Hello! Hello! Thanks for being here for the latest Spotify Newsletter!

Spotify released its earnings report for the first quarter of 2023 and the headline figure is the number of users the company has. As of March 31, 515 million people were using the audio streaming service.

Love it! One billion here come!

That's the first time Spotify has had more than half a billion users.

Also, Spotify is definitely going to raise prices. It’s happening. Fine by me! Worth every penny!

Music streaming is awesome. Not perfect for this and that reason. But no less awesome.

On Wednesday, Daniel Ek also chimed in about the topic du jour: AI Music.

“Those are things that we’re working with our partners on in trying to establish a position where we both allow innovation, but at the same time, protect all of the creators that we have on our platform,” said Ek yesterday.

Spotify has already jumped into the AI pool hip deep with their AI DJ, so clearly they are primed to navigate their way around this new world of music and technology.

Things are getting so hot and spicy with AI + Music + Copyright that I started yet another Substack newsletter. Because I’m nuts. But also because there’s just so much news everyday that is rapidly re-shuffling the cards of the music business — the whole music business.

AI Music Newsletter The week's must-read AI Music stories... delivered every Friday

It’s going to be awesome. Maybe not Spotify Newsletter awesome but a fun endeavour to track all the AI Music action week-to-week.

I even added an AI/Spotify section below. It has a particularly ridiculous section name, so feel free to shoot over something better.

But back to subject numero uno! Spotify!

Ya know it was down for awhile Thursday afternoon.

Once the machines take over maybe we’ll have no more issues.

Have a great weekend! 😀

★In the SPOTlight★

️⭐️ Spotify adds five million subscribers in Q1

The streaming giant now has 210 million subscribers, a year-on-year increase of 15%. The quarterly gains were ahead of Spotify’s guidance last year. The performance was led by Europe and Latin America.

⭐️ Spotify CEO says AI progress is both “really cool and scary,” may pose risk to creative industry

In its first-quarter earnings call, streaming music service Spotify talked in more detail about how AI advances are impacting its business. On the positive side, the company offered an update on the user adoption of its new AI DJ feature, which offers personalized music selections introduced by a realistic-sounding DJ voice powered by AI. But other AI advances have the potential to cause harm – including the use of AI to create music that clones the voices of existing artists without their consent, leading to copyright concerns and further complications for streamers like itself.

⭐️ Spotify CEO Daniel Ek Says Company Will Be “Very Diligent” In Assessing Further Podcast Investments As Talent Deal Renewals Loom

Speaking on the company’s first-quarter earnings call, Ek responded to a question from a Wall Street analyst wondering about the plans for potentially pricey renewals this year and next.

🗣 Podcast Action 🗣

Spotify is radio’s middleman to podcasts – but will this guarantee new listeners?

🎧 The Playlist List 🎧

Cool Playlist Covers: Perfecting The Art Of Crafting Attention-Grabbing Spotify Cover Art

Spotify collabs with Finnish artist and Finnair airline on their new music playlist

Bizarrap Racks Up 1 Billion Streams for “Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52”

💡 Tips & Tricks 💡

How to control your Spotify music from the Strava app

🤖 Spot(ai)fy 🤖

Spotify confirms it’s working with labels to quell copyright threat from AI music

Is AI Spamming Streaming Services? One ‘Song’ Appears Over 50 Times on Spotify and Elsewhere

🖌 Design Notes 🖌

Spotify May Use Tech From ‘Top Gun Maverick’ to Power AI Audio Ads: Vaughn

Load Testing for 2022 Wrapped

Want to Impress Wall Street? Just Add Some AI

💰 Spotify Stock 💰

Spotify ‘represents a great portfolio of products,’ strategist says

🔥 Extra News 🔥

Netflix is launching a password-sharing crackdown in the next few weeks in the US. Could Spotify follow?

Spotify and Twitter lead the way in digital collection revolution

Spotify is market leader for paid subscriber use in India

The Drum | What Does Broadcast-to-podcast Tech Mean For Audio Advertising?

Spotify Hosts Summits in Germany To Bring Creators and Industry Professionals Together

AI-Generated Music Is About to Flood Streaming Platforms

🎵 New Adventures 🎵

Never Been To Spain - Single Version Three Dog Night

Strollin' Prince, The New Power Generation

San Francisco Days Chris Isaak

Don't Look Back In Anger Ryan Adams

The Bends Radiohead

Hold On En Vogue

I Wish I Was The Avett Brothers

Harry Belafonte - the King of Calypso, who became a major voice in America's civil rights movement, died on Tuesday aged 96. His discography is wonderful and always worth a deep dive.

Memphis Tennessee Harry Belafonte

Missouri Birds Harry Belafonte

Louise Harry Belafonte

Mango, Coconut, Sugar Cane Harry Belafonte

📧 Get in touch 📧

If you have a question, idea, request, or simply a desire to chat about Spotify, please email me at jeff.spotifynewsletter@gmail.com.

😀 Have a Nice Weekend! 😀