Tag: spotify advertising

Spotify’s Tunetorials Brings Advertising Strategies to Life With Beats You Won’t Forget

October 7, 2025

Spotify Advertising is launching a new campaign for marketers: Tunetorials, where catchy beats meet proven strategies. It’s the easiest (and most fun) way to learn how Spotify helps advertisers of all sizes reach the right audience, at the right moment, with the right message.

With original songs and music videos, Tunetorials gives advertisers a rundown of Spotify’s full range of ad tools and proof points, plus tips on how to make the most of them. From building a multi‑format strategy to tapping into Spotify’s unique audience insights, Tunetorials turns ad education into bops you’ll want to play on repeat.

Spotify has been hard at work this year making it easier than ever for advertisers to buy, create, and measure campaigns on our platform. During our first Spotify Advance event in April, we introduced a suite of new ad solutions to help brands meet their goals. Tunetorials keeps that momentum going, building on the success of previous campaigns like Spreadbeats and Song for Every CMO—both recognized globally for creativity and effectiveness.

“We created Tunetorials based on a simple idea: What if learning about Spotify Advertising could be as fun as using Spotify?” said Bridget Evans, Global Head of Business Marketing, Spotify. “Tunetorials are our way of blending education with entertainment so it doesn’t feel like a chore. We know our audience loves creativity and music, so we met them there, transforming how-to lessons into original songs and music videos. It’s a surprise-and-delight campaign that showcases the full power of our platform, while also inspiring brands and agencies to see Spotify’s suite of ad solutions in a whole new way.”

In true Spotify fashion, we teamed up with six emerging artists across genres to create the Tunetorials album.

“Linking up with Spotify Advertising on Tunetorials was a much-needed creative challenge,” said artist Carter Ace. “Growing up, I was always more of an auditory and visual learner, and I valued programs that could educate while incorporating modern musical elements. The fact that the team trusted me to be on the project that tackles everything I just mentioned is already a blessing—not to mention that we made a banging song that’ll still fit on your playlist.”

Ready to level up your ad game? Hit play on the tracks below to get started:

“How to Run a Multi-Format Campaign” featuring Carter Ace

Carter Ace’s laid‑back, genre‑blending style is the perfect backdrop for mixing formats. Pair audio, video, and display ads to see sales lift soar—up to 90% higher than audio alone.

“How to Measure Campaign Performance” featuring Alex Lilly

Alex Lilly’s sharp, indie‑pop edge turns measurement solutions into music, showing how brand lift, web traffic, conversions, and even offline sales prove your ads are hitting the mark.

“How to Drive ROI With Your Campaign Setup” featuring BIG SIS

BIG SIS brings bold, high‑energy beats to the art of smart spending, showing how targeted media buys on Spotify can boost your performance and ROI.

“How to Create Ads for Spotify” featuring The Shivers

The Shivers’ punchy vibe makes ad creation feel effortless, from using free tools like Spotify’s Gen AI Ads to repurposing creative assets you already have.

“How to Reach Your Target Audience” featuring Parbleu

Parbleu’s smooth, funky groove sets the tone for perfect timing. This track spotlights how, with more than 696 million users globally, Spotify’s first‑party data helps you reach the right people exactly when they’re ready to listen.

“How to Track Your Ad’s Success” featuring House of EL 

With House of EL’s soulful sound, this track dives into the Spotify Pixel: your tool for retargeting, optimizing, and tracking exactly how listeners respond to your ads.

Bonus content

In addition to dropping the digital album, we’re putting Spotify directly into select media buyers’ hands with a limited-edition Tunetorials vinyl. Each record features all the Tunetorials tracks, plus a bonus insert with even more details and proof points for each tutorial.

But that’s not all. We’re also releasing three music videos to accompany the album, making the Tunetorials experience bigger, bolder, and even more fun. 

Watch and jam along to the Tunetorials music videos below:

From early concepting to big brand moments, Spotify’s Tunetorials makes it easy to fine-tune your strategies and amplify your impact, one beat at a time.

Spotify Unveils New Advertising Partnerships and Product Updates

October 1, 2025

Earlier this year during Spotify Advance, we announced a series of updates to make advertising on Spotify more flexible and automated. Today, we’re building on that momentum with a powerful suite of new partnerships and product features designed to make it even easier for advertisers to buy, create, and measure success on Spotify.

New partnerships and expanded reach

We’re continuing to invest in automating our ad platform with enhancements across our automated buying channels: the Spotify Ad Exchange and Spotify Ads Manager.

Spotify Ad Exchange

For the first time, advertisers using Amazon DSP can now access Spotify’s audio and video inventory. This partnership brings together Amazon’s trillions of shopping, streaming, and browsing signals and Spotify’s global audience of 696 million monthly users, enabling advertisers to reach engaged audiences at scale while providing access to full-funnel measurement and attribution.

