Spotify
Spotify Premium Prices Differ Around the World—Here are the Countries Paying the Most and Least
Spotify is the most prevalent music streaming service in the world, but not everyone gets the same deal. According to a study by SavingSpot, the official blog of CashNetUSA, the price of a Spotify Premium subscription differs around the world. The study examines the monthly subscription fee for each of the 78 countries where the streaming platform is available to users and analyzes World Bank’s “Adjusted net national income per capita” data to compare the costs with the respective average national wage relative to each region. Researchers then used that data to create maps that illuminate which countries’ users are getting the best and worst value for their money. According to the study, the countries that get the best value do so not because...
Spotify Enters the Video Space with “Vodcasts”
Spotify is slowly but surely is encroaching on YouTube territory with the launch of video podcasts, or “vodcasts.” The objective behind the rollout of the new feature is to provide a more engaging experience between fans and their favorite podcasters. It should come as no surprise that visual aspects provide an enhanced sense of connection that audio sometimes cannot. Being able to see the hosts’ mannerisms and their environment opens up the opportunity to draw in a new demographic of fans who may have previously stayed away from the audio medium. Before the launch of “vodcasts,” most hosts would upload their audio to Spotify, but then migrate to YouTube to provide their listeners with the video component from that episode. Spotify is now angling to be a one-s...
Spotify and Universal Music Group Ink Licensing Deal, Expanding Label’s Role as ‘Early Adopter’ of Tools
Spotify and Universal Music Group have finalized a new and expanded multi-year global licensing agreement. As part of the arrangement, announced Wednesday (July 22), the label group deepens its role as an early adopter of Spotify’s marketing tools and other tech features that both parties hope will foster more impactful connections between fans and artists in innovative ways. “With this agreement, UMG and Spotify are more aligned than ever in our commitment to ensuring the entire music ecosystem thrives and reaches new audiences around the globe,” said Sir Lucian Grainge, UMG chairman and CEO, in a statement. “Given our commitment to innovation and early adoption of music technologies, and Spotify’s leadership in the development of forward-thinking tools, our ...
Michelle Obama To Debut New Podcast Helping Listeners Talk To Their Loved Ones
Source: Netflix / Courtesy of Netflix Michelle Obama is once again expanding her professional resume, this time she’s adding podcaster to her list of talents. At the end of the month, The Michelle Obama Podcast is scheduled to go live with the first episode on Spotify‘s platform. The first season of the show is reportedly aimed at helping listeners have open, new, and “hard conversations” with their loved ones–starting with Obama’s own family. In a special video announcement via Instagram, our forever First Lady announced her project, the first originating from streaming platform’s deal with the Obamas’ production company Higher Ground. “For this first season, I’ll be talking with some of the people most dear to me: my mom, my brother, my friends, colleagues, and many others,” Mrs. Ob...
Kevin Malone Tells the Oral History of The Office in New Podcast Series
This year marks the 15th anniversary of The Office, so what better way to celebrate than with a new podcast that explores the entire history of the beloved show? Enter An Oral History of The Office, a 12-episode series hosted by Brian Baumgartner, a.k.a. Kevin Malone, Dundler Mifflin’s resident chili expert (and klutz). Exclusive to Spotify, the podcast promises to cover everything an Office diehard could possibly dream of — from the first meetings held by co-creator Ben Silverman and UK Office creator Ricky Gervais and the unique search for cast members to the best bits and most memorable cold opens. Sweetening the chili pot for fans is Baumgartner’s list of special guests, some of whom might just be familiar: Steve Carell (Michael Scott), John Krasinski (Jim Halpert), Rainn Wilson (Dwigh...
Spotify’s Russian Push Targets New Market With Considerable Growth Potential
The streaming service has announced an expansion into 13 new markets, reaching potentially 250 million new users — if only it can sign them up. Spotify is launching its streaming service in Russia and 12 other countries in Europe, marking an important expansion that will bring the music streamer to nearly 250 million new listeners and effectively blanket Europe with the service. In addition to Russia, the 16th-largest streaming market, Spotify will push into Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Ukraine. The launch comes as the digital streamer has been expanding aggressively into new markets. It introduced the platform in India in 2019; in 14 markets in the Middle East and Africa in 2018 (inc...
