Tag: Spotify For the Record

Five Years of Favorites From ‘For the Record’

April 3, 2023

From our first post on Spotify’s IPO to our recent coverage of Stream On, For the Record has shared with you many of the impactful moments that have resonated at Spotify—and also across culture more broadly. We’ve had the privilege of introducing you to major company news like Spotify’s foray into podcasting, annual Wrapped campaign, launch in 80+ more markets around the world, and partnership with FC Barcelona, but also of highlighting some of the names, events, and trends shaping the world of audio. 

Spotify has always had a unique story to tell, and our ambition is to share it with you in our own words wherever you are. For the Record, along with our podcasts and social handles, unfurls the story of Spotify every single day for our most important audience: you.

So in celebration of five years of For the Record, we’re highlighting some of our favorite stories that capture the spirit of streaming worldwide and tell Spotify’s story.

2018

More Than Magic: Behind Our 2018 Songs of Summer Predictions 

By now, our annual Song of Summer predictions and results are a Spotify and For the Record staple. The first time we released our SOS predictions, they foreshadowed a summer like no other—the summer of Scorpion. (“Kiki, do you love me,” anyone?) 

Mexico City Is Now the World’s Music-Streaming Mecca

Spotify for Artists tools help musicians find their fan bases in unexpected places. Mexico City is a hub like no other for food and culture, and as it turns out, for streaming too.

What Lady Gaga’s ‘Shallow’ Says About ‘A Star is Born’ and Music Itself

Spotify makes and reflects culture, and our users love to see patterns in what they and the world are streaming—exemplified in this dive into the songs from the movie’s past iterations. 

2019

Astrologer Chani Nicholas Shares How Music Matches Your Horoscope

Speaking of cultural cues, 2019 kicked off a number of astrology-related podcasts on Spotify, with Horoscope Today, Astrology Club, and many more. Completing the roundup were our Cosmic Playlists for each star sign that astrologer Chani Nicholas helped curate. 

How to Download and Listen to Music and Podcasts Offline and On the Go

One of the benefits of Spotify Premium is the ability to download music for later, whether that means heading to the airport or driving into the wilderness. Let this story serve as your guide(book).

5 Questions (and Answers) with Gautam Talwar, Managing Director, Spotify Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing and most diverse music markets in the world. We interviewed Gautam Talwar, our Managing Director of Southeast Asia, to learn more about the differences in music tastes and streaming habits throughout the region, as well as the opportunities ahead.

2020

Spotify Has the Pawfect Playlist for You and Your Pet

Spotify’s universally beloved Pets Playlist campaign enabled pet owners to create a custom playlist for their furry—or scaly—friends by entering their pets’ attributes into a custom Spotify microsite. We also debuted research showing that playing music calms your pet when you leave the house. 

The Challenges and Opportunities in Transforming the ‘Song Exploder’ Podcast Into a Netflix Show

Thanks to streaming, it’s commonplace for media to move in many directions, with movies and TV shows inspiring accompanying podcasts and beloved podcasts like Song Exploder reimagined as visual series. 

Jerusalema, the Limpopo House Track That Got the World Dancing

We noticed that fans’ streaming habits—and their social media use—changed during the era of social distancing. “Jerusalema,” which debuted in South Africa and quickly became a viral dance trend, also went global on Spotify as fans craved to hear the catchy song some more. 

2021

Nontraditional Hack Week Projects Pave Way for Innovation and Accessibility at Spotify

Spotify’s annual Hack Week enables our employees to explore their creativity and curiosity by taking a break from their everyday work to hack on something they’re excited or passionate about. Each year’s Hack Week has a broad, inspiring theme, and 2021’s “Making Space” enabled some members of our R&D team to investigate and reinvent their own ways of working. 

Podcasting Serves as a Private, Intimate, and Empathic Medium for Previously Closeted Conversations

With tools like Spotify for Artists and programs like Sound Up, podcasting is becoming more accessible to first-time podcasters and individuals from historically underrepresented groups. Each day, creators are uploading to Spotify new shows on topics that are meaningful to them and finding a growing audience ready to listen.

Meet the Team Behind Frequency, Spotify’s Celebration of Black Culture, Creativity, and Community 

Spotify is committed to using our platform to foster racial justice and equity and lift up underserved voices. The creation of Frequency enables us to have even more impactful and meaningful year-round programming by and for members of the Black community. 