“By combining Amazon’s diverse audiences and first-party signals with Spotify’s high-quality content and engaged fan base, we’re creating new and meaningful ways for advertisers to amplify their omnichannel advertising strategies by leveraging a deeper level of insights only available through Amazon DSP,” said Meredith Goldman, Director, Amazon DSP at Amazon Ads. “Amazon DSP now has unprecedented scale across Amazon owned and operated and open internet audio supply, allowing us to set new standards for holistic campaign planning and activation—all in one place.”

But that’s not all. We’re also expanding our programmatic ecosystem with these key updates:

    • ID5 partnership: Advertisers can now reach music and podcast fans across Europe more effectively, thanks to enhanced addressability for programmatic campaigns via ID5’s digital identity solution.
    • Yahoo DSP integration: Advertisers can now buy Spotify inventory through Yahoo DSP via a new direct integration. With the Spotify Ad Exchange, advertisers have seen conversion rates improve by nearly 70% and cost per action drop by almost 90%, according to Yahoo data from July to September 2025. This direct integration also helps advertisers better target and measure audiences across Spotify using Yahoo ConnectID.
    • For publishers: Starting in 2026, Megaphone-hosted podcast publishers will be able to book private marketplace deals via the Spotify Ad Exchange. This will empower publishers to set up non-guaranteed deals with one or many advertisers, expanding their revenue opportunities.

Spotify Ads Manager

We’re also continuing to innovate within Spotify Ads Manager with new tools and partnerships to help advertisers of all sizes create, optimize, and measure their campaigns:

    • Smartly partnership: We’re partnering with Smartly to expand access to our inventory to more advertisers. With Spotify Ads Manager integrating into Smartly, advertisers will gain new ways to reach audiences through audio, display, and video, supported by Smartly’s AI-powered creative, automation, and measurement.
    • Split Testing tool: Advertisers will soon be able to run controlled experiments to see which creative elements resonate most with audiences, optimizing for metrics like completion rate, click-through rate, cost per click, and cost per conversion.

Growing momentum and proven results

Spotify’s automated buying channels for advertisers are seeing rapid adoption and delivering real results. Since we launched the Spotify Ad Exchange in April, the number of advertisers using it has increased by 142%. On Spotify Ads Manager, campaigns using the Web Traffic objective have seen page view rates 103% higher compared to brand awareness campaigns, and campaigns using the App Install objective have achieved install rates 4.3 times higher than non-optimized campaigns.

What this means for brands

Spotify’s scale and engagement remain unmatched. According to a 2024 global GWI study, 90% of users make Spotify part of their daily routines, with people spending more than two hours a day on the platform. And according to another recent GWI survey, 65% of users agree that time spent on Spotify feels more positive than time spent on social media. In a world of doom scrolling and distraction traps, Spotify offers something different, with users coming to the platform for a sense of connection and genuine value.

With these latest updates, we’re making it easier than ever for advertisers of all sizes to reach leaned-in audiences in a positive environment, whether you’re running a global campaign or just getting started.

“We’ve been hard at work enhancing our automated buying channels to make it easy for advertisers to buy, create, and measure on Spotify,” said Brian Berner, Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Sales and Partnerships. “Now we’re bringing even more flexibility and control for advertisers, enabling them to reach our highly engaged global audience and drive impact with their campaigns.”

Ready to amplify your brand’s performance? Learn more about how brands can connect with listeners through Spotify Advertising.

How Gen Z Powers Up for Back-to-School Season on Spotify

August 25, 2025

As summer winds down and backpacks come out, Gen Z isn’t just heading back to class, they’re shaping the soundtrack for a whole new season.

For Back to School 2025, Spotify has compiled a snapshot of the daily rituals and shared listening moments that define this reset. Powered by new listening data and anchored in past trends, it reveals how Gen Z students and their families use Spotify as a daily companion to reconnect and refocus—and how brands can be part of the moment in meaningful ways.

Mornings are the new prime time

As routines shift, mornings become high-attention listening windows. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., Gen Z students on Spotify power up with music and podcasts that turn commutes and pre-class moments into part of their soundtrack. For brands, these ritual-driven spikes offer valuable opportunities to tap in with multiformat campaigns that blend sight and sound.

Study sessions and shared playlists

Back-to-school season isn’t just a retail moment, it’s also a cultural and community reset. Gen Z leans on study playlists and collaborative features like Jam to concentrate and connect with friends.

Spotify at Cannes Lions 2025: The Week’s Unmissable Highlights, Star Power, and More

June 24, 2025

Last week, Spotify returned to the Croisette for our 11th year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity—bringing together artists, creators, brands, and fans for three days of inspiring conversations, unforgettable performances, and bold ideas at Spotify Beach.