Here is What the UK’s Largest Music Companies are Paying Women Compared to Men
According to a report published in Music Business Worldwide, there was a sizable wage gap between men and women in some of the largest music companies in the UK this year. In the UK, companies with over 250 employees are legally required to report their gender pay gap stats by April 4th of each year, a mandate that has been in effect since 2017. However, after reporting deadlines were interrupted by the impact of COVID-19, many UK companies were not required to file their gender pay gap stats. Two of the three largest major music companies in the UK, Sony and Warner, did file their reports, though, in addition to a litany of others, including streaming behemoth Spotify. As of April 5th, 2019, the average gender pay gap at Sony Music UK was 26.0%, and 31.5% at Warner Music UK. Spotify UK re...
Spotify Launches New Subscription Plan For Couples in U.S., 54 More Markets
Spotify has unveiled a new, cheaper premium subscription option for couples, called Premium Duo, that will be rolled out in the United States and 54 other markets today (July 1). The single plan will allow two people living at the same address to have individual premium accounts, which are also entwined through playlists like its Duo Mix of favorites from each party, for just $12.99 a month. Spotify began testing the new tier last March, piloting Premium Duo in Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Ireland and Poland. Now with its wider rollout, Duo joins Spotify’s individual plan ($9.99/month), family plan ($14.99/month for up to six accounts under one roof) and student plan ($4.99/month). [embedded content] In a blog post announcing the new tier, the company noted that a user study found that of cou...
Sony’s Music Portal Launches Two New Features for African Artists
Sony Music Entertainment Africa has just unveiled two state-of-the-art features – Real-Time Earnings and Cash-Out – that allow their artists to view and withdraw earnings faster than ever before through the Sony Music Artist Portal. In these unprecedented times where artists need immediate access to funds, the Real-Time Earnings element of the Sony Music Artist Portal is available anytime, anywhere and provides artists with immediate updates about their global earnings and account balances, while also giving them faster insights into their earnings trends. The Cash-Out element gives artists even greater control over their money by providing them with the ability to request a withdrawal of all, or part, of their payable balance, and there are no hidden fees or charges that are incurred when...
The Weeknd Donated $500K to Racial Justice Initiatives: ‘Please Give What You Can Even If It’s a Small Amount’
The R&B star also challenged major labels and streaming services to “go big and public” with their donations. The Weeknd is urging his nearly 23 million followers to follow his lead in donating to nonprofit organizations committed to racial equality. On Monday (June 1), the star detailed receipts of $500,000 in donations he split between Black Lives Matter Global Network, Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp and National Bail Out. “Keep supporting our brothers and sisters out there risking everything to push for actual change for our black lives,” he captioned the Instagram slideshow. “Urging everyone with big pockets to give and give big and if you have less please give what you can even if it’s a small amount.” In a follow-up post t...
YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Pledge Support for Blackout Tuesday
Image by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images YouTube Music, Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music have all pledged in support of Blackout Tuesday – a campaign calling for the music industry to put normal day-to-day operations on ‘pause’ and “and instead spend time reflecting on how to support the black community.” According to The Verge, this movement is “aimed at protesting police violence and racism as well as honouring George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police has sparked universal outcry and demonstrations in US cities and around the world.” The global music streaming platforms have each attempted to do just this through social media blackouts, specially dedicated and curated playlists as well as moments of silence. “June 2nd is Black Out Tuesday, a day of collective disconnect from w...
Spotify Adds 8-Minute, 46-Second Silent Track to Playlists for Blackout Tuesday
Like many others in the music industry, Spotify is partaking in Blackout Tuesday, a day intended for pause and reflection in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The streaming company has blacked out its flagship logos throughout the platform, but perhaps even more striking is the change its made to some of its playlists: Spotify has added an 8-minute, 46-second silent track in honor of George Floyd. The specific 8:46 length reflects the amount of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin held his knee down on the neck of an unresisting Floyd, even as he pleaded, “I can’t breathe.” Floyd died as a result of “asphyxiation from sustained pressure,” according to an independent autopsy report released recently. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1041504" data-att...
