Tag: Spotify Ads

Culture Next 2024: The Major Gen Z Trends That Are Shaping Audio Streaming

November 4, 2024

As Gen Zers continue to put their stamp on the world, the conversation around these tastemakers is becoming noisier than ever. Understanding what inspires, captivates, and drives this generation is not always clear. But for many Gen Zers, Spotify is an essential companion, and we that believe the music, podcasts, and playlists that soundtrack their lives offer valuable insight into the mindset of this generation. 

That’s why each year we release our Culture Next report to highlight the different ways Gen Z is shaping streaming, online culture, and the world at large—and to help advertisers connect with them in meaningful ways. 

For the 2024 Culture Next report, we developed our insights using a couple of approaches. First, we looked at our streaming data to establish a broad snapshot of what—and how—Gen Z streams on Spotify.

Second, we talked to Gen Zers all around the world to gain their individual perspectives on how streaming fits into their day-to-day lives. This helped us shape our three main Culture Next report insights:

  • Gen Z loves using Spotify to build and strengthen personal connections.
  • Gen Z turns to Spotify to soundtrack the milestone moments in their lives.
  • Gen Z tastes continue to veer toward the mainstream.

For the Record sat down with three Gen Z influencers—Eric Sedeño, Jules Terpak, and Clarke Peoples—to get an even more personal glimpse into how today’s rising tastemakers consume and discover content on Spotify.

What is your favorite Spotify feature to use?

Eric Sedeño: My favorite feature right now is Jam because I just moved in with my boyfriend and it’s so fun to put on music together in our house.

Jules Terpak: I’m simple, so I tend to adore the basics, but I have to admit that I’ve been really impressed with DJ. Aside from Smart Shuffle, I’ve been tapping into DJ when I’m in the mood to discover new music. The commentary and transitions from X have great energy. 

Clarke Peoples: I love daylist. It always has such fun titles and good music based on the time of day. 

How do you think Spotify is creating a sense of community and connection on its platform? 

Eric: Through the amazing personalization features—especially Spotify Wrapped. Wrapped has become one of the biggest days for people on socials, and music feels so shareable with Spotify. It’s so easy to put a song on your Instagram story that I’m always shocked when someone doesn’t use it. 

Jules: I think music bridges the digital and physical worlds the best out of all the industries right now. Podcasts are also starting getting into in-person events, which is beautiful to see. 

I do think people online throw around the word “community” far too lightly, when in reality what’s often being created is more of a network. I have a hard time calling anything a community until there’s a physical-world component. 

Luckily the world of music, podcasts, and audiobooks can translate to the physical world quite seamlessly, so I hope that’ll evolve further in the future. 

Clarke: I love that you can create collaborative playlists with friends! I love doing this before having people over.

What are some of the unique ways you use Spotify?

Eric: I’ve been using the new AI Playlist feature a lot, and I don’t think people really utilize that feature enough yet. 

Jules: I think the fact that I use all three content offerings—music, podcasts, and audiobooks—is unique. A lot of my friends hadn’t realized that audiobooks are now a perk of Premium. Not to sound salesly, but they’ll be on the wave eventually. 

I also post all of my YouTube videos that aren’t podcasts to Spotify. It’s something I don’t think video creators are taking advantage of. However people want to access my work, I’m down for it. 

Clarke: I live for my daylist and video podcasts. I love the uniqueness of daylist and watching my favorite podcasters!

How do you think video content is changing the streaming experience? 

Eric: I think that it has made it so much more fun. I love watching podcasts on Spotify. Also, outside of the app, I think video has made it way easier for people to find Spotify content that speaks to them, because so many clips and snippets from shows are shared on social media. 

Jules: Video becoming such an integral part of podcasts definitely makes them inch closer to talk shows rather than radio shows. For creators, this adds more to the production process, but for viewers, I think video provides more context and stimulation.

That said, I do feel audio-only podcasts will develop a certain comforting aura around them that some fans will prefer. 

Clarke: Personally, I love it. I think it is so engaging for audiences and helps viewers to get to know creators better. 

Describe Gen Z in three words. 

Eric: Fast. Overwhelmed. Unserious.

Jules: Outspoken, malleable, and entertaining.

Clarke: Collaborative, tenacious, and open-minded.

Can you share a few of the recent playlist titles you’ve created? 

Eric: My most recent is Run Rico Run because I was training for the NYC marathon.

Jules: Jules Gems is my master playlist (and the only one I currently have public). I’m the type to have hyperfixations and be loyal to a song that catches my attention forever, so that’s where they live.

The Scenario is my playlist that outlines a recent pivotal life transition. The name is so corny now that I think about it, but it was super spur-of-the-moment. I didn’t give it much thought. 

Otherwise, I typically name my playlists by year and dump whatever songs resonated with me during that time frame. Or I do an artist’s name as the title and dump all of my favorite songs from them—again, to feed the hyperfixations. 

Clarke: Girls night, Summer in Paris, Flashback Favorites.

What are you currently listening to?

Eric: My favorite podcasts are The Comment Section with Drew Afualo, I’ve Had It, and Good Children. I was also listening to a self-help audiobook called Atomic Habits for a while and that was a nice change of pace.

Jules: A recent artist is 2hollis. And a recent audiobook is Alone Together by Sherry Turkle.

Clarke: I’ve been loving podcasts recently! I listen to them on my 14-mile walks.

Scratching the surface

These are just a few of many takeaways found in our Culture Next 2024 report. For more insights, statistics, and recommendations for brands looking to connect with Gen Z on Spotify, you can download the full report here. 

For more Gen Z insights and trends, be sure to visit Spotify Advertising.

