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Dawn Ostroff is departing Spotify as the company’s head of content and advertising amid cutbacks affecting 6% of the company’s workforce.

Spotify blew past subscriber, user and revenue forecasts for the September quarter and said it will explore a U.S. price increase after recent moves by Apple and YouTube.

Netflix miniseries The Playlist have heaped praise on the series.The six-episode docu-drama, which was released on the streaming site last week, charts the rise of Spotify in a “fictionalised” account, following co-founder Daniel Ek and the idea to start a music streaming platform amid piracy in the music industry.“I’m convinced that The Playlist on @netflix is the best original I have seen on the platform in a while,” wrote one viewer on Twitter.Another said: “Don’t sleep on #ThePlaylist on @netflix. It is honestly one of the best limited series I have watched in a long time and gives you a great insight into the workings of the music industry and streaming business.”“THE PLAYLIST on Netflix — a dramatisation of the founding of Spotify — is pretty great.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify disclosed that it paid about $119 million in cash for audiobook distributor Findaway when the deal closed last month — representing its entry into the category dominated today by Amazon’s Audible.The company paid €117 million ($118.8 million) in cash for Findaway, Spotify revealed in an SEC filing Wednesday, after reporting better-than-expected Q2 results. Of that amount, 71% (€83 million) was accounted for as goodwill, which is the estimated value of an asset based on the established reputation of a business.In addition, Spotify agreed to additional cash payments of €13 million ($13.2 million), which are contingent on the continued employment of certain Findaway employees.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek says the “dire macro environment” of inflation and other headwinds has not slowed the company’s momentum.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify turned in strong numbers for the second quarter, beating expectations for total and paid subscriber adds and reporting 23% revenue growth.Monthly active users grew 19% to 433 million, a net gain of 19 million in Q2 and 5 million above guidance — Spotify’s largest ever Q2 growth. The company attributed the gains to reactivations in Europe and “Gen Z strength in Latin America.”Spotify’s Premium Subscribers grew 14% to 188 million, topping its guidance by 6 million, “aided by promotional intake and household plans,” the company said in announcing results.Click here to sign up for Variety’s free Strictly Business newsletter covering earnings, financial news, and more.Total revenue was €2.9 billion, up 23%, and ad-supported revenue jumped 31% to €360 million, reaching an all-time high as a percentage of total revenue at 13%.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify announced that it has closed the deal to buy audiobook distributor Findaway, touting the potential to expand beyond music and podcasts into the “substantial market opportunity” for audiobooks.The audio streamer has not disclosed the financial terms of the Findaway deal, announced in November. Originally, Spotify had expected the acquisition, which was pending regulatory clearances, to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.In the audiobook space, “just as we’ve done in podcasting, expect us to play to win,” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said last week at the company’s 2022 investor day.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify is reducing its hiring forecast by 25% amid broader economic uncertainty, according to a companywide memo sent by chief exec Daniel Ek on Wednesday.Spotify will “reduce hiring growth by 25%,” according to Ek’s memo. The email also said that the company will “continue to still hire and grow” but that “we are just going to slow that pace and be a bit more prudent with the absolute level of new hires over the next few quarters.”As of the end of March, Spotify said it had 8,230 full-time employees globally.At the streamer’s 2022 investor day event last week, Spotify CFO Paul Vogel said that, amid macroeconomic headwinds like inflation, the company was evaluating its headcount growth in the “near term.” “We are clearly aware of the increasing uncertainty regarding the global economy,” Vogel said.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify has created an 18-member council to advise the company on policies addressing harmful content on the audio platform “while making sure we respect creator expression.”The move comes after a backlash earlier this year against Spotify and Joe Rogan, host of the No. 1 podcast on the service, over accusations that “The Joe Rogan Experience” spread COVID misinformation.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify disclosed some key financial metrics of its podcast business for the first time — and while the $1 billion-plus the streamer has invested into podcasting so far has been a drag on overall profits, the company expects podcasts to eventually have a better margin profile than its core music biz.The company outlined its long-term strategy and financial prospects at its 2022 Investor Day event Tuesday.In 2021, Spotify’s podcast business generated nearly €200 million in revenue, according to CFO Paul Vogel — up 300% year over year. About 30% of Spotify’s user base, or more than 125 million monthly users, listened to podcasts in the first quarter of 2022, representing 7% of total listening hours on the platform in the period.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicSpotify has revealed its performance and panel lineup for this year’s Cannes Lions Festival, taking place Monday, June 20 to Thursday, June 23.Back for an encore is Spotify Beach, which will make its home on the Croisette daily from dusk till dawn.Performances take place each night and will feature Kendrick Lamar, DJ Pee .Wee, aka Anderson .Paak, Kaytranada, the Black Keys and Post Malone, plus an as-yet-unannounced artist.DJ Henrie, the co-host of the Spotify Original Who We Be podcast, will be spinning as Spotify’s ‘House DJ’ throughout the week.Elsewhere on Spotify’s Lions agenda, founder and CEO Daniel Ek will sit for a talk on the future of media, creators and fandom, moderated by Sara Fischer of Axios.

