Tag: Time to Play Fair

Spotify Brings Entrepreneurs and Trailblazers Together to Talk the Future of Tech in the UK

April 17, 2024

With its particular combination of talent, ambition, culture, and, of course, world-famous music, the U.K. has been an important piece of the Spotify puzzle since we launched in 2008. Today, as one of our biggest research and development hubs, it’s where we experiment with some of our most exciting new launches and products, including audiobooks in Premium, video-based learning courses, and, most recently, AI Playlist.

Spotify’s success in the U.K. is due in large part to the country’s open, connected, and competitive economy. Exceeding £1 trillion, the U.K.’s technology market is the largest in Europe and the third-largest in the world.

But the country is also at a crossroads, with profound technological, political, and economic changes on the horizon. That’s why Spotify decided to gather industry leaders across the tech, media, and policymaking landscape for an action-packed evening at our London office. Together, we celebrated the entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of the U.K. while exploring how the country remains at the forefront of technological advancement and innovation.

On April 16, we assembled entrepreneurs and trailblazers for a series of candid and thought-provoking conversations alongside a group of influencers, commentators, and policymakers. Dustee Jenkins, Chief Public Affairs Officer at Spotify, hosted the evening.

The European Commission Confirms, Apple’s Anti-Competitive Behavior Is Illegal and Harms Consumers

March 4, 2024

Today’s decision marks an important moment in the fight for a more open internet for consumers. The European Commission (EC) has made its conclusion clear: Apple’s behaviour limiting communications to consumers is unlawful. This decision sends a powerful message—no company, not even a monopoly like Apple, can wield power abusively to control how other companies interact with their customers.

Apple’s rules muzzled Spotify and other music streaming services from sharing with our users directly in our app about various benefits—denying us the ability to communicate with them about how to upgrade and the price of subscriptions, promotions, discounts, or numerous other perks. Of course, Apple Music, a competitor to these apps, is not barred from the same behaviour. By requiring Apple to stop its illegal conduct in the EU, the EC is putting consumers first. It is a basic concept of free markets—customers should know what options they have, and customers, not Apple, should decide what to buy, and where, when and how.

While we appreciate the EC addressing this important case, we also know that the details matter. Apple has routinely defied laws and court decisions in other markets. So we’re looking forward to the next steps that will hopefully clearly and conclusively address Apple’s long-standing unfair practices.

From the beginning, the foundational belief of the internet is that it should be a fair and open ecosystem. That belief has fueled growth, innovation and discovery around the world. Today the leading way people access the internet is via their mobile phones. So why should the same principles not apply? And while we are pleased that this case delivers some justice, it does not solve Apple’s bad behaviour towards developers beyond music streaming in other markets around the world. Our work will not be done until we succeed in securing a truly fair digital marketplace everywhere and our commitment to helping to make this a reality remains unwavering.

A Letter to the European Commission on Apple’s Lack of DMA Compliance

March 1, 2024

Ahead of the European Union’s DMA implementation deadline next week, Spotify and many EU companies sent the following letter to the European Commission today raising concerns about Apple’s lack of compliance.

Mrs. Margrethe Vestager
Executive Vice-President – A Europe Fit for the Digital Age
European Commission

Mr. Thierry Breton
Commissioner for Internal Market European Commission

Dear Executive Vice-President, Dear Commissioner,

We are 34 companies and associations operating across a wide range of digital sectors, including aviation, publishing/press, gaming, commercial radios, audio streaming, applications software, communications, marketing, payment, fintech, crypto and marketplaces. Together, we represent tens of thousands of businesses of all sizes and we serve hundreds of millions of customers across Europe.

We are very concerned that Apple’s proposed scheme for compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as communicated on 25 January 2024, will not meet the law’s requirements therefore inhibiting our ability to deliver the benefits of the DMA to consumers as soon as possible.

Apple’s new terms not only disregard both the spirit and letter of the law, but if left unchanged, make a mockery of the DMA and the considerable efforts by the European Commission and EU institutions to make digital markets competitive.