That’s a Wrap on Cannes Lions 2024! Inside the Awards, Spotify Beach Action, and More

June 21, 2024

This week, Spotify returned to the South of France for the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which recognizes excellence in the world of marketing and advertising. This annual gathering of the biggest brands, coolest creators, and most famous faces is an exciting opportunity to showcase how our platform inspires creativity, connection, and innovation.

This year, we’re thrilled to share that Spotify Advertising took home nine awards for Spreadbeats, our latest B2B marketing campaign that features a first-of-its-kind music video made and distributed entirely in a media plan spreadsheet. The campaign earned one Grand Prix Lion, two Gold Lions, three Silver Lions, and three Bronze Lions across several categories, including Digital Craft, Creative B2B, Creative Data, and more. It was the most shortlisted of all Cannes Lions submissions. Additionally, Spotify won a Bronze Lion in the Creative Effectiveness category for our 2023 Wrapped On-Platform experience, our biggest Wrapped yet.

These wins cap off a jam-packed week for Spotify at Cannes. With it being our 10th year at the festival, we wanted to make sure the Spotify experience was more alive than ever. As Cannes Lions lit up the Croisette, Spotify Beach was at the center of the action, home to inspiring conversations during the day and unmissable musical performances at night. Relive all the festivities and see photos from each day below.

Monday, June 17

We kicked things off with some fascinating conversations with singer-songwriter Shaboozey and PepsiCo International Beverages Chief Marketing Officer Mark Kirkham, who touched on brand partnership and creative content, with a special focus on the relationship between music, sports, and culture.

From there, comedian, content creator, and Therapuss host Jake Shane sat down with Brad Ross, VP of Global Sports and Entertainment Marketing & Partnerships at The Coca-Cola Company, to discuss building a community on Spotify and defining your brand. We capped the conversation off with the exciting announcement that Spotify is bringing daylist—our ever-changing playlist feature—to even more fans in more languages around the world in the coming months. “I love using Spotify to document my life—I add songs kind of like a diary. With daylist, it’s really fun getting playlists that capture what I’m feeling on a random Tuesday afternoon or a Sunday morning,” said Jake. “It’s like a musical diary entry made for me.”

Last but not least, we gathered some of the week’s hottest stars at a scenic villa in the hills for our annual Spotify Soirée. The evening featured an acoustic performance from John Legend, as well as DJ sets from Tinea Taylor and Pearl Thusi. Guests included Jessica Alba, Joe Burrow, Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York, Alix Earle, and Sophia Bush, among others.

Spotify Is Back to the Beach for Its Tenth Year at the Annual Cannes Lions Festival

June 6, 2024

Each year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France, Spotify showcases how our platform inspires artists, creators, and advertisers to do what they do best: Create. In fact, this year is Spotify’s tenth year at Cannes Lions. For this special occasion, we’re pressing play on a Spotify Beach that’s more alive than ever. All week, we’ll bring to life the immersive experience of our platform, welcoming attendees to explore the home of creativity: Spotify. 

From Monday, June 17, through Thursday, June 20, Spotify Beach will be a sunup-to-sundown hub of activity with daytime sessions from some of the world’s most influential voices, including EGOT-winner John Legend, 10-time Grammy-nominated singer Janelle Monáe, and singer-songwriters Tyla and Shaboozey. We’ll also be hosting two evenings of can’t-miss concerts featuring Benson Boone, Tyla, Shaboozey, and Arcade Fire, and a DJ set from Justice. John Legend will perform during o​​ur special opening-night soirée taking place at a secret location as well. 

“Spotify is home to premier content that drives culture. It’s part of our DNA to stay innovative, and we use this superpower to create impactful connections between artists, listeners, and brands,” said Brian Berner, Spotify’s Head of Global Advertising Sales & Partnerships. “This year, we’re spotlighting the culture-defining creators that live on Spotify and how we’ve evolved as a platform to become the destination for advertisers looking to creatively engage with fans in an authentic and impactful way.”

“More than ever, this year’s Spotify Beach lineup features the next generation of superstars like Tyla, Shaboozey, and Benson, who have captured the eyes and ears of music fans in 2024 and have some of the hottest songs of the summer,” said Joe Hadley, Global Head of Artist Partnerships & Audience at Spotify. “We’ve always taken pride in our Spotify Beach stage. It’s a place where superstars and rising talents are celebrated, a real-life representation of Spotify’s commitment to growing careers at every level.”

Spotify Beach will also be the spot for a series of interactive, immersive experiences, including a Jam Bike offering daily Jam playlists for guests to contribute to, a Song Psychic experience, a personalized Mix Bar featuring beach-vibes music made just for you, an interactive coffee bar where guests can listen in live to our podcast recording sessions, and much more. Spotify’s ever-changing daylist playlists will be the guiding theme of our Spotify Beach space. We’ll ask our guests the question on everybody’s minds this year: “What’s on your daylist?” Additionally, our meeting rooms and podcast studio will be styled in a daylist motif so guests can step into the  daylist experience. 

Here’s what’s happening daily:

Monday, June 17

in your fandom feels monday morning

Spotify’s a global brand, so we have a unique understanding of the themes that fuel music, sports, and brand culture and the magic that happens when you connect these areas. Join us for a conversation on brand partnership and creative content with Shaboozey and PepsiCo’s International Beverages Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Kirkham.

iconic gen z groove monday afternoon

Gen Z is culture. Spotify is culture. So is Gen Z…Spotify? We say yes, but don’t just take our word for it. Join us for a discussion on the bond between artists and fans, building community on Spotify, and defining your brand with Tyla and comedian, content creator, and podcast host Jake Shane. 

