Spotify says its ability to direct its customers to external payment links in its iOS app has already had a positive impact on sales. In a newly filed amicus brief in support of Epic Games in its ongoing legal battle with Apple over external payments on the App Store, Spotify claims its internal data indicates…
Category: Spotify
Apps, Global Security News, Spotify
Spotify’s new ‘Upcoming Releases’ hub highlights future albums you may like
Spotify is launching a new hub dedicated to keeping users informed about soon-to-be-released albums, the company announced on Wednesday. The hub, called “Upcoming Releases,” will feature personalized recommendations based on a user’s listening history. Users will be able to access it through the Search tab on mobile in the “Browse all” section. The hub will…
Apple, Apps, Global Security News, music streaming service, Spotify
Apple approves Spotify update so US users can buy audiobooks within the app
Spotify announced on Monday that Apple has approved a new app update, allowing iPhone users in the U.S. to purchase individual audiobooks directly within the app. Users can also view audiobook prices and easily buy additional listening hours beyond the initial 15 hours. “This change lowers the barriers for more users to embrace their first…
Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, Podcast, Spotify
Spotify responds to creator backlash at public podcast play counts
Spotify announced last week that it would roll out public play counts on all podcasts as a way of “helping attract new fans.” But podcasters swiftly responded with criticism of the new feature — mainly, that it would further promote podcasts that already have large audiences while making smaller shows less appealing to new listeners.…
Apps, Global Security News, music streaming, Spotify
Spotify updates its AI DJ to let you use voice commands
In a bid to make its AI DJ feel more interactive, Spotify is updating the feature to let users request music or change the mood of a playlist using voice commands. The company is rolling out this feature, supported only in English, in over 60 markets for its premium subscribers. Until now, you could only…
Apple, Apps, Epic Games, Global Security News, Spotify
Epic Games and Spotify test Apple’s new App Store rules
Fortnite maker Epic Games and Spotify are testing Apple’s new App Store policies by submitting apps for review that would have previously never been allowed. On Friday, both companies submitted new versions of their respective apps to Apple’s App Review. For Epic Games, it would mean the return of Fortnite to the App Store. Apple…
Apps, Global Security News, music streaming, Podcasts, Spotify
Spotify now shows how many times people listened to podcast episodes
YouTube continues to dominate the podcasting space, but Spotify is actively working to close the gap. The latest development: a new feature that lets users see how many times an audio-only or video podcast episode has been actively listened to or watched. The streaming giant revealed its new podcast metric called “plays” on Tuesday, making…
Enterprise, Global Security News, open source, Spotify, Tyson Singer
Backstage access: Spotify’s dev tools side-hustle is growing legs
Spotify generates the vast bulk of its income from ads and subscriptions, but for the past few years the music-streaming giant has also been quietly building out a developer tooling business. Backstage, a project it open-sourced in 2020, has been adopted by more than 2 million developers across 3,400 organizations, including Airbnb, LinkedIn, Twilio, and…
Apple, Apps, Global Security News, Spotify
Apple approves Spotify app update that allows U.S. users to access pricing info, external payment links
Spotify said on Friday that Apple has approved its U.S. app update that will allow users to access pricing information and external payment links. The approval comes days after a U.S. judge ordered Apple to stop charging commissions on purchases through iPhone apps. “In a victory for consumers, artists, creators, and authors, Apple has approved Spotify’s…
app store, Apple, Apps, Epic Games, Global Security News, Spotify, TC
Apple changes US App Store rules to let apps redirect users to their own websites for payments
Apple has changed its App Store rules in the U.S. to let apps link users to their own websites so they can buy subscriptions or other digital goods. This change comes after a U.S. court ruled in favor of Epic Games in a case against the iPhone maker, ordering the latter not to prohibit apps…
Apps, earnings, Global Security News, music streaming service, Spotify
Spotify adds 5M premium users and hits record operating income
Spotify reported on Tuesday that its premium subscriber base grew by 5 million in the first quarter, representing a 12% increase year-over-year. This brings the total to 268 million, marking the second-highest total ever and the highest net addition of paid subs for a first quarter since 2020. Spotify also reported a record-high quarterly operating…
AI, Apps, Europe, Global Security News, music streaming service, Spotify
Spotify’s AI playlist rolls out to Asia and more markets
Spotify announced on Thursday that it expanded the availability of its AI Playlist feature to over 40 additional markets, including countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean. The AI-powered tool, currently in beta on Android and iOS devices, lets listeners create personalized playlists based on written prompts, such as “workout music to make my…
Apps, Global Security News, Spotify
Spotify invests over $1M to grow its catalog of non-English audiobooks
Spotify announced on Friday that it plans to invest €1 million–or approximately $1.1 million — to boost audiobook production in languages other than English, beginning with French and Dutch. The investment indicates that Spotify is eager for more non-English titles in its limited library as it tries to compete with major players like Audible in…
Apps, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, Spotify, streaming service
Spotify debuts Gen AI ads, programmatic ad buying
Spotify announced Gen AI ads, among other changes to its advertising business, at an event in New York City on Thursday. Notably, the company introduced a new programmatic offering, the Spotify Ad Exchange (SAX), which allows advertisers to reach Spotify’s logged-in users via real-time auctions. Expanding on the SAX news, Spotify said it inked new…
Apps, Global Security News, Remixes, Spotify
Apple Music is integrating with music tools to allow DJs to create mixes using its catalog
