Hello and welcome to the latest Spotify Newsletter - vacation edition.

I hit the beach and Spotify hits the eject button on 200 jobs.

That’s right… I’m hip deep in sunshine and sand, yet I wasn’t about to let a week pass without curating all the finest Spotify news links of this week.

And turns out there was quite a bit of news - even aside from the bummer note about the job cuts, which has led to a new podcast strategy.

As Ashley Carman stated: “It feels like the end of an era in podcasting and at Spotify.”

It’s funny … I’m the biggest Spotify evangelist, yet I’m not that immersed in the podcast side of the operation. It’s almost entirely music.

I listen to this or that podcast on Spotify occasionally, but it’s still 97% music streaming.

But that doesn't mean I’m not bummed about the job cuts, and upheaval in the podcast division.

Thanks for reading! Have a great day! Have a nice weekend!!

★In the SPOTlight★

🌴 Spotify lays off 200 employees, or about 2% of its workforce

The podcasting unit will be focusing on a more tailored partnership approach, rather than a “uniform” one, a senior executive said.

🌴 Spotify CEO Daniel Ek Salutes Australia’s ‘Explosive Growth’

For so much of the world’s population, Australia is the great southern land, down there, far away, but a new report from Spotify reveals its music market is worth a much closer look, one with a thriving streaming business that’s punching above its weight class.

️🌴 Did Spotify invent hyperpop?

If there’s any genre that can claim to be at the forefront of modern music, it is the loosely defined hyperpop.

🌴 Spotify’s AI DJ knows your musical past, and wants to shape its future

Behind the design of Spotify’s move toward ultimate personalization.

🌴 Why Spotify Is Hitting High Notes In India

Spotify has grown in India on the back of an artiste-centric approach and adapting its subscription models. Can it now earn meaningful revenue in a price-conscious market by betting on localisation and podcasts?

🗣 Podcast Action 🗣

• Spotify to Combine Parcast and Gimlet Studios in New Round of Cuts

• Jemele Hill Seeks New Home for ‘Unbothered’ Podcast As Spotify Exclusive Deal Set to End

• Spelman and Spotify partner to train underrepresented voices in the art of podcasting

🎧 The Playlist List 🎧

• Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Bad Bunny Among Spotify’s Songs of Summer Predictions

• RapCaviar Crowns Drake As the Most Streamed Rapper on Spotify

• Niall Horan Reveals His Spotify Playlist That Is Already Inspiring Album No. 4

• Spotify's Most Common 'Desert Island Discs' Playlist Songs Revealed

💡 Tips & Tricks 💡

• Convert Spotify Music for Enjoyment on-the-Go with TuneFab Spotify Music Converter

• How to Copy a Playlist on Spotify

• How to Use Spotify Blend to Create Shared Playlists with Friends

🤖 Spot(ai)fy 🤖

• This ChatGPT Powered AI Will Create You The Perfect Spotify Playlist

🖌 Design Notes 🖌

• What’s the Best Tool for Tracking Spotify Data?

• Spotify’s AI DJ: A Look on How the Platform is introducing artificial intelligence

⚽️ Spotify FC ⚽️

• Blend With FC Barcelona and See How Your Musical Tastes Compare to Your Favorite Players

💰 Spotify Stock 💰

• This Is What Whales Are Betting On Spotify Technology

🔥 Extra News 🔥

• ️From Harvard Business School to Spotify: Four Lessons in My Journey to Land My Dream Job

• Emma Chamberlain and Alex Cooper to Speak at Spotify Beach During Cannes Lions

• AI in Music Creation for Brands: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

• Charlotte Cardin Kicks Off ‘CAN You Hear Me,’ Spotify’s New Series Dedicated to Canada’s One-of-a-Kind Music Scene

🎵 New Adventures 🎵

Cool The Engines Boston

(Don't Go Back To) Rockville R.E.M.

To Be Without You Ryan Adams

House Of Cards Radiohead

Teardrops Rick James

Listen To Me Girl The Smithereens

When I Write The Book Rockpile

The Paris Match The Style Council, Tracey Thorn

I'm Sorry Hothouse Flowers

📧 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! 😀