Tuesday, June 18

a legendary talk tuesday morning

John Legend is renowned as a chart-topping R&B icon, an EGOT winner, and senior coach on The Voice. He’s also added entrepreneur to his resume, with the launch of his skincare line, Loved01; pet-food brand, Kismet; a signature line of wines, LVE Collection; and more. Spotify Chief Public Affairs Officer Dustee Jenkins will talk to John about how his inspiration, authenticity, and creative spirit led to the creation of his powerful professional and personal brands. 

podcast trends takeover tuesday afternoon

Our Podcast Trends Tour comes to life via a live, custom Spotify game show. Hosted by creator Robyn Delmonte aka Girlbosstown, U Up? cohosts Jordana Abraham and Jared Freid square  off against Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry from The Colin and Samir Show. Contestants will be tested on how well they know their podcast partners, as well as their opinions of the latest podcast trends.

Nighttime performances featuring Benson Boone, Tyla, and Shaboozey. DJ sets from Tinea Taylor & Arthi.

Wednesday, June 19

future creator core wednesday morning

Gen Z has been called the most creative generation yet, and this session will put the innovative spirit of some imaginative young leaders on full display. French creator and videographer Sally will share what creativity means to her, followed by a celebration of the most innovative ideas from the 2024 Future Lions competition with global digital design and communications agency AKQA. 

melodic ai dive wednesday 

Spotify’s Global Head of Music Partnerships and Audience, Joe Hadley, and  Xavier “X” Jernigan, Spotify’s original AI DJ, discuss the ever-evolving landscape of creativity and authenticity in the era of artificial intelligence with Janelle Monae. This session will cover everything from the exploration of AI’s impact on artistic expression to the intersection of technology and human curation. X will also host an interactive game of AI bingo, quizzing guests on their true audio intelligence.

Nighttime performances featuring Arcade Fire and a DJ set from Justice. DJ sets by Pearl Thusi & Arthi. 

Michelin Star Chef Mory Sacko Serves Up His Thoughts on Food and Music for Spotify Supper

November 22, 2023

Chef Mory Sacko at Spotify Supper Paris

Is there anything more comforting than good food, good music, and good company? Non, we say, and that’s why we created Spotify Supper. 

Spotify Supper began in 2016 as a way to bring together executives with advertising and publishing partners for an evening to remember. The latest, held last month amid the fabulous lights and magic of Paris, had guests joining Chef Mory Sacko in bidding adieu to a fabulous five-part series of European culinary delights. 

Chef Mory has been rapidly rising in the ranks of French cuisine in recent years. His first restaurant, MoSuke, was awarded a Michelin star just months after it opened in 2020. He has since become the host of the hit TV show Cuisine Ouverte and has served the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Forest Whitaker, and President Emmanuel Macron. At MoSuke, Chef Mory mixes French staples with West African and Japanese cuisine. He later opened two outposts for takeaway and delivery, dubbed MoSugo, that serve comfort food.

While we’re sad to see the Spotify Supper series ending, we’re grateful for all the memories, friends, music, and good food that came from it all.

Spotify Advertising Kicks Off Spotify Sparks in Brazil to Bring Marketers and Listeners Closer Together

September 27, 2023

Audiences worldwide are tuned into digital audio at record rates, and Brazil is no different. Our platform already reaches more than half of the Brazilian online population each week. More than one in two Brazilians online use Spotify at least weekly, making Spotify the most-used digital audio platform in the country. When it comes to finding a deeply immersed and engaged audience, advertisers in the market don’t need to look far. 

Plus, Spotify has long been bringing audio advertising into the modern age with tools like Spotify Ad Studio and Spotify Ad Analytics. Our leading tech innovations help us deliver impact for advertisers and drive growth for creators and publishers. Our connection to culture helps brands reach listeners on their most trusted ad platform. 

But since not all brands fully understand the opportunities they have to join Spotify’s ecosystem, we recently launched Spotify Sparks. This summit is designed to educate companies on why they should turn to Spotify to reach the most engaged audiences and leverage our culture-shaping content for meaningful advertising opportunities. Brazil has proven to be perfect ground, so we made São Paulo Spotify Sparks’ first stop.

Emma Chamberlain and Taj Alavi On How to Work With Brands and Maintain Your Voice

June 19, 2023

CANNES, FRANCE - JUNE 19: (L-R) Charlie Smith, CMO, Loewe, Taj Alavi, VP, Global Head of Marketing, Spotify and Emma Chamberlain, Creator of 'Anything Goes' onstage during the Spotify Beach At Cannes Lions 2023 Session: Building a Brand is More than Meets the Eye… And Ear on June 19, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)

Emma Chamberlain, host of anything goes with emma chamberlain has built her following on her unique voice and aesthetic. Her frank perspective goes a long way to establish trust and credibility with her listeners, and they keep coming back for more.

This master of branding and voice joined us at Spotify Beach during the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity for a session on building a brand, talking not only about her approach to the content she creates, but how she navigates partnerships, projects, and other ventures.

She was joined by Charlie Smith, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Loewe, and Taj Alavi, VP, Global Head of Marketing, Spotify. The three shared their thoughts on engaging with Gen Z, how brands can find their voices, and Spotify’s playful new brand positioning. Here are four top tips for finding your voice, building a brand, and connecting with fans from Emma and Taj.

1. Bring out your personality—and maintain it—across all projects. 

While it can be tempting to mimic what’s trending on the internet and create an elaborate strategy to gain popularity, genuine content creation is completely intuitive, says Emma. She doesn’t curate a persona or a personality, but simply follows her instincts as to what will perform. And then she doesn’t stop working until she’s made content she feels proud of. 