2022

Listen Like Basquiat: New Exhibit Helps Fans Discover The Musical Influences of the Famed Painter

Our For the Record, Mic Check, and Discover This podcasts and @SpotifyNews socials tell Spotify’s story via different formats and lenses. We were able to go behind the scenes at the NYC Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibit to uncover the musical influences of one of the twentieth century’s most influential artists, meet Basquiat’s sisters, and learn more about the creation of the exhibit.  

The State of Indie Music According to Spotify’s Editors

Groups of Spotify editors from around the world make up our Global Curation Groups, or GCGs. We introduce you to some of those who are in the know on the music and talent coming out of a particular genre and how they curate some of our most popular editorial playlists. 

How Encanto Composer Germain Franco Brought the Magic and Sounds of Colombia to Listeners Around the World 

The Encanto soundtrack with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” hit parents and children alike—and their streaming on Spotify proved it. We spoke to the film’s composer, Germaine Franco, about her role in this love letter to the music of Colombia and the power of media to transport viewers and listeners to new cultures. 

2023

GLOW Artist Villano Antillano Finds Power in Community, Authenticity, and Being Fearless

Earlier this year, we introduced GLOW, a new global music program celebrating and amplifying LGBTQIA+ artists and creators. It’s our latest initiative to support people of this historically marginalized community of voices and reassert our commitment to equity in audio. Get to know GLOW artist Villano Antillano as well as Arlo Parks, LUDMILLA, Bruses, and Pabllo Vittar. 

Spotify’s Guide to the Best New Artists of 2023

For the past seven years, Spotify has played host to an annual celebration of the very best rising stars in the game who’ve realized their dreams of receiving a coveted and well-earned nomination for Best New Artist. This year, we released a comprehensive guide of all the artists, including their Spotify Singles, and featuring our special Mic Check episode. 

Spotify Debuts a New AI DJ, Right in Your Pocket

Our fans love personalization as much as we do—just think of fan-favorite playlists like Discover Weekly, or our annual Wrapped campaign. We recently added to our personalization capabilities by harnessing the power of AI in an entirely new way. DJ is a personalized AI guide that knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you. If you haven’t tried it out yet, take this opportunity to learn how right here on For the Record.

2022 Saw Even More Advancements, Acquisitions, and Excitement at Spotify

December 27, 2022

Earlier this month, we all had a chance to revisit what we listened to most in 2022 with Wrapped. From the year’s top artist (congrats on the three-peat, Bad Bunny) to identifying our listening personalities (where the “Deep Divers” at?), fans worldwide shared their listening habits. But that’s only the icing on the cake. The year also saw new content offerings such as audiobooks and more programs to support diverse and underrepresented voices, all designed to bring the best experience to listeners and creators.

Ring in 2023 by reliving Spotify’s highlights from 2022.

Commitment to platform safety

At the start of the year, we shared several actions we’re taking to balance creator expression with safety, including publishing our Platform Rules and taking steps to ensure creators and users alike understand what’s permitted on Spotify. This summer, we unveiled the Spotify Safety Advisory Council, an interdisciplinary group of experts that are providing our teams with an outside-in view of the safety landscape and helping us ensure that our products and policies address the needs and concerns of our users, creators, and artists around the world.  

Acquisitions expand our offerings

Early in the year, we acquired two podcast technology companies: Podsights, a podcast advertising measurement service, and Chartable, a podcast analytics platform. This move helped us uplevel measurement for podcast advertising and give publishers a new way to grow their business through insights and promotions tools.  

Over the summer, we closed on the acquisition of Findaway, a global leader in digital audiobook distribution. Findaway works across the audiobook ecosystem with a platform and offerings that serve authors, publishers, and consumers. Their technology and know-how helped accelerate Spotify’s entry into audiobooks earlier this fall.

As the world’s leading audio streaming platform, it made perfect sense to bring Heardle, the beloved interactive music game to Spotify. It has provided a fun and innovative way to help fans discover new songs and artists.

We also acquired Kinzen, a global leader in protecting online communities from harmful content. Our partnership with the Dublin-based company, which began in 2020, has been critical to enhancing our approach to platform safety. The company’s technology and unique approach helps Spotify better understand, prepare for, and prevent abuse trends from emerging on our platform.