In the wake of last month’s news of Courtney Holt’s exit from Spotify, the company has made several moves in its exec structure as it continues to expand in podcasting and creator-driven content.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSpotify CEO Daniel Ek revealed that he is putting his money where his mouth is, releasing a Twitter message announcing that he will invest $50 million in the music streaming company.“I’ve always been vocal about my strong belief in Spotify and what we are building. So I am putting that belief into action this week by investing $50M in $SPOT.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify shares closed down 12.4% Wednesday — hitting their lowest point in the company’s history as a public company — after the audio streamer’s paid-subscriber numbers disappointed investors. The chief concern pushing the stock down seemed to be that Spotify may be on the same trajectory as Netflix in hitting a wall in subscriber growth.The stock ended the day at $96.67 per share, giving Spotify a market capitalization of less than $19 billion.

Spotify said it is not experiencing any negative effects from blowback over podcast hosts like Joe Rogan, with the company’s first-quarter results exceeding Wall Street forecasts.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCourtney Holt, a top executive in Spotify’s podcasting business and a four-year veteran of the company, is leaving the streaming giant, a source close to the situation has confirmed to Variety. The source said that Holt’s departure was his decision and is amicable, and that he will stay on as an advisor to the company for the next several months at least.

Spotify is facing renewed criticism from US Congress over its Discovery Mode feature, which allows artists to receive additional exposure for a reduced royalty rate.Three Congress members – Yvette D. Clarke, Judy Chu and Tony Cardenas, who represent the Congressional Caucus on Multicultural Media, have sent a letter to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek criticising the feature.In exchange for a boost in visibility, artists and their labels agree to receive a “promotional” royalty rate on those streams, believed to be lower than the standard rate through the feature, which was announced in November 2020.Highlighting this issue, the letter said via Variety: “Choosing to accept reduced royalty payments is a serious risk for musicians, who would only benefit if Discovery Mode yields more total streams for an artist across their entire catalogue, not just the track covered by the program.”“And if two competing artists both enroll their newest track in the program, any benefit could be cancelled out, meaning that the only profit goes to your company’s bottom line.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThree members of Congress have written to Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek, criticizing him over the company’s policy of promoting an artist’s music on its Discovery Mode platform in exchange for a reduced royalty rate. Among other notes, the letter requests that Spotify label such as paid content; the company announced the policy, which has come under heavy criticism, in 2020.The letter, written on official Congress stationary and obtained by Variety, is dated March 26, 2022 and signed by Reps.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOne might think that, just weeks after his company scraped through the biggest crisis of its existence — its stubborn defense of giving a gigantic international platform, not to mention more than $200 million, to Joe Rogan and his destructive, malignant opinions — Spotify’s Daniel Ek might exercise a little caution and humility.One might think that, after paying millions to Capitol Hill lobbyists in an ongoing battle to pay less to songwriters — the very foundation of his company’s existence — than the Copyright Royalty Board decreed it should pay, he wouldn’t spend even more millions on something as flashy and business-uncritical as sponsorship of a soccer team, especially with Russian bombs killing hundreds of Ukrainian civilians every day. But one would be wrong.

Spotify has agreed to change its rules on playlists following the release of a 1000-track protest album by cult indie band The Pocket Gods, which railed against the streaming platform’s payment rates.Spotify has been accused of paying artists as little as £0.002 for each stream on its service, with royalties only being activated if a song is listened to for at least 30 seconds.A 2015 i article on the economics of streaming then influenced The Pocket Gods to release ‘1000×30 – Nobody Makes Money Anymore’ on Spotify on February 8, with each of the record’s 1000 tracks clocking in at around the 30-second mark.“I saw the [2015] article and it made me think, ‘Why write longer songs when we get paid little enough for just 30 seconds?’” frontman Mark Christopher Lee told i earlier this month.The stunt by the St Albans band, which has seen their protest album clock up nearly 600,000 total streams, has now drawn a response from Spotify, with founder Daniel Ek reportedly reaching out to Lee to set up a meeting between The Pocket Gods and Spotify’s head of artist relations.“Spotify said we’re ahead of the curve as shorter songs are the future – just look at TikTok,” Lee told i in a new interview. “They said that I can pitch 30 second tracks to their playlists [drivers of chart hits] for consideration – I wasn’t able to do this previously as the songs were considered too short.“So next week I’m releasing a 30-second single called ‘Noel Gallagher Is Jealous Of My Studio’.”Lee added that he was told that pay rates to songwriters would increase when Spotify rolls out an increase in its subscription price, which is currently priced at £9.99 for premium users.