Taj agrees. “Our audience knows and loves us for the things that make us uniquely Spotify, and staying true to our brand beliefs and principles in every collaboration, partnership, new product feature, and playlist is crucial,” she says. “As we evolve our platform to become more interactive and discoverable, we also prioritize creating content that’s intuitive and speaks to our community of creators and fans alike.” 

When it comes to Spotify marketing, we focus on what makes our brand special to creators, artists and fans. Why? Whatever is happening in the world is unfolding, evolving, and remixing on Spotify too. “When you press play on Spotify, your listening experience enhances whatever is happening in your present moment,” notes Taj. “This is the basis of our new brand campaign which is starting to roll out this week across many markets around the world.”

2. Find a brand partner you really love

It can be tempting to partner with any brand who reaches out, especially if you’re just getting started. But both Emma and Spotify maintain credibility and identity by being just picky enough. 

“There’s a freshness to our platform,” says Taj. “Spotify is a place where global culture is made, shared and celebrated by the world’s fans and creators. We look for brand partners and creators who share this passion for cultivating culture.”

“I look for a strong personal connection, a genuine love for the product,” Emma agrees. “For example, I have been using Spotify for all things audio since I was 15 years old, I have been using Canon cameras since the beginning of my video career, and have been wearing clothes from Aritzia and Levi’s for years.” 

While she sometimes discovers a brand through a partnership—cosmetics brand Lancôme is a recent example—she always makes sure to test run their offerings before promoting them. “I started playing with their products immediately and have become a genuine fan that way.”

When it comes to Spotify, Taj notes that successful collaborations allow us to engage with communities in meaningful ways. When we work with creators to help them connect with and grow their audience, our top priority is to lift up and showcase their authentic voices. We also look for partners who help us build synergies and engage specific fan groups—from movies and shows like The Little Mermaid and The Last of Us to our integration with Strava.

CANNES, FRANCE - JUNE 19: (L-R) Charlie Smith, CMO, Loewe, Taj Alavi, VP, Global Head of Marketing, Spotify and Emma Chamberlain, Creator of 'Anything Goes' onstage during the Spotify Beach At Cannes Lions 2023 Session: Building a Brand is More than Meets the Eye… And Ear on June 19, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify)

3. Communicate, communicate, communicate

Balancing your own voice with that of a brand is tricky, and requires an “incredible amount of communication,” says Emma. “It is my number one priority to maintain my voice in a partnership, and I make it clear to the brands I work with that I need to be able to have creative input and creative freedom, while also promising to honor their creative vision for their channels.”

On the brand side, Taj agrees. Brands should prioritize flexibility in the moment to have a consistent and engaged presence and relationship. “Form the ability to pivot quickly and adapt to cultural conversations and new opportunities,” she recommends. 

4. Grow together

“Transformation is the key to growth,” says Taj. She believes that radical experimentation can drive longterm brand outcomes—and that Spotify thrives thanks to our constant drumbeat of efforts and commitment to continuous evolution. Fostering an entrepreneurial spirit can, too. “You have to create a team and cross-functional environment where challenges become opportunities, and creativity drives growth,” she explains. 

“I think the key to a successful partnership is a balance between the personality of the brand and the personality of the public figure,” Emma notes. While it can be frightening for both parties to hand over creative control, but in a quality partnership, finding this balance is crucial. 

“Let the voice of the public figure provide a new dimension to your brand,” says Emma. “Let them bring a new brand perspective to the public, even when it feels like a risk. This is what makes these partnerships lucrative when they are successful.”

Catch all the conversations happening on the ground at Cannes on Newsroom.Spotfy.com/SpotifyBeach2023 and listen to the full conversation on Spotify.

Head of International Sales Kristiana Carlet Shares How We’re Taking Advertising to the Next Level at Spotify Beach

June 19, 2023

Each year, Spotify showcases how our platform inspires creativity, connection, and innovation for advertisers and brands at the Cannes Festival of Creativity in France. This year, we’re also able to spotlight the tremendous growth we’ve seen recently—our ad-supported revenue grew 17% year over year in the first quarter of 2023—and how we’re moving toward a future where ads account for 20% of Spotify’s total revenue. 

Kristiana “Kri” Carlet has witnessed this growth firsthand. Since joining Spotify as the Head of International Sales, she’s taken our efforts in Europe, Asia, and Australia to new heights. The Italian native, who moved to the U.K. in the early 2000s to start her career in advertising, says that her desire to learn something new every day and her international branding expertise are a winning combination of tools to make Spotify a leader in audio advertising globally.

“We’re already seeing the forward momentum in Europe, so now I’m excited to turn my sights to the emerging markets like Japan and India, where we’re just getting started with our ads business,” she explained to For the Record on the ground in Cannes. “Every time I’m in those markets with the team and our customers, I’m blown away by the excitement around our brand, the creativity there, and the opportunity that audio represents for them! We’re going to have a huge ability to test new ideas and ways to advertise in those markets—I’m very interested in seeing that come to life.” 

We’re kicking off another standout year at Cannes. What are you most looking forward to this week at Spotify Beach? 

I’ll be very honest—I’ve done so many Cannes—but when I came with Spotify for the first time last year, I was blown away. And I wasn’t sure how we could top it! So I’m very proud to say that this year, Spotify Beach will come to life with even more interactive, playful experiences, from enriching masterclasses featuring the world’s most influential voices to truly FOMO-worthy evening concerts. 

Visitors can get excited for interactive experiences such as a Songs of Summer soundscape, an FC Barcelona partner zone, and an AI DJ interactive experience. Plus, Spotify Studio is back again and fully booked with creators, advertisers, and press taking advantage of our state-of-the-art audio-video facilities. We’ll also host a series of masterclasses featuring exclusive opportunities to hear from Spotify executives including CEO and founder Daniel Ek, brand partners like Coca-Cola and Samsung, and some of the world’s most exciting creators, including Emma Chamberlain, Trevor Noah, Issaa Rae, and Alex Cooper.