Frequency carves out a spot for Black creators

We expanded Frequency, our global initiative and holistic destination for celebrating Black art, entertainment, creativity, culture, and community both on- and off-platform, with even more opportunities for Black creators. In addition to on-platform hubs and playlists, we hosted The Free Studio, a four-day residency that brought together nine Black musicians and creators. Spotify’s popular playlist Ripple Effect continued the Frequency Sunday Dinner series in Houston, as well as cities across California. 

Helping diversify the voices of podcasting

Programs like Sound Up, the Creator Equity Fund, and RADAR for Podcasters help underrepresented voices and emerging talent in the audio space. From education and workshops to on-platform amplification, these initiatives give creators the tools they need to tell their story. In October, we introduced the Africa Podcast Fund, a first-of-its-kind initiative to support burgeoning podcasters through financial grants, workshops, and networking opportunities. In December, we launched Elevate for Podcasters in partnership with the Inevitable Foundation. The program empowers professional podcasters with disabilities, providing the funding, mentorship, equipment, and accommodations they need to level up their careers. 

Introducing User Choice Billing with Google

Our multi-year agreement with Google represents a first-of-its-kind option in payment choice with opportunities for both consumers and developers. Users who’ve downloaded Spotify from the Google Play Store are presented with the choice to pay with either Spotify’s payment system or Google Play Billing. These two options living side-by-side in the app give users the freedom to subscribe and make purchases, using the payment option of their choice. With this announcement and our partnership, Google is allowing more choice and competition—decisive steps that demonstrate how platforms should work.  

Blend it up

Blend combines the best of Spotify’s personalization capabilities and collaborative playlist functionality into a single shared playlist. In 2022, we took Blend to a whole new level. Users can now Blend with up to 10 people or they can Blend with artists like Lizzo, Post Malone, and Charli XCX. Fans also have the opportunity to shop artist merch from the Blend experience. Blend represents another way we can give artists a new oportunity to interact with fans, and to bring added personalization to a listener’s music experience.

Playing with video

In 2022 we expanded video podcasting to Anchor creators in over 180 global markets. Podcasters love having the option to accompany their audio with visual components, and fans get the opportunity to deeply connect with the content. We also introduced Spotify Podcast Subscriptions for video podcasts, an integration with Riverside (the go-to platform for remote recording), embeddable video, video bulk-replace, video-specific analytics, and interactive podcast features, such as polls and Q&A.

Celebrating EQUAL’s first anniversary 

Since its launch, EQUAL has spotlighted women artists through global partnerships, activations, new content experiences, and on- and off-platform support. April marked the program’s one year anniversary. Among EQUAL’s major accomplishments: listeners streamed more than 13 million hours of program artists in the first month of joining. 

Reimagining with Roblox

We entered the virtual universe Roblox to create Spotify Island, an audio paradise where fans and artists from all over the world can connect and explore exclusive sounds, quests, and merch. We enhanced the experience during the year with K-Park and Planet Hip-Hop.

Spotify and FC Barcelona team up on the field

In July, we kicked off a partnership with FC Barcelona, becoming the Main Partner of the Club as well as the Official Audio Streaming Partner. We joined the team in Miami during the club’s preseason tour and brought artists like Ovy on the Drums, Piso 21, and Mau y Ricky along for the fun. Through the in-stadium LEDs and our other marketing channels, we promoted artists of all sizes from around the world including BLACKPINK, Fireboy DML, Megan Thee Stallion, Aitch, Pomme, Feid, and Rigoberta Bandini. For FC Barcelona’s October El Clásico showdown—one of the most iconic events in all of sport—we celebrated Drake’s 50 billion streams by creating a limited-edition kit. Get more details on this multiyear partnership on our Spotify: For the Record podcast.

Upping the ante with audiobooks

This fall, we introduced audiobooks to listeners in the U.S., the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. With more than 300,000 titles on the platform, we are giving book lovers a new way to enjoy storytelling on Spotify.

Time to play fair

We believe everyone benefits when competition is fair. Unfortunately, Apple does not, and they’ve consistently abused their dominant position to favor their own services, stifle innovation and hurt consumers. This year, we continued to urge policymakers to take significant action to protect competition and consumers from Apple’s anticompetitive behavior. For more on this fight, listen to  Spotify: For the Record, where entrepreneurs, U.S. senators, and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek discuss the importance of consumer choice.

‘Spotify: Mic Check’ Returns With Teen Breakout Star Sara James

October 12, 2022

Sara James on the Mic Check background

We’re back! After a brief summer hiatus, Spotify: Mic Check, Spotify: Discover This, and Spotify: For the Record return with new episodes. Whether you’re looking to go behind-the-scenes with your favorite creators, discover music genres or audio trends heating up around the world, or take  a deep dive into all things Spotify, our trio of podcasts has got you covered. 

