Just preordered Adele on vinyl… From new album launches to pod subscriptions, Spotify wants to be the hub for creators. It unveiled two creator tools last week, partnering with Shopify to let musicians add merch to their profiles and announcing plans to expand video podcasting. The deets:
- Virtual merch table: Spotify integrated with Shopify to let artists promote and sell merch in the app, like this $30 tie-dye Remi Wolf hat.
- Watchable pods: Spotify plans to expand the in-app video podcasts it tested last summer to give creators more ways to reach fans and earn subscription $$. Fans can already watch Joe Rogan’s pod.
There’s an app for that... Spotify gives artists ways to profit from their music. But there’s no central hub for creators to monetize their entire brand: Many artists use Shopify to sell merch, Substack to launch newsletters, and Patreon to fundraise. So Spotify is investing in new features to be a one-stop-shop where artists drop new music, sell merch, and engage with fans.
- Plugged in: Last year Spotify gave creators tools to raise money through Cash App, GoFundMe, and PayPal, and host virtual events on Twitch, Instagram, and YouTube.
- Paywalled: In April, Spotify launched a paid subscription where participating creators received 100% of revenue for the next two years.
- Fans First: In June, Spotify relaunched a Substack-style email tool that lets artists promote offers like concert presales.
Spotify wants to be the public square for creators… With the creator economy valued at $100B+, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap are building tools to attract exclusive content. The company that ultimately wins over creators may be the one with the best tools and biggest user base. Spotify has 165M paying listeners — more than Apple and Amazon combined. Now it’s focused on giving creators more ways to get paid.