After sparking a storm of speculation earlier this year, Spotify may indeed be moving forward with its plan for and IPO-less IPO. The streaming company has reportedly hired Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and Allen & Co to advise it on pursuing a public listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Continue Reading
Spotify has added a new option for how its users can share music from across the platform with their friends. The feature is called Spotify Codes, and they are akin to QR codes. Point your phone at one of the codes, take a picture, and you’ll unlock information on your own device. Continue Reading
Spotify has entered into a partnership with Capital One that will offer discounted music subscriptions to customers of both businesses. Under this collaboration, users who sign up for Spotify with a Capital One Quicksilver card will get a 50% credit rebate. The promotion applies to the full $9.99 a month tier as well as the student and family plans. Continue Reading
Spotify is reportedly making plans to lease a new office space in London. The company is in advanced negotiations for a 60,000 square foot space, three times the size of its current office in the UK. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it has hired Olivia Regnier as its legal director of EU regulatory affairs. Regnier joins Spotify on May 8 after two decades with the IFPI, most recently as director of the trade body’s European Regional Office. Continue Reading
Spotify announced that it has acquired Mediachain Labs. The company specializes in blockchain research and open source protocols for data management. Mediachain employees will join Spotify’s New York City team. Continue Reading
Recent job postings for Spotify imply that the company, long known for its music streaming platform, may be planning to move into hardware. Spotify is hiring a senior product manager of hardware and a product manager of voice. Continue Reading
Independent label group and digital rights agency Merlin has signed a multi-year agreement with Spotify that will allow its artists to gate their albums to only paid subscribers. The new deal continues the existing relationship between Merlin and Spotify and marks another big development in the streaming platform’s label relationships. Continue Reading
Social media juggernaut Facebook is making some updates to its Messenger app, including an upcoming collaboration with Apple Music. The deal was announced at the company’s F8 conference, although few specifics were shared. Continue Reading
Spotify Fan Insights is exiting beta. The service has been renamed as Spotify for Artists. It still offers a central location for audience insights, song data, artist profile management, and support. Continue Reading
Spotify is expanding its “branded moments” ad units. This product allows a company to sponsor an ad-free listening option. The new targeting feature allows brands to focus their moment to a specific time of day. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: The secret to free music is Internet radio. “Streaming Needs to Get a Lot Easier for Consumers.” Breaking up via Spotify playlist. Continue Reading