Our latest Mic Check episode features Sara James, a Polish 14-year-old who captured the hearts of millions by her stunning performances on the popular TV show America’s Got Talent. In June, she also became Spotify’s youngest-ever ambassador for our EQUAL program. (You can read what she has to say about supporting women in music in our June interview). 

 

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Tune in as the artist shares her story with Mic Check from Spotify’s Studios in LA—and look out for her new Spotify Singles, including a whole new take on Billie Eilish. 

 

Spotify Expands Our Company News Podcast Slate With Two More Shows for Listeners To Love

October 12, 2021

In summer 2020, we launched the Spotify: For the Record podcast to accompany our newsroom as we dove behind the scenes into music, podcasts, creators, tech, and trends in the way only Spotify can. In the months to follow, we spoke to K-pop fans around the world, explored how to create a podcast, got into the nitty-gritty of our quarterly earnings, and much more. Now, after a year of storytelling under our belt, we’re excited to share that we’re expanding Spotify: For the Record from one company podcast to three.  

These three separate podcasts are now better tailored to our audiences—from Spotify fans to employees to industry insiders—with important, relevant themes and episodes that are unique to each group. What’s ear-catching to those in the creator and entertainment industries is often somewhat different from what’s interesting to those who are up on consumer and lifestyle trends, as well as from those in the business and finance community. By turning Spotify: For the Record into three shows—Spotify: For the Record, Spotify: Mic Check, and Spotify: Discover This—we’re able to capture stories and entertain our listeners in a whole new way.

“We want to tell stories in a way that’s uniquely Spotify and probably to no one’s surprise, we believe audio provides the perfect medium,” said Spotify’s Head of Global Communications, Dustee Jenkins. “As a company, we strive to bring creators and fans closer together, and our podcasts further that ambition. By moving from one podcast into three segments with distinct audiences, we can ensure that the stories we’re telling and the topics we’re covering reach the people who care about them the most.” 

Check out our new slate of podcasts. 

Spotify: Discover This

Debuts mid-October

Tune in if you love music, podcasts, cultural moments, trends, and inside scoops from experts, artists, and creators.

Spotify: Discover This will share fresh insights on music, podcasting, cultural moments, and trends amplified in a way only Spotify can. This Spotify podcast is a smart mix of great music, artist interviews, and surprises delivered with a healthy dose of humor. The premiere episode will focus on the evolution of country music by showcasing the new emerging artists that listeners are discovering.

Spotify: Mic Check

Turns on mid-October

Tune in if you love artists and creators telling their stories in their own words.

Spotify: Mic Check will connect creators with fans through intimate conversations with musicians and podcasters from around the world. Each episode, artists and podcasters will share exclusive recordings and personal stories in their own words.

Spotify: For the Record

Relaunches on October 28

Tune in if you love exclusives and insights on Spotify from our leaders and teams. 

In the third season of Spotify: For the Record, we will continue to pull back the curtain on our business, taking listeners behind the scenes with earnings reports, breaking news, product launches, and business updates. But this season, we’re going further and making this podcast the only place where our audience can hear certain business updates.

Can’t wait? Make sure to “Follow” each show on Spotify to listen to new episodes as soon as they drop. 

Live Audio Is Here: ‘Spotify: For the Record’ Explores the New Spotify Greenroom App

July 15, 2021

On this week’s episode of our podcast Spotify: For the Record, we look at the live audio space to see where it’s headed and how Greenroom is part of the equation.

Earlier this year, we introduced Spotify Greenroom, our new live audio app. Available on iOS and Android in over 135 markets, the app offers creators and users a whole new way to connect. From real-time sports reactions to instant interactions with your favorite artist, live audio is providing a new avenue for listeners to engage with content that interests them. 

On the podcast, Spotify’s Head of Creation Platform, Michael Mignano, brings us up to speed on live audio and the appeal of joining the conversations taking place in these virtual rooms. Next, mixed martial arts journalist and The Ringer’s Ariel Helwani shares how he’s using Greenroom as a way to provide live sporting event coverage and connect with an international audience. Finally, Hot Pod News founder Nick Quah talks about the live audio medium, how it differs from traditional podcasting, and where he expects it to go from here.

