Tag: top stories

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.

From Country Nostalgia to Podcast Partnerships, These Are Our Favorite 2021 ‘For the Record’ Moments

December 16, 2021

From fantastic new music and podcasts to product releases and exciting partnerships, 2021 was packed with high notes—and For the Record was there to cover it all. As we wrap for the year, here are some of the For the Record stories and Spotify moments that resonated with our readers and us.

January signaled emerging trends and artists.

We kicked off the year by exploring emerging music trends and artists. Brazil’s genreless playlist creme, which pulls together the diverse sounds of urbano music, set the tone for a year of genre experimentation. Atlanta-based rapper Flo Milli helped launch another year of Spotify’s global emerging-artist program, RADAR. Check out the U.S. RADAR artist’s advice for other aspiring female rappers.

February brought the streaming power.

Spotify leaders gathered in February for the livestream event Stream On, where we explored the power of audio and the opportunities ahead for millions of creators and billions of fans around the world. Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek also announced Spotify’s sweeping expansion to more than a billion people in 80+ new markets around the world. It’s all part of an ongoing commitment to building a truly borderless audio ecosystem that connects creators, listeners, and content.

March mixed it up.

This month we introduced a new family of personalized playlists: Spotify Mixes. We added three newcomers—artist mix, genre mix, and decade mix—that represent the next generation of the platform’s focused, personalized offerings. Check them out in the Made for You hub.

April called for amplification.

On the heels of International Women’s Day, Spotify announced a new global music program designed to turn up the volume on women. Enter EQUAL. Since then, we’ve spoken with impactful women artists around the world like Lido Pimienta and STAYC and reached a six-month milestone. And to highlight one of the fastest-growing music markets in the world, the Spotify: For the Record podcast (now Spotify: Discover This) explored the diverse beats in African music on “Afropop to Amapiano: African Music Ignites.”

May refreshed and flourished.

In May, we launched Spotify’s Fresh Finds program, which focuses on supporting independent artists. Within a few short months, Spotify’s inaugural class of artists had gained over 6 million first-time listeners and had welcomed four more fresh voices to the program. For the Record also took a closer look at a fresh trend and explored the flourishing collection of plant playlists after finding that streams of Spotify playlist Music for Plants had increased by nearly 1,400%.

June buzzed.

Readers were quick to hit the “like” button when American rapper Saweetie was in the hot seat defining hyphy slang on our podcast episode “Celebrating Local Genres: Chopped & Screwed, Go-Go, and Hyphy.”

And fan-favorite podcast Call Her Daddy made things exclusive with Spotify. The buzzy show was the latest addition to Spotify’s ongoing partnerships with beloved entertainment brands like Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert and Bad Robot. Plus, our Only You in-app experience gave listeners a fun-filled, shareable data moment midway through the year. Take a look back at the campaign and the personalized playlists still waiting for you on Spotify.

July jammed out.

Dance and dance music fans, this month was for you. SB19, a group leading the Philippine-style pop movement “P-pop,” chatted with us about their latest EP, Pagsibol, and their creative process. Plus, Spotify’s global team of dance music editors shared the big genre trends on their radars.

August was a friend blend.

In August, two playlists became one as friends and loved ones tapped into the new Blend personalized experience. In case you missed it, two listeners can now merge their musical tastes into one shared playlist created just for them, making it even easier to connect, discover, and bond. Speaking of friendship, members of the Gossip Girl team came together to discuss the sounds and tracks featured on the show—and to spill a few secrets.

September leaned into nostalgia.

Two musical blasts from the past swept through For the Record as we looked back at the ’80s and ’90s. Swedish pop sensation ABBA had listeners around the world crying “Gimme!” when they announced the release of their first new album since 1981. And in celebration of Gen Z’s nostalgic listening, Spotify launched a campaign highlighting the staying power of our country catalog. It’s not too late to take part in the ’90s Country Digital Experience.

October welcomed new growth.

Did you catch Spotify: For the Record’s news? After a year of audio adventures in storytelling, we grew our slate of company news podcasts from one to three. Now our audiences can tune into Spotify: For the Record, Spotify: Mic Check, and Spotify: Discover This for episodes tailored to their interests. Keep your ear to the ground and stream all three.

November shared news you can use.

This month brought a few long-awaited moments to listeners around the world, starting with our redesigned For the Record newsroom. The site debuted with a sleeker, more interactive design and remains a hub for Spotify’s latest and greatest news, podcasts, resources, and more.

Spanish speakers heralded the season two arrival of Caso 63, a Spotify Original podcast that’s setting new records as it draws a growing global audience.

And, sing it with us—lyrics became available on a Spotify for the majority of our extensive library of tracks. Fans can even share a favorite line with friends on social media.