There are a myriad of elements in Apple’s announcement that do not comply with the DMA. We take this opportunity to highlight some of the most obvious and egregious:

Apple is offering app developers an unworkable choice between staying on its current terms – which are manifestly not compliant with the DMA – or opting into new terms, implying that only app developers opting into the new terms will benefit from the DMA. This is a false choice and merely adds unnecessary complexity and confusion. Neither option is DMA compliant and both options would simply consolidate Apple’s stronghold over digital markets.
The new fee structure in the proposed new terms seems designed to maintain and even amplify Apple’s exploitation of its dominance over app developers. With a hefty transaction fee and a Core Technology Fee (CTF), few app developers will agree to these unjust terms. These fees will deter app developers from providing seamless in-app experiences for consumers, and will hamper fair competition with potential alternative payment providers.
Apple claims “the changes include new controls and disclosures, and expanded protections to reduce privacy and security risks the DMA creates.” This is masquerading unfounded privacy and security concerns to the detriment of user choice. Apple’s approach – such as the introduction of “scare screens” – will merely mislead and degrade the user experience, depriving them of real choice and the benefits of the DMA.
To succeed, the DMA must create opportunities for real competition, including alternative app stores and sideloading. New app stores are critical to driving competition and choice both for app developers and consumers. Sideloading will give app developers a real choice between the Apple App Store or their own distribution channel and technology. Apple’s new terms do not allow for sideloading and make the installation and use of new app stores difficult, risky and financially unattractive for developers. Rather than creating healthy competition and new choices, Apple’s new terms will erect new barriers and reinforce Apple’s stronghold over the iPhone ecosystem.

The European Commission’s response to Apple’s proposal will serve as a litmus test of the DMA and whether it can deliver for Europe’s citizens and economy.

In the absence of materially different proposals from Apple, we urge the European Commission to take swift, timely and decisive action against Apple, to protect developers and benefit consumers and do so as soon as the DMA obligations apply. This is the only way to guarantee the DMA remains both credible and delivers competitive digital markets.

Yours sincerely,
The Signatories

EU Companies
Adevinta
Beonex
Blockchain.com
Cafeyn
Deezer
Epic Games
iconomy
Mustang
Paddle
Parula
Proton
Schibsted
37signals
SkyDemon
Spotify
Threema
Uptodown
Vipps MobilePay

EU Associations
Alliance Digitale
Association Européenne des Radios (AER)
Classifieds Marketplaces Europe (CME)
Digital Content Next (DCN)
Digital Music Europe (DME)
European DIGITAL SME Alliance
European Games Developer Federation (EGDF)
European Fintech Association (EFA)
European Magazine Media Association (EMMA)
European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA)
European Publishers Council (EPC)
France Digitale
Internet Economy Foundation (IEF)
News Media Europe (NME)
Sveriges Tidskrifter
Tidningsutgivarna

The DMA Means a Better Spotify for Artists, Creators, and You

January 24, 2024

What’s one of the top complaints about Spotify? It’s actually something that until now has been outside of our control: the ability to seamlessly subscribe to and buy things through Spotify on your iPhone. Consumers have asked us for years about the dead ends, lack of information, and endless hoops to jump through just to purchase a subscription or audiobook. But beginning March 7, if you live in the European Union, that will change. With the Digital Markets Act (DMA) rolling out, your Spotify is about to become a whole lot better, and that means more opportunities for developers and creators everywhere.

For years, even in our own app, Apple had these rules where we couldn’t tell you about offers, how much something costs, or even where or how to buy it. We know, pretty nuts. The DMA means that we’ll finally be able to share details about deals, promotions, and better-value payment options in the EU. And an easier experience for you means good things for artists, authors, and creators looking to build their audiences of listeners, concert-goers, and audiobook-loving fans. What’s more? All of this can now come without the burden of a mandatory ~30% tax imposed by Apple, which is prohibited under the DMA.

For Spotify, this unleashes huge opportunities, so here’s what you can expect us to roll out starting in March:

Direct communications in the Spotify app about subscription offerings, upgrades, product prices, deals, and promotions

We’ll soon be able to give you information in the Spotify app about prices for things like Premium subscriptions and audiobooks.

