Hello. Thanks for checking out the latest Spotify Newsletter.

So much news this week! It’s remarkable how many quality Spotify-related news links we’ve managed to squeeze into this new issue. And there’s even a Pablo Cruise song in the playlist! So you know it’s going to be good!

Suffice to say… what we have here is the finest weekly digest of Spotify news anywhere on earth. So thank you very very much for reading and supporting the speedy rundown week after week. I appreciate it greatly.

News time:

★ SPOTlight★

⭐️ Billboard Music Awards Teams With Spotify For Reimagined Digital Awards Show

The first-of-its-kind collaboration with Spotify is billed as a way “to bring fans up close and personal with their favorite artists.” According to the press release. “The BBMAs and Spotify have teamed up to identify fans who have consumed the most hours of music over the past year and helped drive their favorite artists to the top spots on the Billboard charts. These fans will receive a ‘golden ticket’ granting them access to attend a once-in-a-lifetime performance curated by their favorite artists, expressly for the ‘2023 Billboard Music Awards.’”

⭐️ Spotify launches hub for artists’ merch

For artists struggling to make money from streaming, merch offers a lifeline.

⭐️ Can Spotify Take Digital Audiobooks to the Next Level?

For more than a decade, digital audio has been a bright spot for publishers, growing by double-digits year over year, with digital audio revenue expected to soon surpass that of e-books. But will a new foray into the market by streaming service Spotify—with its more than 220 million premium subscribers—be the spark to take digital audio to the next level?

⭐️ Spotify’s GM of Asia Pacific, Gautam Talwar, Discusses the Music of a Rapidly Growing Region

The Asia Pacific region seems to never sleep on Spotify. From events celebrating Kalye HipHop, our flagship Pinoy hip-hop playlist, to the tenth anniversary of Spotify in Taiwan, we’ve spent a decade developing relevant products and content offerings to deepen our connection with local users. And our work is just getting started.  

⭐️ Spotify’s latest “Showcase” product and their ambitions as a two-sided marketplace

Spotify’s thinking on this is that they can capture a small portion of this industry spend, they can create a significant incremental business, continue to inch towards profitability, and ultimately increase the stock price.

⭐️ Spotify makes its latest Afrobeats move with dedicated hub

Called simply ‘Afro’ it’s partly a window for Spotify’s key playlists in and around the genre: ‘African Heat’, ‘Afropop’, ‘Motive’, ‘We Everywhere’ and ‘Essence’ are among those showcased prominently.

🗣 Podcasts 🗣

• Alex Cooper's Unwell Network Signs Ad-Sales Deal With Spotify

• Trevor Noah Weekly Podcast Series To Be Exec Produced By Ben Winston

• A Peek at New Video Podcast, ‘Hits the Spot’

▶️ Playlists ▶️

• The Point of Spotify Playlists Is Not Streams

• This Spotify Playlist Is The Perfect Soundtrack For Walking Your Dog

• Here's how to create a Spotify Blend playlist with your favourite Disney Princess

🎧 Streams 🎧

• Creed streams up 175% on Spotify following Rangers request

• Calum Scott’s ‘Dancing On My Own’ gets a billion streams on Spotify

• Bad Bunny breaks Spotify record for most-streamed album in a single day in 2023 so far

🎼 Spotify 4 Artists 🎼

• Making the Most of Your Artist Profile on Spotify

• How thuy’s Team Used Discovery Mode and Marquee to Grow Her Audience on Spotify

💡 Tips & Tricks 💡

• How to find and add friends on Spotify

• Does Spotify Stop Playing When Your Screen Is Off? How to Fix It

🤖 Spot(ai)fy 🤖

• Spotify's AI Voice Translation Pilot Means Your Favorite Podcasters Might Be Heard in Your Native Language

⚽️ Spotify FC ⚽️

• Spotify and FC Barcelona make history again: Barça kit for El Clásico to feature the Rolling Stones iconic tongue and lips logo

🖌 Design 🖌

• Spotify’s Interactive Experiences Create the Magic of Wrapped Year-Round

• How Spotify Island Is Leveling Up by Gamifying Sound

💰 Stock 💰

• Spotify Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates

🔥 News 🔥

• Spotify Invites You To Celebrate 100 Years of Disney

• With the biggest jazz album debut in Spotify history, AWAL says Laufey is bringing ‘jazz to Gen Z’

• Zach Bryan Taps Spotify’s Ticketing Pre-Sale Option for 2024 Dates

🎵 New Adventures 🎵

Good Ship Pablo Cruise Pablo Cruise

Love Will Lead You Back Taylor Dayne

Tenderness Paul Simon

Must I Paint You a Picture Billy Bragg

Me By The Sea Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

Allison Road Gin Blossoms

Baby Slow Down Angie Stone

Don't Let Go The Coat The Who

Lotus Blossom Duke Ellington

📧 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! 😀