We’re also hosting a series of playdates that bring the magic of Spotify to life by inviting guests to get out of their seats and play. And of course, it wouldn’t be Spotify Beach without a lineup of can’t-miss evening performances, including Foo Fighters, Florence + the Machine, Jack Harlow, A$AP Rocky, will.i.am, and more. All of this makes Spotify Beach the perfect spot to meet our clients and partners and show them they are part of an amazing journey with us at Spotify! 

We’re constantly innovating new technologies and formats for content creators and advertisers. What are some ways we’re demonstrating these at Cannes?

Ahead of Cannes, we announced Spotify Ad Analytics and our new B2B podcast, Perfect Pitch, inspired by our Cannes Lions award-winning campaign, A Song for Every CMO. We also recently shared our Sonic Science 2.0 research study, which demonstrates how audio content connects both emotionally and physically with listeners. We found that Spotify listeners are bringing audio into their lives literally 24 hours a day—and are primed to embrace brand messages. Most recently, we’ve been focused on using AI to enrich the listening experience—like with our AI DJ, where each user’s own DJ creates personalized listening experiences for them. Now that I use it, I can’t live without it! 

But I think the best way to absorb everything we’re innovating on is our session with Daniel Ek, Trevor Noah, and our Global Head of Advertising, Lee Brown, as they share their perspectives on how to best leverage new technology to tell stories and drive deeper connections with audiences. I’m really looking forward to sitting in on that one myself.

Cannes Lions is also about awarding the most impactful, creative advertising campaigns and the people behind them. What are some of your favorite Spotify campaigns from the last year?

There’s been so much that we’ve been working on with the partners around us—I can honestly say that we get to work with the world’s most innovative marketers to create original and engaging ad experiences for digital audio. My favorites have been Destination Canada, easyJet, and especially Disney+, which allowed us to bridge our work with Disney to launch a new campaign that combines the worlds of music, film, and TV in a delightful and immersive experience. With it, Spotify listeners across Germany, the U.K., Ireland, Italy, and Spain were able to explore personalized recommendations, as well as new genres and titles from Disney+’s catalog based on their listening habits. It’s personalized, innovative, and meets music and television lovers right where they are—truly a Spotify experience. 

Why should advertisers visit Spotify Beach on the Croisette?

During typical client meetings, you focus on the brief and the specific business challenge that your customer needs you to meet. You can’t always bring the examples to life. I think events like Cannes give us the opportunity to give them a 360-degree view about the power of Spotify advertising and showcase how we’re really only at the beginning of this journey. 

Spotify Beach is really going to bring our creativity and innovation in the streaming industry as a whole to life. It will demonstrate the power that our creator and industry relationships have and how we make them available for our bands and partners. Clients and partners will get to see and experience the overall Spotify ecosystem. Spotify has such an impact on people’s lives, and coming to Spotify Beach shows that without question. 

What’s your personal work mantra?

When you come with a great deal of experience, it’s important to remind yourself that you don’t know it all—and you have to be very good at listening. Because of where I am on my personal journey, I have a lot of reminders to remove my bias and spend time listening to my team and customers. If we want to be successful in business, it always starts at the end of the day, with the people. Then I can help supercharge the experiences of my team and my customers. 

Finally, what would we find on your “On Repeat” playlist? 

At the moment, anything Harry Styles. I’m obsessed—and it’s a common passion I have with my 17-year-old daughter. We’ve been trying to learn the lyrics from Spotfiy on our car journeys so we can belt them out when we see him in concert. As an Italian, I also love Maneskin. They are so fun and they’re going to become an iconic global band.

Catch more of our full Cannes lineup here.

Evolving Brands’ Measurement Experience With All-New Spotify Ad Analytics

June 13, 2023

SpotifyAdAnanlytics launch

As digital audio continues to boom, advertisers and publishers need modernized tools to understand the impact of their ad investments. Since 2020, Spotify has led the charge with innovations like Streaming Ad Insertion (SAI), which offers deeper ad insights and reporting than was previously available for podcasts. We continued our investments in this space last year with our acquisition of Podsights as we endeavored to accelerate podcast ads measurement and ultimately, strengthen audio ad measurement across music and podcasts on platform and beyond.

Today, we’re taking the next step in that journey and launching Spotify Ad Analytics (SpAA), a global measurement service for brands and agencies of all sizes. This free tool provides advertisers with more ways to better understand their investments on and off Spotify. For publishers, SpAA unlocks greater opportunities to prove the value of their inventories to direct advertising clients.

To learn more, For the Record spoke with Kelsey Woo, a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Spotify who oversees product marketing efforts across Spotify’s advertising measurement, reporting, and insights tools.

Measurement in digital audio advertising lags behind other digital channels. What are some of the ways we’re addressing this with new tools like Spotify Ad Analytics? 

Measurement remains an industry-wide challenge across all of digital audio advertising. In the early days, podcasters began monetizing their content by simply recording their ad reads directly into the audio file for a specific podcast episode—these became known as “baked in” or “burned in” ads. 

The global shift in consumption from downloads to streaming has opened the door for advances in more data-driven podcast advertising measurement. When we launched SAI, we introduced impression-level insight to podcast advertising for the very first time. Rather than relying on download data, advertisers now had access to standard digital reporting like impressions, unique reach, and frequency, along with unique audience insights and creative performance metrics powered by Spotify’s first-party data. 

Last year, we acquired Podsights to solve this measurement pain point for advertisers, both on Spotify and across the industry. Today, by announcing that Podsights is now Spotify Ad Analytics, we’re taking the next step in that journey. 