And we will be able to communicate clearly with you in the Spotify app about new products for sale, promotional campaigns, superfan clubs, and upcoming events, including when items like audiobooks are going on sale.

Seamless and secure in-app payment

Soon we expect that if you want to buy a Premium subscription or an audiobook, or are looking to seamlessly upgrade from Individual to a Duo or Family plan to save money, you will be able to do so with just a couple of easy clicks.

Right now you can’t upgrade from Free to Premium in the app, and we’re not even allowed to tell you about how much our various subscriptions cost, how you can save money, or where to purchase them. That doesn’t make sense. For everyone living in the EU, this is about to change.

Purchasing an audiobook directly

You will have choices. In the growing list of markets where we offer audiobooks, for the first time you will be able to see the price of an audiobook when browsing, easily buy it, and quickly start listening.

Downloading other Spotify apps onto your iPhone

Thanks to the DMA we’re looking forward to a future of superfan clubs, alternative app stores, and giving creators the ability to safely download Spotify for Artists or Spotify for Podcasters directly from our site—and that’s just the start.

The fight continues

It should be this easy for every single Spotify customer everywhere. But if you live outside certain markets, you will continue to encounter frustrating roadblocks because of Apple’s ridiculous rules.

That’s why developers everywhere are continuing to ask other governments to pass their own laws like the DMA. Like Spotify, they want to provide the best user experience for their customers. We’ll keep fighting because freedom from gatekeepers means more choice for consumers and positive impact for artists, authors, creators and developers everywhere.

Spotify To Continue Its Service in Uruguay

December 12, 2023

We’re pleased to share that Spotify will remain available in Uruguay and will continue to give artists the opportunity to live off their art. Meanwhile millions of fans will still have the chance to enjoy and be inspired by their favorite artists.

The Uruguayan government has demonstrated that it recognizes the value Spotify provides to local artists, songwriters, and fans. The clarification to the recent changes in music copyright law means that the rightsholders—to whom Spotify already pays roughly 70% of every dollar it generates for music—should be responsible for these costs.

For our users and subscribers in Uruguay, this is what it means:

For Spotify Premium subscribers: Make sure your payment details are up-to-date here so that you continue getting the best audio experience and listening to music on demand, without interruptions and with offline listening.

For Spotify Free users: Nothing will change. You’ll be able to continue to stream your favorite artists, podcasts, and playlists.

Spotify will continue its operations in Uruguay, connecting artists with fans and supporting local industry growth.

For more information on the global streaming economy, the players, and the process, visit our website Loud & Clear.

Spotify continuará su servicio en Uruguay

December 12, 2023

Nos complace compartir que Spotify seguirá disponible en Uruguay y podrá seguir brindando a los artistas la oportunidad de vivir de su arte y a miles de millones de fans la oportunidad de disfrutar e inspirarse con su música.

El gobierno uruguayo ha demostrado que reconoce el valor que Spotify brinda a los artistas locales, compositores y fans. La aclaración de los recientes cambios en la ley de derechos de autor de la música significa que los titulares de los derechos – a quienes Spotify ya paga aproximadamente el 70% de cada dólar que genera por la música – deben asumir la responsabilidad de estos costos.

Para nuestros usuarios y suscriptores en Uruguay, esto es lo que significa:

Para los suscriptores de Spotify Premium, asegúrate de que tus datos de pago estén actualizados aquí para continuar obteniendo la mejor experiencia de audio y escuchando música a demanda, sin interrupciones y sin conexión.

Para los usuarios gratuitos, no cambia nada y podrás continuar escuchando tus artistas, podcasts y playlists favoritos.

Spotify continuará sus operaciones en Uruguay, conectando artistas con fans y apoyando el crecimiento de la industria local.

Para obtener más información sobre la economía global del streaming, los participantes y el proceso, visita nuestro sitio web Loud & Clear.

Spotify está siendo forzado a salir de Uruguay

December 1, 2023

ACTUALIZACIÓN 12/12/2023: Spotify seguirá disponible en Uruguay y continuará brindando a los artistas la oportunidad de vivir de su arte y a que millones de fans tengan la oportunidad de seguir disfrutarndo e inspirandose en sus artistas favoritos. Haz clic aquí para obtener la información más actualizada.