Like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and India Arie, Ava DuVernay’s Array is no longer doing business with Spotify.

Like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and India Arie, Ava DuVernay’s Array is no longer doing business with Spotify.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify’s deal with Joe Rogan, the popular podcast host who has attracted a swarm of controversy in recent weeks, is worth more than $200 million, according to a new report by the New York Times.Citing anonymous sources, the Times reported that “the true value” of the deal negotiated between Spotify and Rogan — spanning three and a half years — was “at least $200 million, with the possibility of more.” Previously, the pact had been said to be worth more than $100 million, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal.Spotify did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Over the past month, Rogan has faced a backlash from Spotify users and artists over his use of the N-word in past episodes of his podcast and accusations that Rogan’s show has spread COVID misinformation. On the Feb.

Spotify-exclusive podcast The Joe Rogan Experience this week, both on-stage and during an episode of the podcast itself.Rogan’s podcast recently prompted protest from the likes of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash and Nils Lofgren, with the musicians pulling their catalogues from the streaming platform.Young sparked the exodus late last month, when he requested his music be taken off Spotify, citing the platform “spreading false information about vaccines” and specifically targeting Rogan.It came after hundreds of scientists and medical professionals asked Spotify to address COVID misinformation on its platform, sparked by comments made on Rogan’s podcast – calling the host’s actions “not only objectionable and offensive but also medically and culturally dangerous”.In response, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said that, while the platform wouldn’t be severing ties with the controversial figure, they would be adding content advisories to podcast episodes which discussed COVID-19, directing users to their dedicated information hub.Rogan himself addressed the boycott on Instagram, telling fans: “I don’t always get it right. I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people perspectives so we can maybe find a better point of view.”Shortly after, Rogan found himself embroiled in controversy again when songwriter India.Arie shared a video that compiled instances the podcast host had used the N-word on his podcast.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorJoe Rogan weighed in again on the controversy over his repeated use of the N-word on his podcast — and Spotify’s removal of 70 past episodes because of “racially insensitive language” — and played the victim card.Last Friday, Spotify pulled 70 past episodes “The Joe Rogan Experience” from its platform, which the streamer said it did at the request of Rogan and his team. That came after singer India Arie last week said she was pulling her music and podcasts off Spotify, citing Rogan’s “language around race”; she reposted a video on Instagram compiling 24 times Rogan used the N-word on his podcast, and the clip soon went viral.Rogan addressed the situation in Tuesday’s episode of his podcast.

NEW YORK -- Not satisfied with urging fellow musicians to leave Spotify, Neil Young wants the company's employees to jump ship, too.In a message posted on his website Monday, Young said to Spotify employees that company CEO Daniel Ek is a bigger problem than Joe Rogan, who has stirred outcry over vaccine skepticism and his past use of racial slurs on his podcast.“Ek pulls the strings,” Young said. “Get out of that place before it eats up your soul.

Spotify and FC Barcelona are reportedly close to agreeing a sponsorship deal, according to a radio station based in the Spanish city.The football club announced back in September that it has debts of more than £1billion, and they are said to now be in talks with the streaming service over a £237million deal.The purported three-year deal would see Spotify’s name appear on the shirts of both the men’s and women’s teams, and their training kits. It would also be prefixed to the football giant’s stadium name, which would then be known as the Spotify Nou Camp.As well as reports from the radio station RACI (via The Times), a Catalan journalist has also shared a photo online of executives from Spotify meeting with Juli Guiu, FC Barcelona’s vice president of marketing, at the stadium.If the deal is closed successfully, it could make for some positive news for the streaming platform, which has been embroiled in controversy recently surrounding its exclusive The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.Rogan was called out for spreading “misinformation” about the COVID-19 vaccine on the show, while clips later resurfaced online of him using racial slurs and making racist comments on the programme.

Spotify over their alleged support of vaccine misinformation, Neil Young has encouraged workers at Spotify – as well as fellow musicians – to step away from the streaming giant.“In our communication age, misinformation is the problem,” he wrote in a statement to his website yesterday (February 7). “Ditch the misinformers. Find a good clean place to support with your monthly checks.

In his latest salvo against Spotify, rocker Neil Young is urging musicians, creators and even employees to abandon the streaming service, telling Spotify workers to “get out of that place before it eats up your soul.”