Why the decision to offer Spotify Ad Analytics free of charge? 

It’s no secret that we believe in the power of audio. And as marketers increasingly invest in this powerful medium, we want to support that industry-wide growth by making it easier to measure the impact of the format. That’s why we decided to offer Spotify Ad Analytics as a free service to all customers. We feel it’s not only important to make this type of data and foundational knowledge accessible to businesses of all sizes, but to also provide it with the expertise that comes from being the world’s most popular audio-streaming service.

Spotify Ad Analytics builds on a strong foundation to provide our customers with a one-stop shop for Spotify’s measurement and reporting solutions. It gives advertisers even more tools to better understand the value of their investments across Spotify and beyond—free of charge. 

What does this mean for advertisers? What are the implications for publishers?

This new offering means that advertisers can measure more on Spotify. It also means both publishers and advertisers can measure real-time conversion tracking and attribution across an unlimited number of audio and podcast impressions. For customers who were previously working with Podsights, there’s no new installation required—they’ll get access to more tools and features just by logging in.

Why is measurement so important for both of these groups? How will Spotify Ad Analytics help accomplish their goals? 

Ultimately, Spotify Ad Analytics will help advertisers understand which media strategies are helping them reach their goals. In turn, this allows publishers to prove the value of podcast advertising and further accelerate the growth of their podcast businesses.

We’ve been testing the expanded capabilities since late last year, most recently partnering with advertisers like Grammarly and Shopify to measure the performance of streaming audio ads. We’ve received great feedback on the ability to streamline reporting surfaces and easily understand the holistic impact of different media types, so we’re really excited. 

Spotify advertisers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States can now use Spotify Ad Analytics to lean into the power of streaming to provide even more accurate and actionable insights across Spotify ads. Learn more here.

Foo Fighters, Florence + The Machine, A$AP Rocky, Jack Harlow, Trevor Noah, Alex Cooper, Issa Rae, Emma Chamberlain, and More To Join Spotify Beach at Cannes Lions

June 12, 2023

Next week, Spotify is returning to the South of France for the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, where we’ll transform Spotify Beach into a hub of activity dawn ’til dusk as we celebrate a new way to play. And we’re bringing along some big-name friends to join in the fun.

Our special opening-night soiree will feature an intimate performance by Grammy Award-winning artist H.E.R., as well as a DJ set from the unparalleled Collyer Twins. 

We’ll be hosting daytime masterclasses and nighttime events beginning Monday, June 19, and continuing through Thursday, June 22, emphasizing our focus on creativity, connection, and innovation. Attendees can look forward to sessions featuring Spotify leaders and guests including Alex Cooper, Issa Rae, Emma Chamberlain, and world-renowned football player Cesc Fàbregas. Author and comedian Trevor Noah will join Spotify CEO and Cofounder Daniel Ek for a conversation on the future of storytelling. Throughout the day, catch DJ Toyin spinning sets.

Then, as night falls on Tuesday, Florence + The Machine and Jack Harlow will take to the stage accompanied by DJs will.i.am and Uncle Waffles. Wednesday is primed for world-class performances from Foo Fighters and A$AP Rocky, and a DJ set from Disclosure. And our house DJ Taylah Elaine will brighten the beach with music throughout it all.  

Spotify Beach itself will feature several interactive experiences, like daily sound bath meditations, an immersive Songs of Summer soundscape, an FC Barcelona play zone, a “Sonic Sips” coffee-and-juice bar, a custom sunglasses gifting station, and much more.  

Read on for a full list of the sessions on the ground, then check back next week here on For the Record for the full takeaway from our novel masterclasses. 

Monday, June 19

Building a brand is more than meets the eye…and ear 

Owning your craft takes dedication, consistency, and commitment—something Spotify’s Taj Alavi, VP, Global Head of Marketing; Loewe’s CMO Charlie Smith; and Anything Goes creator Emma Chamberlain all know well. The trio will share their approaches to what they create; their style around partnerships and projects, brand building, and brand positioning; and how to engage the next generation of streamers.

Top hits and goal-scoring kicks: fandom, football, and media 

We’re hosting a conversation between football legend Cesc Fàbregas, award-winning football Freestyler Pola Gomez, Samsung Europe CMO Benjamin Braun, and Bradford Ross, Coca-Cola’s VP Global Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Partnerships. They’ll dive into the obsessive fan culture surrounding sports and how brands tap into fandoms of all kinds. 

Tuesday, June 20

The cutting edge of creativity and storytelling 

Join Daniel Ek and Trevor Noah at Spotify Beach as they discuss the future of storytelling and the art of navigating different mediums to forge a deeper connection with worldwide audiences. They’ll offer insights on how creators can tell stories in more meaningful ways and effectively leverage new technologies in the ever-evolving media landscape.

The art of the interview 

You don’t need to be an investigative reporter by trade to benefit from learning how to conduct a masterful interview. Things get meta as Spotify’s Chief Public Affairs Officer, Dustee Jenkins, sits down with Alex Cooper, Creator, Host, and Executive Producer of Call Her Daddy, to discuss the art of the interview. Learn how to craft the right questions, disarm your subject, and get straight to the heart of the matter.

Wednesday, June 21

Connecting to the sound of culture 

Spotify’s Global Head of Artist Partnerships, Joe Hadley; Tye Comer, Creative Development and Founder of Spotify’s Outside Voice program; and Erin Styles, Global Head of Ads Business Communications & PR, will spotlight producer-actress-writer Issa Rae; SVP of Marketing at Frito-Lay North America, Tina Mahal; and WACL President Rania Robinson. They’ll discuss the importance of culture-shaping programs that support and amplify diverse voices. This comes as part of Spotfiy’s continued commitment to empowering creators and inspiring our audience to elevate underrepresented communities in their own work.