Desafortunadamente, Spotify comenzará a retirar gradualmente su servicio en Uruguay a partir del 1 de enero de 2024, y cesará completamente el servicio en febrero.

Recientemente, el gobierno de Uruguay aprobó la ley de Rendición de Cuentas que incluye cambios drásticos en la forma en que funciona la música en el país. Spotify ya paga cerca del 70% de cada dólar que genera de la música a las discográficas y editoras quienes representan y pagan a los artistas y compositores, y ha contribuido con más de $40 mil millones de dólares hasta la fecha. Los cambios con esta nueva ley podrían obligar a Spotify a pagar dos veces por las mismas canciones, y a menos que el gobierno aclare que las discográficas y editoras, a quienes pagamos ese ~70%, deben asumir la responsabilidad de estos costos, nuestro negocio de conectar artistas y fans será insostenible.

Queremos seguir brindando a los artistas la oportunidad de conectar con los oyentes, y a los fans la oportunidad de disfrutar e inspirarse con su música. Sin embargo, en este momento, Spotify no tiene más opción que dejar de estar disponible en Uruguay.

Esto es lo que significa la noticia de hoy para nuestros usuarios y suscriptores en Uruguay:

Dejaremos de facturarte por Spotify Premium en diciembre, y podrás disfrutar de tu último mes completo de Premium. Después de esto, pasarás a una cuenta gratuita hasta la suspensión del servicio el 1 de febrero. Puedes verificar tu fecha de facturación aquí. A partir del 28 de diciembre, no será posible crear una nueva suscripción a Spotify Premium, y después del 1 de febrero Spotify no estará disponible en Uruguay.

También estamos contactando directamente a artistas y creadores para explicarles lo que esto significa para ellos.

Para obtener más información sobre la economía global del streaming, los participantes y el proceso, visita nuestro sitio web Loud & Clear.

Holding Apple Accountable: The Future of the Internet Economy Depends On It

September 18, 2023

Five years ago, I sat in a conference room with key members of our legal team, several antitrust experts and Spotify founder & CEO, Daniel Ek. The topic at hand: Apple denied Spotify’s app update and sent a new set of restrictions that would once again further limit our ability to conduct business in its app store. After careful consideration and lots of hand wringing, we decided we’d had enough. So weeks later, we took a step that seemed almost impossible but totally necessary: fight back against one of the biggest, most powerful (and beloved) companies in the world to protect the future of the internet economy.

Of course, we did this because Apple’s practices were harming Spotify, but we also did it because we believe companies should be able to compete to the very best of their ability for the hearts and minds of consumers. And we also believe consumers should have access to all the information they need to make better, more affordable choices for them and their families. Sounds pretty reasonable to me. But sadly, these beliefs are in direct conflict with how companies, like Apple, have built their businesses to benefit their bottom lines.

This isn’t some empty warning—the world is moving faster than ever. Every day that passes without regulatory intervention, consumers continue paying too much, many developers’ dreams die on the vine under a 30% tax they can’t afford and Apple’s monopolistic roots take an even stronger hold.

Five years later, while we are finally seeing some momentum in Europe, there has not been enough progress worldwide. Apple has continued to enjoy—and profit from—the status quo while everything else in the world has seemingly advanced forward. In the absence of meaningful government action, Apple gets a free pass to do whatever it pleases and consumers are paying the price.

This is incredibly frustrating—especially when I think about how many consumers around the world are being impacted. Apple denies consumers’ ability to choose for themselves, forcing them to pay more for apps, limiting their user experience and preventing them from hearing about cheaper options.

It’s even more frustrating when you realize the actual reason Apple is doing this: to protect their own bottom line. As their product sales continue to slow, their services business becomes even more critical to their financial performance. So to defend their multi-trillion dollar monopoly, they are pouring even more resources into maintaining their stranglehold over the App Store.

We feel this acutely at Spotify. As a company that always focuses on building a simple, intuitive and seamless experience for users, Apple’s artificial constraints are stifling and we know our users deserve better.

