What Spotify’s podcast layoffs indicate about the changing audio market

Blog post by Annie Langston

1 Feb 2023

Spotify

advertising

YouTube

For the last few years, audio companies have funnelled millions of dollars into the podcast market. Yet, the economic recession indicates that the boom of investment into podcasts may be reaching its peak....

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Could AI generate music’s Instagram moment?

Blog post by Tatiana Cirisano

31 Jan 2023

music streaming

music industry

social media

Pop quiz: Is the hit ‘Kill Bill’ sung by SZA or Ariana Grande? The answer is, of course, SZA, but TikTok users could be forgiven for any confusion. An artificial-intelligence-generated version sung...

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With a rumoured podcast feature, will TikTok become the Swiss Army knife of entertainment?

Blog post by Annie Langston

25 Jan 2023

TikTok

Podcasts

Spotify

Despite recent layoffs and program cuts, the audio market continues to expand. While major music streaming platforms have led the way, social media platforms continue to diversify their audio offerings...

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Three podcast market trends to watch in 2023

Blog post by Annie Langston

18 Jan 2023

advertising

listener experience

format blurring

All of entertainment is facing new challenges in the recession. Both creators and platforms are doing everything they can to keep audiences as entertainment spending is at risk. While audio platforms have...

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Music discovery in 2023 is about the journey, not the moment

Blog post by Tatiana Cirisano

12 Jan 2023

music streaming

Spotify

TikTok

Oversaturation was among the hottest music industry topics of 2022. By now, we have all read — and maybe gasped at — the recent estimate that more than 100,000 new songs hit streaming services daily....

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New year, new live audio: How the format can pivot in 2023

Blog post by Annie Langston

21 Dec 2022

live audio

Spotify

Clubhouse

The live audio boom in lockdown, primarily driven by Clubhouse, inspired many major platforms to develop their own feature. Most notably was Spotify, which acquired Betty Labs and relaunched its Locker...

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Podcasts wrapped 2022: Top shows put Apple and Spotify’s strategies on display

Blog post by Annie Langston

14 Dec 2022

Podcasts

Spotify

Apple

This year podcasts also received the “wrapped” treatment that has been given to music. Both Spotify and Apple released their top shows of 2022, inadvertently highlighting their different podcasting...

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The YouTube advantage: How social video platforms could seize the podcast market

Blog post by Annie Langston

7 Dec 2022

YouTube

TikTok

Spotify

After launching a podcasts page for US users in August, YouTube is debuting its first official trends podcast . Like & Describe: The Official YouTube Trends Podcast is hosted by Matpat , a long-time...

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Spotify and Emma Chamberlain kick off new era of gen Z podcasts

Blog post by Annie Langston

30 Nov 2022

Spotify

gen z

Podcasts

Spotify has already begun its pursuit of gen Z on the music side, and now is doing the same for podcasts. Emma Chamberlain, the 21-year-old YouTuber and coffee company owner, has signed an exclusive podcast...

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How Apple’s commission is reconfiguring Spotify’s audiobook strategy

Blog post by Annie Langston

23 Nov 2022

Spotify

Apple

audiobooks

Spotify’s audiobook rollout has hit a major roadblock. Spotify debuted its service in September as a la carte , where users purchased audiobooks individually. In order to avoid Apple’s 30% commission...

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The cost of music streaming just went up — here is what must come next

Blog post by Tatiana Cirisano

3 Nov 2022

music streaming

music industry

apple music

It is finally happening. Apple Music raised its music streaming subscription price for the first time ever, following price rises from the likes of YouTube and Deezer, and Spotify indicates that it will...

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Not just music: How TikTok could enter the podcast market

Blog post by Annie Langston

2 Nov 2022

TikTok

Podcasts

gen z

It increasingly feels like it is TikTok’s world, and we are all just living in it. With the anticipation of TikTok Music , parent company ByteDance is steadily expanding into every form of entertainment,...

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Midnights: modern-day music marketing 101

Blog post by Ashleigh Millar

27 Oct 2022

taylor swift

community

online communities

Are we surprised that Taylor Swift has broken records (yet again) after dropping her new album, Midnights (and Midnights (3am Edition) )? In the first five days of release, Midnights earned more than an...

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The cracks in Spotify’s exclusive strategy are starting to show

Blog post by Annie Langston

18 Oct 2022

Spotify

Podcasts

exclsuive

While its invest-or-die strategy in podcasting has made Spotify the most popular platform for podcast listeners (43%), podcasts remain a niche activity overall, with little development in the user experience...

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Vinyl now matters more to the music industry

Blog post by Keith Jopling

11 Oct 2022

Spotify

streaming music

Music

It is the final quarter of 2022 and almost time for Spotify Wrapped – that thrilling rush of data that knows more about your music listening habits than you do yourself. However, my Wrapped will be redundant...

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How podcast platforms are setting their sights on global expansion

Blog post by Annie Langston

5 Oct 2022

Podcasts

Spotify

distribution

The growth of podcast audiences requires a global effort. And while the market is primarily dominated by mostly Western platforms, such as Spotify and Apple, there are opportunities for new players to...

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Spotify launches audiobooks in the US – but you have to buy them

Blog post by Annie Langston

22 Sep 2022

Spotify

audiobooks

audience

Spotify has officially launched its audiobook vertical for US listeners. Spotify previewed this vertical at its Investor Day in June, in addition to announcing its purchase of Findaway , an audiobook distributor....

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What the comedian lawsuits against Pandora could mean for podcasts

Blog post by Annie Langston

14 Sep 2022

Pandora

lawsuits

copyright

The mountain of comedians who are suing Pandora over copyright infringement continues to grow. In February, the estates of both Robin Williams and George Carlin filed lawsuits against Pandora, claiming...

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Social media is the vessel to amplify the open podcasting ecosystem

Blog post by Annie Langston

1 Sep 2022

social media

twitter

YouTube

Live audio sparked in lockdowns and blurred the lines between social media and podcasts. Although Clubhouse kickstarted this craze, its success post lockdown has lagged , and other major platforms are...

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Apple’s latest podcasting moves poke holes in Spotify’s strategy

Blog post by Annie Langston

24 Aug 2022

Apple

Podcasts

Spotify

Apple has been quieter than its other podcast competitors in the past, but it is continuing to develop its audio offerings. Apple’s most noteworthy attempt to expand its platform thus far was introducing...

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