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

Spotify’s Chartable starts sunset of advertiser tools to focus on podcast publishers, Megaphone

When Spotify acquired Chartable and Podsights last month, it was clearly stated that Chartable would be integrated with Spotify-owned hosting and monetization platform Megaphone. Today we learn of progress in that integration. Chartable is winding down its attribution work and throwing it over to former competitor Podsights. Continue Reading

Spotify starts latest “Sound Up” training contest, this one for Kids & Family shows

Spotify has announced what is, by our count, the third Sound Up program of podcast creation mentoring. This time the field is Kids & Family shows that will compete. At stake is what the company describes as “an immersive week of in-person training at our Spotify offices in Los Angeles, to be followed by a series of virtual workshops and classes, and finally production of a podcast pilot episode.” Click through for lots of detail. Continue Reading