Tag: Storytel

Here Are the First Publishers and Platforms Getting Connected With Spotify’s Open Access Feature

July 27, 2021

Update as of March 17, 2022

Since we began activating partners via Spotify Open Access in 2021, we’re now partnering with around 100 publishers and platforms to make their subscription content available on Spotify. 

Of the many shows and content providers offering subscriber-only content now available through Spotify Open Access, some of the most exciting and popular include:

These shows and content providers encompass a wide cross section from around the globe. Many are powered by subscription platforms that have integrated via Spotify Open Access, and we’re excited to share that Supporting Cast, Supercast, Memberful, Hello Audio, Audiomeans, and Vriend van de Show can now offer distribution of gated content on Spotify for their creator communities.

We are continuing to activate more partners via Spotify Open Access with the goal of giving creators ultimate flexibility and control over their businesses. For interested providers, you can now find technical specifications on our developer site.

 

Back in April, Spotify announced the expansion of our podcast monetization offering, with new models including paid podcast subscriptions and Spotify Open Access. Since then, we’ve been hard at work testing these models and working with some of the world’s best content providers to build a system that works across business models and content genres. Today, we’re sharing the list of our inaugural Spotify Open Access partners, third-party services with paid content that their customers and subscribers will be able to unlock and hear right on Spotify. 

Spotify Open Access is a first-of-its-kind offering in the audio industry, broadening distribution for creators who offer paid content. The system enables creators with existing paid content businesses to activate their customers on Spotify, and it allows Spotify users to unlock and listen to content they paid for via third-party services: for example, publications with paywalled content or licensed audiobook providers. 

This means that participating creators can retain full control over their subscriber or customer bases while also leveraging Spotify to grow their audiences. With Spotify’s global impact and wide availability across devices and platforms, they’ll be able to reach audiences no matter where they are or how they’re listening. 

Today, we’re excited to unveil the first group of partners leveraging Spotify Open Access, which spans a diverse cross-section of providers, including podcasts, audiobooks, news organizations, and creator platforms. Check them out:

  • Acast
  • Der Spiegel
  • Glow.fm powered by Libsyn
  • Malcolm Gladwell’s audiobook The Bomber Mafia (Pushkin Industries)
  • Mamamia
  • Mediapart
  • Memberful
  • Slate
  • Storytel
  • Supporting Cast
  • Supercast
  • The Motley Fool
  • Vox Media

Over the coming months, paid content from these partners will be gradually made available to listeners, who will be able to connect their existing subscriptions to Spotify to unlock the content. Keep an eye out for updates from your favorite creators to see when their content will be available. 

And if you’re a creator using one of the listed membership platforms, you can reach out to your provider for more information about how you can unlock this feature for your show.

Ultimately, our intention for Spotify Open Access is to be a platform that any creator or provider can apply to plug into easily. We’re currently testing the technology with select partners (with more to be announced later this fall) and plan to release wide availability down the road. 

These first key partners will bring a whole new catalog of beloved content to Spotify for paying listeners—and it’s just the beginning. Stay tuned.

Quiz: This Week on ‘For the Record’

May 21, 2021

Think you're up-to-date on the latest in Spotify news, data, and trends? Take our quiz to test just how well you’ve been following along.

1. The show’s theme song, “I’ll Be There for You,” has amassed more than 137 million streams on Spotify. Who sings this tune?
2. Over the past week, as fans geared up for the reunion, the official Friends playlist saw this percentage increase in streams:
3. This week, we announced our most recent exploration: a virtual concert experience. Which of the following statements about the upcoming shows are true?
4. Later in the year, Storytel subscribers will be able to enjoy Storytel’s library of audiobooks on Spotify by…
5. Popular German podcast Talk-O-Mat, which features an AI robot, is being adapted for a U.S. audience. What is the name of the new English-language podcast?
6. Mansión Reggaetón, Spotify’s flagship reggaetón playlist, is a one-stop destination for the most-talked-about artists of the genre. According to Spotify data, what country streams the most reggaetón?
7. Germany’s new Podcast—Der Podcast will be parodying several shows, including the most popular podcast from the market, which is:
We’re rolling out the ability for Premium users to download their favorite playlists, albums, and podcasts on your Apple Watch. That means you can control playback while leaving your phone behind.

Storytel Audiobooks Will Be Available on Spotify Later This Year

May 20, 2021

Just a few weeks ago, we announced the Spotify Open Access Platform, which gives creators with existing subscriber bases the option to deliver paid content to their paid audiences using Spotify. Now, we’re excited to follow with a partnership with Storytel, one of the world’s leading audiobook streaming services. Later in 2021, Storytel subscribers will be able to enjoy Storytel’s library of audiobooks on Spotify by linking the two accounts. 

“It is Spotify’s goal to be the singular platform for all audio: music, podcasts, live conversations, and now via this partnership, audiobooks,” said Courtney Holt, Global Head of Studios, Spotify. “By utilizing the Spotify Open Access Platform, Storytel will be able to deliver its premium audiobooks offering using Spotify’s best-in-class platform, all while retaining direct control over their relationship to their audience.”

“We want everyone to have access to great stories, and today we offer more than 500,000 audiobooks on a global basis across 25 markets,” said Jonas Tellander, founder and CEO, Storytel. “Partnering with Spotify will make amazing audiobook experiences and exciting authorships easier than ever to access for our customers, while we will also be tapping into the opportunity of reaching new audiences who are on Spotify today, but have not yet experienced the magic of audiobooks.”

This partnership illustrates the power of open access as an opportunity for audio creators and providers everywhere to make a home for their content on Spotify while retaining complete control over their business model and a direct relationship with their subscriber base. As we open up the Open Access Platform, listeners will find a greater variety of content available for them to enjoy, all within one app.

Audiobooks are just one form of audio that will be available using Spotify’s Open Access Platform—the possibilities in audio are limitless. Stay tuned for the details on additional partners and widespread access to the program, launching later this year.