Get all the details by listening to “Spotify Greenroom & the Future of Live Audio.”

‘Spotify: For the Record’ Takes a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Success of Spotify Singles

June 3, 2021

In May, For the Record shared that Spotify Singles collectively hit over 5 billion streams. The premise of the program is simple: We bring an artist into the studio to record a reimagined version of one of their own songs as well as a cover song—an homage to the two-sided 45 record. Spotify Singles has amassed a playlist of more than 650 songs across dozens of genres that features the biggest stars and emerging artists.

To celebrate this monumental milestone, the Spotify: For the Record podcast is taking listeners inside the rooms where those recordings were made for an intimate look at the creative process. In the episode, artists and Spotify employees closely involved with the program share some of the stories behind these successful tracks.

  • Ed Sheeran, English singer-songwriter and the most-followed artist on Spotify, explains the full-circle moment that occurred when cellist Yo-Yo Ma covered his hit song “Shape of You” for Spotify Singles.
  • Jon Batiste, an Oscar-winning American jazz musician, shares his experience recording 2pac‘s “Changes” on the piano.
  • Nina Nesbitt, a Scottish pop singer-songwriter who has participated in two Spotify Singles sessions, explains what it was like to record in legendary spots like London’s Metropolis Studio.  
  • William Garrett, an experienced audio engineer and the Senior Producer for Spotify Singles, shares what it’s like for an artist to reimagine a fresh new take on one of their own classics. He also shares some fun stories about recording with artists like Elton John, Alanis Morissette, and Wilco.
  • Michele Santucci, Recorded Music Lead at Spotify, talks about how the covers allow for a crossover between genres and open up new audiences for the Spotify Singles artists. She also gives a sneak peek of who’s up next for future Spotify Singles recordings. 

Hear these tales and more on “Spotify Singles: The Path to 5 Billion Streams.”

‘Spotify: For the Record’ Explores the Art—and Science—of Lullabies

May 7, 2021

What is it about a lullaby that gently nudges a fussy newborn or rambunctious toddler into a slumber? On the latest episode of our podcast, Spotify: For the Record, we’re on a mission to find out.

Sleep playlists on Spotify attract millions of followers, and some of the top lullaby playlists have hundreds of thousands of listeners. In fact, there are almost 1.5 million playlists on Spotify containing a lullaby.

So how does one go about creating the perfect lullaby? In the episode, hear how Swedish artists Mapei and Timbuktu partner up with Grammy Award-winning producer Pontus Winnberg and sleep expert Helena Kubicek Boye to combine music and science for the perfect tune. In our episode, we find that there are four key steps.

CEO Daniel Ek and CFO Paul Vogel Drop in on the Latest Episode of ‘Spotify: For the Record’ to Discuss Q1 Performance

April 29, 2021

The first few months of 2021 proved to be busy at Spotify. We held our virtual event Stream On, launched in 86 new markets around the world, and acquired the live audio app Locker Room. So in the most recent episode of Spotify: For the Record, Head of Global Communications Dustee Jenkins, CEO Daniel Ek, and CFO Paul Vogel sat down to reflect on Spotify’s relentless pace of innovation in audio by diving into our quarterly earnings report.

The trio covers an explosion of growth in Latin America, top genres in Pakistan, and why they’re excited about the opportunity of live audio. The episode also canvasses the big cultural moments from the past few months, including Olivia Rodrigo’s runaway hit “Driver’s License,” the number of user-created vaccine playlists, and notable new podcasts, from Caso 63 to Renegades.

Plus, for the first time, Daniel reveals the name of the reimagined Locker Room app. 

Stream “2021 Q1 Earnings: Highlighting New Markets & New Acquisitions” now.

Dig Into Music Streaming in the Latest Episode of ‘Spotify: For the Record’

March 25, 2021

At Spotify, we believe artists deserve clarity when it comes to the economics of music streaming. That’s why last week we unveiled Loud & Clear, a new microsite that breaks down the players and process involved with the royalty system. 

Artists want the opportunity to make a living from their work. We want that, too: Although more artists than ever are finding success through streaming, we’re nowhere near done, and we’ll keep pushing to grow the industry. As we make those strides, the Loud & Clear site demystifies how the money flows while also sharing more context when it comes to streaming numbers and how they stack up on Spotify in 2020.

In this week’s episode of our podcast, Spotify: For the Record, we continue the conversation about streaming economics and Loud & Clear.