DJ Mixer

Turn it up with Spotify’s very own Xavier “X” Jernigan, Head of Cultural Partnerships and the voice of AI DJ. We’re rolling up the carpet for an afternoon mixer complete with games, cocktails, mingling, and—maybe—a surprise or two. 

So bookmark For the Record, follow @SpotifyNews and @SpotifyAds on social media, and stay tuned for much more as we discover a new way to play.

Immediate Media Partners With Spotify’s Megaphone To Bring Its Popular U.K. Podcasts to the World

February 16, 2023

When it comes to U.K. podcast producers, Immediate Media stands out. In 2022, the studio published more than 750 podcast episodes and averaged more than 5 million downloads per month across its 12 ongoing series. One of its most popular podcasts, HistoryExtra, also just celebrated a major milestone by hitting 200 million downloads. And now, we’re excited to announce our new partnership with Immediate Media that will help the company take its content to the next level. 

Starting in March, Immediate Media’s podcasts will be hosted and monetized through Spotify’s enterprise podcasting platform, Megaphone. With its portfolio—including the Radio Times Podcast, The olive magazine podcast, and the aforementioned HistoryExtra, along with BBC’s Top Gear Magazine Podcast, BBC Good Food Podcast, and BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine—Immediate Media offers content from premium brands that advertisers love. 

With Megaphone’s comprehensive set of industry-leading tools, Immediate Media can more effectively publish and grow its podcast business, by creating podcast ads for use on Spotify and other listening platforms.

Rak Patel, Head of Enterprise Sales, Europe, Shares Why Podsights Marks a New Opportunity for European Advertisers

October 18, 2022

Rak Patel, Head of Enterprise Sales, Europe

Earlier this year, Spotify Advertising continued our focus on delivering innovation in audio advertising with the acquisition of Podsights, a leading podcast advertising measurement service that helps advertisers better measure and scale their podcast advertising. With Podsights, we’re bringing greater transparency to podcast ads around the world. Advertisers will now be able to apply key analytics and measurement solutions, enabling them to easily track the success of campaigns or specific placements. And since podcasts are growing in popularity and are slated to become a €1.5B ads business in Europe by the end of 2023, we’ve been investing to grow digital audio advertising across the region. 

So earlier this month, we launched Podsights for podcast advertisers in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. This means advertisers in these markets can now easily access real-time insights about their podcast investments and understand how podcast ads drive actions that matter to their business campaigns. In the U.K. in particular, we’re testing these tools for ads in our Free music experience with media agency Omnicom Media Group. Over time, we plan to extend these measurement capabilities beyond podcasts to the full scope of the Spotify platform, including audio ads within music, video ads, and display ads. 

And no one is more excited for these advancements than our Head of Enterprise Sales in Europe, Rak Patel. 

“We’ve been working hard to create major demand outside of the U.S.,” he explained to For the Record. “We’ve done it through investments on the international side, investments on building a team and set of resources to truly capitalize on the opportunity, and investments on the podcast advertising side for international. All of these components are steps to make Spotify even more attractive as we go on our amazing journey.” 

Podsights is now available for all podcast advertisers in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. What was the road to getting here like? 

About a year or so ago, our advertising business started building out further capabilities in the EMEA region and in particular the major markets—the EU5 (Including U.K.!)—putting investment not only into the team, but into expanding our offerings as well. And that’s a really important milestone for us because it meant that we were starting to maximize our opportunity with advertisers and agencies outside of the U.S. And a big part of being ready to do that was through really maturing our product offering: advertising via podcasts. 

Now, clearly, podcasts are a big thing at Spotify, so what’s really important to us is being able to maximize the opportunity of podcasts on our platform for our advertiser partners, whether that’s through the content that we have on the Owned and Exclusive side or through building our ability to have an audience buy on our platform with the Spotify Audience Network. And then what advertisers still need is to be able to measure the effectiveness of the activity on their site. 

And that’s where Podsights comes into play. Rolling this out now across the EU5 is another important step for us to be able to go to advertisers with the full suite of capabilities, which means that they’re able to both reach their audience and measure the effectiveness of that activity on our platform. 

Is there a market you’re particularly excited to watch on the podcast advertising front?

This is like asking if I have a favorite child. (I do, but I’m not going to share that here.) So what I’ll say is: I’m massively excited about all five. Simply because each market is at a different stage, but we have a readiness to really do more within each of the markets. Now, Germany and the U.K. are more progressive at the moment in terms of the marketplace. And there’s fantastic content that we have there, and opportunities to match. But equally important for us is France, Spain, and Italy too. So I’m excited for all of my country-children. 

In the U.K., we’re testing Podsights with music ads for the first time. What does this mean for advertisers?

First off, I’m delighted that we’re starting this test in Europe. Secondly, what’s really important here is being able to offer our measurement tools to our advertisers at scale across our whole portfolio, whether it’s podcasts or music. The music side of our business is something that we’ve been obviously very focused on for many years now. So the opportunity for us to really scale our new tool, Podsights, in a really fast way across advertisers who already know us really well on the music side, I think that’s a great move. 

What are some tips for brands who want to get started with audio advertising?