Apple said today it is opening up its catalog to let users build mix sets by integrating the platform with a number of tools. These tools include Algoriddim’s djay Pro software, hardware platforms AlphaTheta, Serato, inMusic’s Engine DJ, Denon DJ, Numark, and RANE DJ. This will possibly attract DJs to explore Apple Music’s catalog of over 100 million songs and also…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, music streaming service, Spotify
Spotify debuts ‘Concerts Near You’ playlists for discovering nearby shows
On Wednesday, Spotify launched a new personalized playlist designed to help listeners discover upcoming concerts in their area. The playlist, titled “Concerts Near You,” is updated every Wednesday with 30 songs from artists performing nearby, along with full event details and ticket links. Spotify partners with ticketing platforms like AXS, DICE, Eventbrite, and Ticketmaster. Like…
Global IT News, Global Security News, growing us market, Media & Entertainment, music streaming, Spotify
US paid music subscribers cross 100 million mark for the first time
The U.S. crossed the 100 million paid subscriber mark for music streaming services for the first time ever last year, as per a new report by the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA). The subscriber number was up from 96.8 million in 2023, with year-on-year growth of roughly 3%. RIAA’s report said that these numbers…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, music streaming, Spotify
Spotify says its payouts are getting better, but artists still disagree
Spotify on Tuesday released its annual Loud & Clear report, detailing information about the music streaming service’s royalty payments. While Spotify revealed earlier this year that it paid out $10 billion to the music industry in 2024, the new report offers more in-depth numbers about its payments in an effort to dispel reports that the company…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, music, Spotify, streaming music
Spotify says it’s fixing the bug that caused Premium users to hear ads
Spotify has acknowledged an issue that’s causing some of its paid Premium subscribers to encounter ads when trying to play music. In an X post published on Thursday by Spotify’s customer service account, the company said it’s looking into the problem and linked to its Community website where the issue has been documented by users…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, soundcloud, Spotify, TicketMaster
SoundCloud partners with TicketMaster to let artists list events
Music streamer SoundCloud announced a partnership with entertainment company Live Nation today, allowing artists on its platform to list Ticketmaster and Universe events on their profile in a customized way. The company said it would create more promotion opportunities for artists in the future in partnership with Ticketmaster through a new promotion program but didn’t…
AI, Apps, ElevenLabs, Global IT News, Global Security News, Spotify
Spotify partners with ElevenLabs to expand its library of AI-narrated audiobooks
On Thursday, Spotify announced that it now accepts audiobooks narrated using ElevenLabs’ AI voice technology. Given that ElevenLabs is currently among the most recognized AI audio providers, this new partnership is expected to boost the quantity of AI-narrated audiobooks on the platform. To upload an audiobook narrated by AI, authors need to download the file…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, music streaming, Spotify
Spotify, Warner Music Group sign new deal to help deliver ‘further paid subscription tiers’
Spotify and Warner Music Group (WMG) have unveiled a new multi-year agreement that covers both recorded music and music publishing, the companies announced on Thursday. WMG owns labels behind popular artists like Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran. The companies said in a press release that “the new deal will help deliver new fan experiences,…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, music streaming, Spotify
Spotify reports its first full year of profitability, adds 35M monthly active users
On Tuesday morning, Spotify announced its fourth-quarter earnings, marking its first full year of profitability since its inception 17 years ago. The operating income for the quarter reached a record €477 million ($509.48 million) and amounted to €1.4 billion ($1.495 billion) for the 2024 fiscal year. Spotify also reported an addition of 35 million monthly…
Amazon, Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, Spotify
Amazon hikes prices for its Music Unlimited subscriptions
Amazon is the latest company to announce a price hike for its music streaming subscriptions. The company revealed this week that the price of an Amazon Music Unlimited Individual plan for Prime members is going from $9.99 per month to $10.99. As for subscribers without a Prime membership, the price of their subscription is going…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, music streaming, Spotify
Spotify says it paid $10 billion to music industry last year
Audio streaming company Spotify said Tuesday that it paid $10 billion to the music industry last year. The company added that it has given nearly $60 billion in industry payouts since its inception. This is another effort from Spotify to dispel reports that the company doesn’t reward artists properly for their work. The key point…
Apps, educational, Global IT News, Global Security News, learning, Media & Entertainment, Spotify, streaming service
Spotify introduces educational audio courses, starting in the UK
Spotify is expanding its streaming service to now include educational courses in addition to music, podcasts, and audiobooks. The company on Tuesday announced the launch of a new feature called courses, which will allow users to learn about topics in areas like business, tech, lifestyle, music, and more. The feature will initially be made available…
Apps, educational, Global IT News, Global Security News, learning, Media & Entertainment, Spotify, streaming service
Spotify’s educational audio courses could be coming to U.S.
Spotify is expanding its streaming service to now include educational courses in addition to music, podcasts, and audiobooks. The company on Tuesday referenced one of its newer features called courses, which allow users to learn about topics in areas like business, tech, lifestyle, music, and more. The feature is initially being piloted in the U.K.,…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, music streaming, Podcasts, Spotify
Spotify’s partner program for podcast hosts is now available
Spotify announced Thursday the launch of its new “Partner Program” that lets popular podcast hosts monetize their video content. Spotify’s new program gives qualifying creators on its platform opportunities for extra income beyond just advertising revenue, such as video payouts. The program was initially announced back in November and is officially available in the U.S.,…