we talk to Naz Aletaha, Head of Global Esports Partnerships at Riot Games, about League of Legends and the new Spotify hub that will feature a variety of music, podcasts, and playlists inspired by the gaming community. Then, we spend time digging into the data for our latest market launch in Russia and have a listen to the top streaming songs of the moment.

But that’s not all we dive into in this episode. Finally, to provide more insight into our business strategy—and what moves like launching in Russia have to do with it—Paul Vogel, our Chief Financial Officer, joins Morgan Stanley media analyst Ben Swinburne.

Take a listen below.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/06Rexru3OWnCtQ4JNj2ubA?si=0Vun6_rERISYH-ZV0IarWA

Want more? Check out other episodes of Spotify: For the Record here.

 

This episode is no longer available as of November 2021, however you can get more great stories and news delivered audibly by following our podcasts, Spotify: For the Record, Spotify: Mic Check, and Spotify: Discover This.

Spotify Is Now Available in Russia, Croatia, Ukraine, and 10 Other European Markets

July 14, 2020

Today, Spotify launched in 13 new markets across Europe, bringing the total number of markets to 92. Now, listeners in Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Ukraine can enjoy a listening experience that includes 50 million tracks, 4 billion playlists, and localized music personalization features.

Our expansion in Europe comes as consumers in the region embrace streaming. Russia in particular is one of the world’s top 20 largest streaming markets—and this launch opens the door for nearly 250 million fans to start discovering new music from their countries and around the world. Newcomers from these 13 markets will join Spotify’s existing 286 million listeners and 130 million Premium subscribers, so it’s also a huge moment for artists who will be able to engage with more fans than ever in an increasingly connected world.