Our efforts here are making the whole landscape of podcast advertising incredibly attractive because we’re enabling an advertiser to reach their audience at scale—while still offering them ways to sponsor individual shows—and then also to be able to do that on a repeatable basis. The key desires for an advertiser are to be able to share their story, to share their product, and to engage with the audience. There’s three things I would say are going to be really important for advertisers who want to do that through audio:

  1. Be brave. The podcast advertising landscape is one that’s going to evolve very quickly over the next several years. Come with us as we learn and go on this journey.
  2. Think about what our platform can offer from a personalization perspective that other brands can’t do—and then think about how you can really engage with your fans in that way. With unique tech like Streaming Ad Insertion, you know your ad is being heard by the audience you’re aiming to reach. That’s a game changer for podcasts. And not to mention, it’s quite cool. 
  3. Think about how you can include podcast ads in your full media plans on a regular basis. Don’t just come try it out and then move on. Make it something that’s evergreen. We see the most impactful, most memorable campaigns from advertisers who continually engage. And this is where Podsights really helps, because it gives those proof points. Don’t stop the conversation. 

To learn more about Spotify Advertising, head to Ads.Spotfy.

How Film Director Amber Grace Johnson Brought the Immersive Spotify Experience to Life in Our New Spotify Advertising Brand Campaign

September 28, 2021

When advertisers create digital audio for Spotify, they have the opportunity to reach passionate music lovers and dedicated podcast listeners who tune in day after day—a truly engaged audience, if not the most engaged audience. And as audio content consumption is on the rise with no signs of slowing down, digital advertising is also becoming more mainstream. Now, Spotify Advertising is taking advantage of this reality to excite advertisers, publishers, and creators about this opportunity with our first global B2B brand campaign, All Ears On You. 

We’re showing advertisers what it truly means to reach a fully engaged audience by imagining the Spotify experience as a moment where each listener is immersed in Spotify as they go about their day—protected from the noise and distractions of everyday life.

One part of our campaign is a stunning video created in conjunction with film director Amber Grace Johnson. The video, which was shot in Mexico City, shows this true immersion in a beautiful sync of live action and visual effects, all set to the song “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” by Spotify RADAR artist Joy Crookes.

For the Record grabbed time with Amber to speak with her about her love of music, the creative direction that went into the campaign, and her goal in working with Spotify’s advertising team.

Why were you interested in working with Spotify? 

Music is one of the biggest motivators in my life. I’m a person who needs 360-degree stimulation. Music helps me romanticize the mundane by injecting it with pure delicious immersion. It’s pretty wild to think of how terrifyingly vital a role Spotify plays in my every day—feasting my ears with the infinite soundtracks of my life. 

And because I love all genres (and even surprise myself with what I come to love), Spotify gives me the means to discover newness (and oldness). I truly believe the world would be a lost and scary place without this medium. 

I’ve always been a fan of Spotify. Since I started professionally directing three years ago, I had Spotify on my list as a brand I admire and dreamed of working with. And this experience absolutely lived up to that dream of mine.

Tell us a little about the direction in the All Ears On You film. What are the elements you set out to convey?

Powerful women and the art of letting go. This film is a window into the life of someone truly present—a young woman who defies the gravity of today’s experience by way of music. Our main character is able to rise above the ambush of the digital zeitgeist, an at-times suffocating frenzy.

As someone who lives and dies by Spotify, I believe music has healing powers. And whenever I’m in a bad mood, I play James Brown’s “People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul,” and it works like magic. I wanted to share the wonders of music and how it can transport you to another dimension, if you let it. 

In this piece, we revel in a spirit so comfortable in herself that she makes you feel free enough to do the same. If anything, we want people to watch this and feel inspired to romanticize their lives, add a bit of spice—no matter how mundane—to something like a dizzying commute home from work. My goal is to sweep you off your feet with some Spotify. 

The song in the video is “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” by Joy Crookes. How did you choose this song? How did it influence the story within the video, and vice versa?

We were all hell-bent on finding the perfect song that was magnetic and soulful and by an artist on the rise. Spotify’s algorithm is strong and has personally put me on to a number of artists I wasn’t privy to. Finding that balance was essential, especially for a brand with real influence on how the world experiences music. 

When we were auditioning songs (I want to say, we tried hundreds of options!), “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” just hit differently. It had this Amy Winehouse-meets-Bond feeling. There’s something with the instrumentation that made me feel like it’s in the spirit of a James Bond soundtrack. And, of course, the lyrics are very synchronistic with the visuals. Joy Crookes is an artist’s artist, on the cusp of something greater, with real intention behind her craft.

Director Amber Grace Johnson

There’s a part of the video where the music totally cuts out and then little podcast snippets start. Was that something that you envisioned from the beginning? 

The original concept was centered around this one girl inside her bubble living her best life amidst an intense world of distractions. I was inspired to expand beyond her point of view and introduce other characters who also find an almost delirious escapism in music. Whether you’re a couple falling in love while sharing a song, listening to an alien podcast trying to pass time in bumper-to-bumper, or a dreamer who’s healing her anxiety with a meditation podcast—we all can live at ease in our bubbles if we desire to. 

You typically work on consumer campaigns. Did you change your approach when directing this B2B video for Spotify Advertising? 

I think the best advertising is rooted in a simple idea: how to successfully sell a dream and a feeling. In this film, you hardly see the product, but you can feel its impact. 

In order for me to fall in love with anything I do, I have to see the beauty and purpose in it. I try my best to approach advertising as an art form and with some psychology. At a basic level, what do people want? What makes us feel? People are excited about what other people are passionate about. And I personally engage in videos that make me forget where I am and take me on a ride. For this film, music in itself, is a lifeline to so many people. In no way did this concept or process feel like advertising to me. 

What are you hoping people walk away from this thinking and feeling?  

We live in a special time where social media and technology have made us question ourselves and perform in an unrealistic and unnatural way. I believe we’re all dying for some realness—a much-needed pivot to a more stripped back, raw and real, less self-serious existence. I hope this piece reminds viewers of their inner child and that it’s sexy to be yourself!

Learn more at ads.spotify.com/all-ears-on-you.