December wrapped with a bang.

That’s a wrap! Spotify 2021 Wrapped, that is. Creators, listeners, and audio enthusiasts around the world joined us in celebrating the large role audio played in the lives of our listeners and creators this year. From unveiling what the world streamed most to marking the fifth anniversary of Artists Wrapped, this was a favorite moment across the Spotify community. For a behind-the-scenes look at how Spotify brought this year’s event to life, listen to “2021: That’s a Wrap!” on Spotify: For the Record.

No matter how you connected with Spotify this year, we’re grateful to have been part of your story. We can’t wait to see the audio innovation 2022 brings and keep sharing it with our For the Record community.

For the Record’s 2020 ‘Year in Review’

December 17, 2020

2020 was an unprecedented and challenging year. It was also one that inspired curiosity and creativity—both of which were reflected in the songs and podcasts listeners streamed, the new ways creators connected with fans, and in the For the Record stories that resonated with readers the most. 

So we’re taking a look back on a year of For the Record to highlight the Spotify moments and stories that have meant the most to us—and you. 

This year, we…

Unveiled the pawfect playlist for you and your pet.

It’s hard to put into words the emotions pets give us—other than pure happiness. So it’s only natural that we want to make them feel good, too, and many pet owners believe they do exactly that with music. In a study on how pet owners use music with their pets, we found that 71% of pet owners play music for their pets, and that’s not all we learned. Check out the rest of the furry (read: fun) facts or make your very own Pet Playlist.

Connected listeners to each other and to creators with new app functionality like Group Session Beta and Video Podcasts.

After unveiling the Group Session Beta in May, we then took it one step further in July with brand-new functionality allowing Spotify Premium users around the world to tune into the same playlist or podcast simultaneously. So no matter the distance, you and the members of your squad can now each listen to the same content at the same time on your own devices—as well as control playback. Learn how. 

We also unveiled the first version of our new video podcast feature with select podcasts. Now listeners in all markets where podcasts are supported will be able to listen to or watch those podcasts as the feature rolls out, allowing select creators to bring both audio and video content to Spotify. You can now even watch video podcasts on select Android TV devices, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Nest Hub devices. 

Launched in Russia, Croatia, Ukraine, and 10 Other European markets.

Our latest expansion in Europe brought the total number of markets with Spotify to 92 and marked the embrace of streaming in the region. Now, listeners in Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Ukraine can enjoy a listening experience that includes 60 million tracks, 4 billion playlists, and localized music personalization features. Check out some of the features that listeners can look forward to.

Announced new audio content from popular storytellers.

In 2019, we announced our intention to be an Audio-First company. 2020 saw plenty of new podcast content to further deliver on that commitment. This summer, First Lady Michelle Obama joined the ranks of Spotify storytellers with The Michelle Obama Podcast from Higher Ground and Spotify. This fall, The Joe Rogan Experience became an exclusive Spotify podcast through a new partnership. Most recently, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced a partnership with Spotify through their new production company, Archewell Audio. With over 1.9 million (and growing) podcast titles, there’s something for everyone.

Stood with the Black community in the fight against racism and injustice.

On June 2, we used the power of our platform to stand with Black creators, amplify their voices, and accelerate meaningful conversation and long-needed change. We committed to supporting our employees, friends, partners, artists, and creators in the fight against racism, injustice, and inequity. Over this year and into the next, our support will continue to evolve, and we hope that our initial steps and actions will help push conversations forward, promote deeper allyship, and usher in positive and lasting changes.

Explained how to customize and share your Spotify profile and playlists.

You already know that the music and podcasts you listen to serve as an incredible reflection of your interests and tastes. But did you know that you can customize your Spotify profile to match? Whether you’re streaming from your desktop or mobile, now you can update everything from your photo to your username and create a personalized music page unique to you. Speaking of customization, we also enabled the ability to upload custom covers and descriptions to your homemade playlists using your phone, just in time for gift-giving season.

Wrapped it all up. 

This year’s Wrapped was unlike any other. Alongside our annual naming of the most-streamed artists, songs, albums, and podcasts of the year, we also unveiled 6 new features in the 2020 Wrapped user experience, as well as 3 tips and tricks giving listeners new ways to hear and share their results. We even announced what kids and families have been listening to on the Spotify Kids app. Finally, we gave Spotify: For the Record podcast fans a behind-the-scenes listen to the convo where Bad Bunny learned he was the top-streamed artist of the year. 

2020 held unique challenges, but through it all, Spotify was a source for entertainment, comfort, education, and community—and For the Record was here to document it. We can’t wait to see what 2021 brings. 

Want more behind-the-scenes moments and stories? Follow the Spotify: For the Record podcast.