Our first guest is Sammy Andrews, CEO of Deviate Digital and a board member of the Music Managers Forum (MMF) in the UK, who discusses industry reaction to Loud & Clear and where she thinks we should go from here.

We also speak with Charlie Hellman, Spotify’s Head of Marketplace, who provides more context on Loud and Clear and details how more artists than ever are finding success in the music industry.  

Listen to “Loud and Clear: A New Conversation on Music Streaming.” 

On the Latest Episode of ‘Spotify: For the Record’ Anchor Podcasters Share How They Bring Their Stories to Life

February 25, 2021

In 2019, Spotify acquired Anchor, a platform that makes it easy to hit the ground running in the podcast space. Podcasters around the world can access the platform’s creative tools, free content hosting, and distribution. Last year, we saw that 80% of the new shows on Spotify were made with Anchor. For beginners, the platform can help simplify the steps to getting published, while more experienced creators benefit from Anchor’s wide range of unique features, like including music straight from Spotify’s catalogue to make a Music + Talk show.

In the latest episode of our podcast, Spotify: For the Record, we explore how a variety of podcasters got their start using Anchor.

  • We follow along with Cassandra Bankson, a skincare expert and influencer, as she embarks on her journey to create her first podcast. From getting a microphone to learning how to upload episodes to Spotify, we follow along as her audio story comes to life.
  • Gael Aitor and Kayla Suarez, from the popular podcast Teenager Therapy, join us to share why their series is the perfect forum to highlight the struggles that come with being a teenager.
  • Rizky Ardi Nugroho, host of one of the top podcasts in Indonesia, Do You See What I See, shares how Anchor helped him start his show in 2018 (when he knew next to nothing about podcasting), and how he went from being a rice producer to a podcast producer. 

Michael Mignano, the cofounder of Anchor, also joins us to talk about the innovations that creators can expect to see in the near future. From audience poll functionality to an in-app Q&A format, the platform is opening up new forms of engagement for podcasters.

The episode concludes with a series of tips and tricks from each guest for aspiring podcasters. Ready to give it a listen? Check it out here.

‘Stream On,’ Q4 Earnings, and Our Launch in South Korea: Learn More on the ‘Spotify: For the Record’ Podcast

February 4, 2021

Our latest Spotify: For the Record episode dives into our biggest headlines of the week. Dustee Jenkins, Head of Global Communications, sits down with CEO Daniel Ek and CFO Paul Vogel to discuss yesterday’s fourth-quarter earnings results. The trio touches on the company’s outlook, our end-of-year Wrapped campaign, the continued rise in podcasts, and other Q4 highlights.

Dustee also queries Daniel about Spotify’s recently announced “Stream On” event. You can check out their full conversation in the episode, but in the meantime, find a brief behind-the-scenes preview of what will happen on February 22 below.

 

Finally, we travel from Stockholm to Seoul to discuss Spotify’s launch this week in the sixth-biggest music market in the world: South Korea. David Park, our Managing Director there, joins us as we talk about the magnitude of this expansion.

Ready to dig in? Check out the episode here.

Get in the Holiday Spirit with Dolly Parton, Jose Mari Chan, Black Pumas, and More

November 18, 2020

In a year that’s brought unprecedented challenges, Spotify data suggests that listeners may be seeking comfort from holiday music earlier than usual in 2020. While festive playlists usually snowball in December, we’re seeing our most popular holiday playlist, Christmas Hits, streamed at a higher rate in September and October compared to previous years. Many think it’s never too early to crank yuletide tunes, and it shows: Listeners have already streamed more than 6.5 billion minutes of Christmas tracks this year.

In this episode of our podcast, Spotify: For the Record, we look at which songs are making it to the top of our listeners’ Christmas lists. One favorite is “Last Christmas,” which was originally released in 1984 by Wham! To date, there are about 1,200 covers of the hit on Spotify.

In addition to digging into the data, we also get in the spirit by chatting with some iconic artists about their holiday hits, including Dolly Parton, who recently released her first Christmas album in 30 years. In the episode, the country legend joins us to talk about the inspiration behind A Holly Dolly Christmas and what it was like to duet with Michael Bublé in the song “Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas.”

Aside from Parton, we also chat with beloved Filipino artist Jose Mari Chan. Known as “The Father of Christmas Music” in the Philippines, Chan shares the inspiration behind his iconic holiday tunes, which have been a staple of festive celebration in the country for the last three decades.

 

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.