RAIN Notes: Wednesday, April 17
— All The Ears (Spotify)
— The More Things Change… (MIDiA Research)
— Crossing Borders (Acast)
Spotify
Podcasts on Substack? $100M worth, and Substack is promoting the features
“Podcasts and video shows are surging on the platform,” Substack asserts in a promotional post which seeks to reset the common perception of the platform as a distributor of written articles. There is a business rationale behind the pitch, which positions Substack as an added revenue source — subscriptions — to podcasting’s traditional advertising model. Continue Reading
Spotify extends AI playlisting with, well, “AI Playlist”
Whether or not because of recent staff layoffs, Spotify is leaning less on human-powered playlist creation, and more on AI. The latest innovation is “AI Playlist,” a playlist creative algorithm which takes descriptive prompts from the listener to build unique and personalized playlists. UK and Australia only for now. Continue Reading
Spotify launches “Podcast Streams,” a listener targeting program for podcasters at all levels
Spotify is splashing a new product in the company’s self-serve advertising manager. Called Podcast Streams, it is open to podcasters and podcast companies of all levels. Click for details. Continue Reading
Neil Young plans Spotify return, as the reason for it (Joe Rogan) becomes inescapable
A high-profile boycott of Spotify will end soon. Neil Young, who made a noisy exit from the streaming service a little over two years ago. will go back. It’s all because of Joe Rogan and the distribution changes to Rogan’s podcast. Click for our original coverage, and today’s update. Continue Reading
Spotify to hike subscription rates in France in dispute with a targeted tax hike
In what seems like a protest action in addition to a logical finance decision, Spotify will raise its subscription rate in France to compensate for a new tax levied by the French government. A public blog post which is both aggressive and defensive makes a case for the streaming giant. “Se simply can’t absorb any additional taxes.” Spotify also disputes whether taxed revenue in France gets where it is supposed to go — assisting artists. Continue Reading
Spotify’s new “AUX” connects advertisers with musicians for in-concert and on-platform holistic partnerships
Spotify’s new AUX program is interestingly conceived to connect advertisers to targeted successful musicians for partnerships that benefit both the artist, who receives brand-name sponsorship, and the advertiser which gains access to the artist’s targeted audience. Naturally, artists selected for this program have substantial popularity and reach. Coca-Cola is the launch partner for this innovative marketing experiment, and the first artist to be involved is Peggy Gou. Click for much more info. Continue Reading
Spotify Q1: Exceeding expectations
“We had our strongest Q1 since going public in 2018, with nearly all our KPIs surpassing expectations.” With an ebullient tone, Spotify released its Q1 earnings, flush with upward-moving numbers. Click for details, charts, and graphs. Continue Reading
European Parliament wants revision of streaming royalty calculations to favor “less popular” music
The European Parliament, a 705-member body which works with the European Union to consider and create legislation, has issued a statement regarding artist payment by streaming music platforms. This week the EP called for new EU rules regulating a “fair and sustainable” streaming sector, and cultural diversity. In short, the European Parliament wants streaming royalty calculations to be revised to favor “less popular” music. Continue Reading
Warner Bros. Discovery chooses Spotify for podcast distro and sales
In a joint announcement this morning, Spotify and media giant Warner Bros. announced a distribution and sales agreement which will see podcasts in the Warner Bros Discovery unit hosted and monetized in Spotify’s technology and sales systems. The agreement includes shows in over two dozen media brands owned by Discovery, including CNN and HBO. Continue Reading
Paul Vogel to exit Spotify; search for new CFO begins
Spotify’s well known Chief Financial Officer, Paul Vogel, will leave the company in April. A search for his replacement is underway as of now. All this in a straightforward announcement. It will be a fairly short tenure for Vogel, who… Continue Reading
Spotify latest layoff sweep: 1,500 employees, 17% of staff, public memo
In an internal memo also posted publicly, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced the company’s third layoff sweep of 2023. Seventeen percent of the company — about 1,500 employees — will receive severance packages. Click through for detailed coverage, quotes, severence package details, and SPOT stock activity. Continue Reading