Tag: Spotify For the Record

This Week on the ‘Spotify: For the Record’ Podcast, Hear From the Artists on Our RADAR

October 1, 2020

September marked six months since the launch of our global emerging-artist program, RADAR. Now, with this week’s episode of Spotify: For the Record, we go on a journey of discovery with Andy Sloan-Vincent from Spotify’s International Music Team to learn more about RADAR and the commitment to spotlighting rising talent.

The episode also dives into the music and backstories of five RADAR artists. Tune in to get to know: 

  • Japan-born, U.K.-based Rina Sawayama, who talks about navigating her Asian and queer identities in music and life.
  • Australian merci, mercy, an introspective, self-aware singer-songwriter who has released two singles since working with Spotify.
  • Young T & Bugsey, Londoners whose song “Don’t Rush” became the soundtrack to a social media sensation and propelled them to their own streaming success.
  • NYC-based J.I the Prince of N.Y, who overcame getting booed off the stage at age 15 to become a national hit, with billboards around the U.S.
  • Lous and the Yakuza, a Belgian-Congolese singer and songwriter who can record in every language from French to Spanish to Congolese—and now has an international fan base to match.  

Listen to “On the RADAR: Emerging Artists Find their Voice” here.

This Week on the ‘Spotify: For the Record’ Podcast, Meet BTS

September 17, 2020

There’s no stopping BTS. The K-Pop band recently released their first all-English single, “Dynamite,” which set a new record on Spotify: 12.6 million streams in the first 24 hours. But long before this upbeat track was released, the group was racking up billions of streams from listeners all around the world.

In this week’s episode of our Spotify: For the Record podcast, the seven-member band joined us to talk about their creative process, how they’re staying positive during these challenging times, and—of course—their new hit. To fully understand the extent of BTS’s global impact on music and culture, Kat Moon, TIME Magazine journalist and K-Pop aficionado, detailed the band’s rise to fame and their deep connection with fans. Speaking of fans, the episode wouldn’t be complete without talking to members of BTS’s dedicated fan base, known simply as ARMY. 

Go behind the scenes with BTS on Spotify: For the Record: “BTS: The Band, The Brand & The ARMY.”

This Week on the ‘Spotify: For the Record’ Podcast, How K-Pop Became a Global Phenomenon

September 11, 2020

Since Spotify debuted our first K-Pop playlist in 2014, listeners have streamed more than 180 billion minutes of the genre and added K-Pop tracks to more than 120 million Spotify playlists. The share of K-Pop listening has increased by more than 2,000% in the last six years—meaning it’s growing really quickly compared to other musical genres. All this to say: K-Pop is huge on Spotify around the world.

That’s why we’re devoting this week’s episode of our new podcast Spotify: For the Record to K-Pop—and talking to some of the biggest fans and names in the business about where the genre has been and where it’s headed.

Tune in to hear from Kossy Ng, Spotify’s Head of Artist Label Partnerships in Southeast Asia, and consider the genre’s domestic origins (prior to world domination). Then, explore K-Pop’s global impact with Babi Dewet and Érica Imenes, a pair of Brazilian K-Pop fans who have founded K-Pop-themed groups, written books, and even created a K-Pop-themed podcast, Kpapo.

Keep listening to get to know Wonho Chung, a Korean actor, singer, and comedian who was born in Saudi Arabia, educated in Jordan, lives in the UAE, and witnessed the rise of K-Pop in the Middle East firsthand. Finally, bring it home with one of the top 10 most-streamed K-Pop artists of all time, Stray Kids, who share how the genre transcends the barriers of language . . . and impersonate a mosquito.

Dive into K-Pop on Spotify: For the Record: “From Seoul to São Paulo: The Global Rise of K-Pop.”

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.

Go Behind the Scenes With Our New Podcast, ‘Spotify: For the Record’

August 13, 2020

For the past two years, For the Record has shared big Spotify moments with you. Now, we’re taking listeners even deeper behind the scenes with our new podcast, Spotify: For the Record. This new series features interviews with Spotify employees and industry experts as we dive into major moments in music, podcasting and tech. We’ve already seen that what’s happening in the world is reflected on Spotify; with this podcast, we take that one step further as we discuss cultural events, listening trends, the tech behind our platform, and more.

Our first three episodes are already live. In the latest one, we talked to Katy Perry, as well as Ariel Rechtshaid, Wesley Bunch, and Ben Jaffe, to see how they’re staying connected to their fans and their music during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Learn more about our episodes below.

Artists & Creativity During COVID-19 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, artists, producers, and venue owners are looking for—and finding—creative solutions to stay connected with fans. Katy Perry gives us a peek behind the curtain on how she adapted to deliver her new album, Smile, while producer Ariel Rechtshaid reveals what happens when the recording studio is silent. Wesley Bunch, lead singer of the Philadelphia-based indie band, Suburban Living, shares the impact of not being on the road. And we hear from Ben Jaffe, who runs Preservation Hall in New Orleans, on his mission to save the venue and support his fellow jazz musicians.

Podcasts: The Medium of the Moment

Podcasting is fast becoming the medium of the moment, with more than 1.5 million shows now on Spotify—half of which launched this year alone. Household names such as Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and now Michelle Obama are attracting millions of new fans to the already booming podcasting world. Spotify’s commitment to all things audio is driving financial results too. In this episode, hear from CEO Daniel Ek and CFO Paul Vogel as they outline the key roles podcasting is playing in the company’s strategy. 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/12CG1dcTe0QUu1lcbj2Uyf?si=6PbjHacBRiuXgT50byHXsQ

Supporting the Black Community

In this episode, we discuss how cultural moments are often reflected in the music we listen to, zeroing in on the racial justice movement of today. Cohosted by Xavier “X” Jernigan, Head of Cultural Partnerships at Spotify, and Shanon Cook, Spotify’s Culture and Trends Expert, we’ll hear from members of the Spotify team including Safiya Lambie-Knight, Artist & Label Partnerships Lead, Dawn Ostroff, Chief Content Officer, and Cherise Bernard, Senior Recruiter and Head of Spotify’s employee resource group BLK. In this episode, we discuss what we’ve seen on our platform and what Spotify is doing to elevate Black voices and support the Black community, both inside and outside our walls. 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2j7oFO9YqMEPelug3KTrx3?si=xKCGJiYOSWCuq9SgXX9hsg

Be sure to follow the show so you’re in the loop when new episodes drop. And check out The Spotify News Hub for additional podcasts and playlists showcasing our news and views.

 

The “Podcasts: The Medium of the Moment” and “Supporting the Black Community” episodes are 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.