Recently, we launched audiobooks on Spotify and we were beyond thrilled to connect authors with millions of fans. But Apple stood in the way and our engineers were forced to create a complicated, multi-step process for audiobooks that users don’t want or deserve. It was a subpar experience, that honestly, we were embarrassed to deliver but felt bullied into. (If you want to see what we wanted to deliver vs. what we had to, check it out here.)

But that’s not all. Outside of the audiobooks issue, we can’t do the following things on Apple:

Tell customers what our prices are to upgrade Premium membership options;
Let our customers request an email or other communication telling them about the ways they can save money;
Provide our customers with different payment options beyond what Apple mandates (e.g. a credit card or PayPal, etc.); or
Deliver new product enhancements or introduce new features to our customers without Apple’s explicit approval.

In many cases to get these approvals, we first have to share our proprietary strategies with Apple—our competition—and there are no restrictions on what Apple can do with that information. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer not to be forced to share sensitive business plans with our biggest competitor, giving them insights from which they can copy, learn and gain an unfair advantage. But that’s our reality as well as many other developers who also compete with Apple.

Apple also picks and chooses which app developers in the App Store have to pay them a 30% tax. Often, customers end up paying this extra cost. In contrast, Apple’s own apps don’t have to pay this tax (like Apple Music), and they come pre-installed on the iPhone so consumers see and pay for Apple’s apps first.

I am proud that Spotify has helped to give a voice to a growing coalition of app developers big and small who are impacted by this behavior. But when does the talking stop and action finally start?

Knowing that Apple is not just going to change on their own volition, regulators in Europe have taken up the mantle to intervene in Apple’s app store dominance. With the passing of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Europeans may start to feel relief soon, assuming Europe delivers effective enforcement.

In the UK, Parliament is working on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers bill (DMCC), which will similarly target dominant companies like Apple and ideally force them to compete more fairly. I am hopeful that it will have the impact consumers need and deserve.

And in the US, we also see light on the horizon with Congress poised to reintroduce the Open App Markets Act – a bill that would require Apple to stop its practices that prohibit other companies from providing options for consumers to pay in a variety of ways and letting companies like Spotify talk to customers directly. The fire has also been lit in countries like Japan, South Korea, and Brazil, which are realizing that Apple has been dictating the rules for far too long.

Someone recently asked if we could win this fight. I truly believe that regulators will make the changes needed for a better and vibrant internet. There is a lot at stake and it goes beyond music, beyond apps, beyond even the companies that exist today. This fight is about shaping the future of the internet.

This all assumes, however, that Apple will take these actions seriously and demonstrate a commitment to changing their ways and allowing for competition that they’ve long avoided. We are working closely with regulators around the world but it will take all of us to ensure real and lasting change is made.

Visit Time To Play Fair to learn more.

America Must Take the Lead in the Fight Against Tech Gatekeepers

April 19, 2023

As a Swedish entrepreneur, I’ve long admired the American marketplace, where principles like innovation, competition and initiative reign supreme. It’s home to some of the most successful companies around the world because of these factors. When I founded Spotify almost 17 years ago, I believed in many of these same principles. If you can build a better system and if you work hard enough and innovate like crazy, you might just have a real shot at changing an industry for the better – even one as long established as the music business.

But as any entrepreneur can tell you, building a business is full of twists and turns. While I expected some of these challenges, the one I didn’t anticipate is the ongoing fight for fair competition as the digital marketplace has taken shape.

Last year, Congress had an opportunity to address this very issue by passing the Open App Markets Act, a bill led by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, which aimed to rein in clear abuses by gatekeepers like Apple. Despite broad bipartisan support and overwhelming approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee, Congress did not take it up before the end of the year. Today I’m in Washington to urge the new Congress to take a leadership role and pass the Open App Markets Act to promote competition by providing basic checks on the anti-competitive behavior that’s harming both developers and consumers.

