NPR podcasts are now part of Spotify’s SPAN marketplace, keeping the distinctive NPR promo sound

In an announcement timed  to coincide with last week’s Podcast Movement Evolutions conference, NPR has joined the Spotify Audience Network (SPAN), adding one of the world’s most listened-to catalogs to the streaming giant’s podcast monetization platform. It is the first time NPR has gone beyond its direct-sold advertising to work with a partner. Spotify will monetize unsold inventory, NPR told RAIN, and retain NPR’s trademark sponsorship sound. Click for more detail. Continue Reading

Podcast Movement Evolutions: Awards, announcements, and hard-core learnings in Vegas

Podcast Movement Evolutions, the business-oriented variation of the creator-focused Podcast Movement conferences, was held at the Westgate Conference Center in Las Vegas this week. A somewhat more intimate experience than Podcast Movement, Evolutions offered several knowledge tracks featuring keynotes, interviews, and panel discussions along with numerous networking opportunities during three and a half days. There were announcements, too. Continue Reading

Spotify adds AI-powered DJ to music listening

If broadcast radio felt disgruntled by on-demand listening apps before, now there is a new offense: Spotify has introduced a DJ feature which uses a synthetic voice to create a radio-like presentation of the user’s saved music. It is called AI DJ, and the tool uses generative artificial intelligence to intro and extro a mix of tracks from the user’s library. Click for a launch video. Continue Reading

Spotify earnings message: “Speed plus efficiency”

Spotify was ready for investor questions about the recent reorg. The company’s remarks emphasized a shift from previous spending to future operational efficiency. This core message was connected to every aspect of the product, with some emphasis on podcasting (thanks to relentless investor questioning about the podcast business) and especially the recent departure of Dawn Ostroff, who ran the podcast business. Click for quotes. Continue Reading

Spotify’s “Loud&Clear” portal evangelizes value to musicians

Spotify has dropped an interactive graphic website which presents statistics promoting Spotify’s value (and the value of streaming music generally) to musicians at many levels. Up top, Spotify notes that it has paid over $30-billion in royalties to the music industry as a whole, including $7-billion last year. Following that is an interactive card deck, called Top 10 Takeaways,” which highlights selected payout metrics. And there is much more. Click for illustrations and a link. Continue Reading