Zack Sharf Neil Young has urged Spotify employees to quit the company in the wake of the fallout involving Joe Rogan, which has spiraled from the podcaster’s use of his platform to air Covid-19 misinformation to his earlier, frequent use of a racial slur on his show. Young is now targeting Spotify CEO Daniel Ek as the company’s chief problem.“To the musicians and creators in this world, I say this: You must be able to find a better place than Spotify to be the home of your art,” Young wrote in a post on his Neil Young Archives site.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has moved to condemn comedian and podcast host Joe Rogan after another week of controversy. Over the weekend video clips of Rogan repeatedly using racial slurs, and laughing when white guests did the same, went viral.

Spotify boss Daniel Ek has sent a letter to company staff saying he “strongly condemns” Joe Rogan’s use of racial slurs, but that removing his podcast is “not the answer”.It comes after the streaming service reportedly removed 70 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience that see the comedian using racist slurs.Last week (February 4) India.Aria shared a compilation of clips that featured Rogan using the N-word repeatedly and describing a Black neighbourhood as being similar to the Planet Of The Apes movie.Rogan has since apologised, telling his Instagram followers. “There’s been a lot of shit from the old episodes of the podcast that I wish I hadn’t said, or had said differently.

CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including the controversy sparked by a company called HitPiece after it appeared to be selling NFTs related to a plethora of musicians without permission, plus accusations by Lil Yachty that another music-focussed NFT Company, Opulous, used his name and brand as part of its launch communications, even though – he claims – he had not agreed to get involved in the venture.SECTION TIMES01: HitPiece (00:08:37)02: Lil Yachty (00:20:55)(Timings may be slightly different due to adverts)SUBSCRIBE TO SETLISTListen to Setlist and sign up to receive new episodes for free automatically each week through any of these services…Acast | Amazon Music | Apple Podcasts | audioBoom | CastBox | Deezer | Google Podcasts | iHeart | Mixcloud | RSS | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneInSTORIES DISCUSSED THIS WEEK• Artists and labels hit out at unofficial NFTs site that allows people to “own a song”• Lil Yachty sues music NFT start-up Opulous for trademark infringement• Opulous says Lil Yachty lawsuit is “meritless”ALSO MENTIONED• Joe Rogan and Daniel Ek commit to beefed up and more transparent content polices in response to Neil Young boycott• Spotify science podcaster hits out at Spotify’s response to Rogan backlash• Spotify boycott grows as Young v Rogan fallout continuesMORE FROM CMU• Upcoming CMU webinars• Buy MMF and CMU Insights’ Dissecting The Digital Dollar book on Amazon• Sign up to receive the CMU Daily news bulletin

Battling criticism for hosting The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast denounced for the propagation of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation and Rogan’s use of the N-word in 70 episodes, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek released a memo to his employees expressing how “deeply sorry” he is for the way the podcast affected his employees.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify CEO Daniel Ek, under fire from critics inside and outside the company over its partnership with Joe Rogan, said in a memo to employees that was “deeply sorry” for how the controversy over the podcast host has affected them.But in the wake of the company removing 70 past episodes of his podcast and Rogan’s use of the N-word on his show, Ek signaled that Spotify does not plan to end its deal to distribute “The Joe Rogan Experience.”“I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer… canceling voices is a slippery slope,” he wrote in the memo Sunday, which was obtained by Variety.Ek said he is “committing to an incremental investment of $100 million for the licensing, development, and marketing of music (artists and songwriters) and audio content from historically marginalized groups.” “If we believe in having an open platform as a core value of the company, then we must also believe in elevating all types of creators, including those from underrepresented communities and a diversity of backgrounds,” the CEO wrote.Rogan has been a controversial figure ever since Spotify inked its exclusive deal with him in 2020, his hosting of right-wing personalities on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” The latest controversy over coronavirus misinformation on Rogan’s podcast has gone beyond the low-boil level that has previously accompanied outrage over comments on his podcast. That was led by Neil Young, who demanded Spotify pull his songs or drop Rogan, and has been followed by a few other artists and creators.According to Ek, Spotify has had conversations “with Joe and his team about some of the content in his show, including his history of using some racially insensitive language.

Spotify users have cancelled their subscriptions since the controversy around Joe Rogan’s podcast broke out.In January, hundreds of scientists and medical professionals asked Spotify to address COVID-19 misinformation on its platform, sparked by comments made on The Joe Rogan Experience. The 270-plus members of the science and medical community signed an open letter, which called Rogan’s actions “not only objectionable and offensive but also medically and culturally dangerous”.Following the publishing of that letter, Neil Young demanded his music be “immediately” removed from the platform, with many high-profile artists like Joni Mitchell, David Crosby and Graham Nash following suit.Now, as Variety reports, a consumer poll from Forrester Research has found that 19 per cent of the streaming service’s customers have since cancelled their subscriptions, or plan to in the near future.