It’s not easy to decide to go head-to-head with Apple – a company that makes some of the world’s most beloved products. Yet, it’s a choice that we felt we had to make because put simply, Spotify and countless developers across the world want to be able to speak to our customers and compete fairly for their business. Apple prohibits competition by not allowing developers to discuss new products, features, and deals with their own users. For instance, Apple promotes deals for Apple Music to Spotify customers, but denies us the same privilege. What’s even more unbelievable, is that we can’t even tell our users the basics of how to sign up for a Spotify subscription or how to purchase an audiobook. This leaves customers without the ability to make informed choices about the services and pricing options available to them. And we aren’t the only ones feeling this impact. I talk to developers daily being disadvantaged by the small number of gatekeepers controlling the internet.

Left unchecked, any company doing business through an app store lives and dies at the mercy of whomever is the gatekeeper at the time. It’s like leasing retail space from one of the few landlords in town who can charge a huge rent, change any term of the lease at any moment’s notice, place its own competing store right next to yours, and then prohibit you from sharing any promotional signs or advertisements that may reveal cheaper prices to customers or any benefits that would enhance their experience in any other location.

It’s impossible to deny that the phone and tablet have become the most common gateways to the internet, and Apple played a major role in making this possible. But the internet was never built to be controlled by a small number of dominant players. Under this current system that enables gatekeepers to dictate their own self-serving terms, consumers often end up paying more. Additionally, any aspiring entrepreneur wanting to create a company not beholden to these arbitrary rules really doesn’t stand a chance.

While I am fortunate that Spotify has been successful despite Apple’s stranglehold, I know that many others aren’t so lucky. In Europe, the Digital Markets Act is a monumental step in the fight for fairness, entrepreneurship, and digital innovation. Other countries, including the UK, South Korea, and Japan, are also pursuing stricter regulations to curb the dominance of gatekeepers. But with no action here in the States, I worry that America risks falling behind, which will ultimately lead to severe consequences for innovation and consumers alike. This is especially troubling given that the United States has long played a leadership role on the global stage and has extolled the values of open competition I believe so deeply in.

This is why we’ve arrived at an inflection point with a clear choice: To fight for an open, competitive marketplace that fosters creativity and enables entrepreneurs to develop and promote their products, or to continue to allow a handful of companies to hold the keys to the internet and advantage themselves at the expense of others. I’m convinced that Congress passing the Open App Markets Act is the only real path to a fair digital future. Let us seize this pivotal moment to reshape the digital landscape, fostering a future of innovation, collaboration, and fair competition.

European Commission: Apple’s Abuses Harm Consumers

February 28, 2023

The European Commission has once again made it abundantly clear that consumers are the ultimate victims of Apple’s abusive and anticompetitive behavior—and putting a stop to it is a top priority.

Apple’s anti-steering rules, which prohibit Spotify and other developers from telling consumers about deals or promotions through their own apps, mean that users are deprived of opportunities to save money and enjoy a higher quality service. That directly harms consumers.

With each passing day, Apple continues to choke competition and smother innovation. The European Commission today is sending a clear message that Apple must play fair and let competition work. Momentum is on the side of consumers but they deserve final resolution—and soon.

Read Spotify’s Joint Letter with European Companies Calling for Meaningful Regulatory Action Against Apple

January 18, 2023

Apple’s anti-competitive behavior harms hard-working consumers and developers—and the longer we wait, the harder it will become to stop them. Today, Spotify and seven other companies and organizations in sectors including publishing, audio streaming, dating, communications, and marketplaces sent a joint letter to call for meaningful regulatory action against Apple’s long-standing anti-competitive practices in Europe.

Almost four years ago, Spotify filed a formal antitrust complaint with the European Commission because Apple’s anti-competitive behavior was stifling innovation and harming developers and consumers across Europe and around the world. Since then, little has changed. Apple has been enabled by the lack of decisive action by regulators, who continue to move hesitantly, even in the face of a groundswell of support.

The clock is ticking. It’s time for regulators to address the ever-growing chorus of complaints against Apple, a critical step in stopping Apple’s continued abuses of its powerful platform.

Read the letter here and learn more at TimeToPlayFair.com.

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.

Stream On 2023

Time to Play Fair

Spotify Loud & Clear

Spotify x FC Barcelona