Claudia Seti and the Magic of Spotify

Claudia discusses how big of a year 2019 has been for Spotify. With the purchase of Anchor, Gimlet, and Purcast allowing Spotify to expand from music and bringing in podcasts to win over listeners ears. As technology expands and becomes more relevant in our everyday lives, Claudia dreams of not only sharing music with listeners but also Podcasts, as it is a great tool for sharing creative content in a new way. She expands on this topic by stating that you don’t have to be a singer to be big in the audio industry anymore. Listeners want to hear stories, learn, be informed, take care of their wellness, and more.

The journey of audio from analog records and tapes all the way to online platforms, like Spotify, is a quick and progressive one. From picking out your own albums to take home, to now hopping online and allowing Spotify to select and showcase content meant just for you, users stay relevant and access new content with just a click and a listen. This “magic formula” that Spotify uses to give users endless audio is something that Claudia states could be their defining feature. She explains that by having this system, the community has trusted the nameless and faceless team at Spotify that come from all sides of the audio entertainment world, from radio DJs to producers, to share with them the best of the best in audio and keep relevant information at the front of everyone's mind. Not only do users receive playlists and suggested content that is meant just for them from real people, Spotify also utilizes developers that lean into the content you’ve historically listened to and showcase relevant content that they think you will enjoy.

Not only can the team at Spotify find and curate content for users, but marketers can also use these algorithms to find their perfect target audience. Using music tastes, whether they’re niche or mainstream content, the plethora of audiences that are both wide and targeted allow marketers to reach their audiences using these catalogs. Marketers are able to share their target audience with the team at Spotify to find the right moment based on that advertisement's feeling, and placing it into the right playlist or podcast. As Claudia puts it, “there’s a soundtrack for every moment you can think of,” so finding the perfect fit for your brand to be heard is just a matter of finding the right listener and the right moment. She goes on to state that a great tool for getting your brand out there, whether you’re an audio creator looking to get more listeners or a brand looking to target an audience, is to create a Spotify Code to allow users to seamlessly connect to your playlist using their camera to scan the code and create a moment shared between your and the user. You can learn more about this tool at https://www.spotifycodes.com/

Spotify is an easy to reach platform, found across the technological board such as playstation or XBox, integrated with Google Home or Amazon Alexa, or simply on your laptop or smartphone; making it easy to reach audiences with low effort. Not only are the teams at Spotify gatekeepers for audiences data, but are partners at the table with you. They hope to push discovery, and with that comes a great chance for audiences to learn more about not only music or information through their favourite podcast, but through brands that are there at the right place and time. Even if you are a small startup or entrepreneur, there are ways to share your brand on the platform and reach these audiences. Claudia encourages anyone to use Spotify Ad Studio, no matter if you have a small or large budget, to put yourself out there with Spotify’s tools to create your own advertisement and reach your audience. For those interested, they can go to https://www.spotifyforbrands.com/en-CA/ for more information.

Using this data that Spotify uses to curate content for their users, Spotify has been able to create billboard campaigns that create community and resonate emotions by simply reaching out to a user that has a unique listening history and sharing that moment and putting music fans at the forefront of the brand. This not only showcases Spotify as a brand but also shares how important music is in our everyday lives and creates stories we can all relate to. Through the magic of data storytelling Spotify is able to make the connection between a single listener and the rest of the country.

Claudia mentions at Spotify is very much a “democratized platform”, harnessing data in a respectful way that not only is shared on billboards but is also used to the benefit of their users by sharing amazingly curated content. Spotify is able to share a story with its users through the ebb and flow of culture and current events, creating a playlist for life. She goes on to encourage Canadian content creators, such as podcasters, to share their story and get on the platform to become a part of the global community. “Think global but act local,” because the importance for sharing stories that are relatable for all communities is a growing market for listeners. Spotify’s ultimate goal from the beginning had been bridging the gap between content creators' work and their fans being able to enjoy it. By democratizing the platform by having a free tier where creators are paid for their work and fans can enjoy without any strings attached, as well as a premium tier where creators get additional benefits and fans can listen ad free. This gives creatives the power to showcase themselves all over the world with the same tools across the board, and seamlessly reach out to listeners in the moment.

Written by Juliana Bermudez