Spotify’s Cannes Lions highlights

This year, Spotify was recognized across several categories at Cannes Lions, reflecting our commitment to creativity and innovation. Highlights include:

    • Grand Prix Lion for Innovation for the Sounds Right campaign in partnership with United Nations and AKQA.
    • Gold Lion for Design-Driven Effectiveness for the Spreadbeats campaign in partnership with FCB New York.
    • Silver Lion for Digital Design for Spreadbeats in partnership with FCB New York.
    • Bronze Lion in Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility for the Sounds Right campaign in partnership with United Nations and AKQA.
    • Shortlisted for Excellence in Craft for the Do You Speak Anitta? campaign.
    • Shortlisted for Consumer Services/Business to Business and Innovation in Branded Content & Social Behavior for Spreadbeats.
    • Shortlisted for Fan Engagement & Community Building for the Singing in Your Inglish campaign.
    • Shortlisted for Rebrand/Refresh of an Existing Brand for Spotify Italy’s Bloombeats in partnership with Dentsu Creative. 
    • Shortlisted for Design for Behavioural Change for Spotify Japan’s Pride Code in partnership with TBWA\HAKUHODO.

Spotify Beach in action

From exclusive panels and a star-studded soirée to exceptional musical moments, here’s a look back at the most memorable scenes from Spotify’s week in the South of France.

Monday, June 16

Spotify Beach kicked off with powerhouse programming featuring Paris Hilton, Louis Theroux, and Charlie Puth. Moderated by Spotify’s Global Head of Podcast Advertising & Business Development, Emma Vaughn, “Mic Check: In Conversation With Louis Theroux, featuring Paris Hilton” explored the power of storytelling across podcasts, documentaries, music, and memoirs. Paris reflected on using her podcast to highlight meaningful stories and connect with others:

“With my social [channels], I can showcase the more fun, glamorous, and playful side. But through my podcast, I can talk about things that are very meaningful to me […] and use my voice to be a voice for others.”

Puth joined Spotify’s Global Head of Business Marketing, Bridget Evans, for “Rhythm and ROI: Amplifying Music in Your Marketing Strategy,” sharing insights on how music drives brand storytelling—and even teasing a new Broadway project and his upcoming album.

The evening wrapped with Spotify’s annual soirée, where Puth performed fan favorites like “Attention” and “See You Again,” plus a surprise rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Guests included Antoni Porowski, Winnie Harlow, Kyle Kuzma, Bill Nye, Dylan Efron, Rachel Lindsay, Jake Shane, Bowen Yang, and Matt Rogers.

Spotify’s Brian Berner on Creativity, Connection, and What’s Next for Advertisers at Cannes Lions

June 16, 2025

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is officially underway for 2025, and Spotify is back on the Croisette to showcase how our platform is more alive than ever. Spotify—and Spotify Beach during the festival—is where creators share, fans explore, and brands are discovered, powered by a global community that continues to grow and evolve.

Throughout the week, Spotify Beach is amplifying the creativity that lives on our platform, offering attendees a chance to experience Spotify IRL—as a cultural force and the best home for creators and fans.

With new tools and innovations, it’s easier than ever for advertisers to join Spotify’s ever-evolving playground and engage with audiences. All week long, attendees will see how Spotify makes creativity tangible—showcasing innovative ideas, meaningful connections, and endless possibilities for cultural impact.

To kick off the festivities, we sat down with Brian Berner, Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Sales & Partnerships, to hear about what’s next for advertisers, the evolution of creativity on Spotify, and what he’s most excited about at Cannes Lions this year.

Cannes Lions is all about creativity. How does Spotify continue to foster creativity for advertisers?

From music videos to audiobooks to video podcasts, Spotify sits at the heart of music and culture—and we’re always innovating to unlock new ways to deliver creativity on a global scale. With a worldwide community of creators, artists, musicians, and podcasters, Spotify is a platform that consistently inspires creative expression. In fact, 87% of creatives in the ad industry say Spotify allows them to be more creative than other platforms.

For advertisers, we have our Creative Lab—an in-house creative agency of storytellers, cultural investigators, marketers, art directors, strategists, copywriters, and Spotify lovers spread across the globe. This team is constantly creating, testing, and gathering data on what works on our platform to help advertisers maximize their creative potential.

Ahead of Cannes, we’ve also just unveiled two new initiatives to help brands further tap into Spotify’s creative playground: the Creative Lab Hub and our inaugural Creative Council. The Creative Lab Hub is a new global destination where brands and advertisers can access Spotify Advertising’s most effective tools, formats, and insights—making it easier than ever to create breakthrough campaigns.

Meanwhile, our Creative Council brings together industry-leading creatives to help shape the future of advertising and brand storytelling on Spotify. This group includes top creative leads from agencies including R/GA, BBDO, McCann, Anomaly, VML, and GUT, as well as brand leaders from Ulta, AG1, and Coca-Cola.

We’re excited to see how advertisers continue to uplevel their creativity on Spotify!

Spotify is hosting several panels this year. What’s the value in bringing these conversations to the stage?

Our Spotify Beach daytime programming brings together some of the world’s leading voices for compelling conversations that spark discovery, connection, and inspiration. From Louis Theroux and Paris Hilton discussing the art of storytelling to brands like Instacart and Luxottica sharing their strategies and results with the Spotify Ad Exchange, our sessions highlight how Spotify is closer than ever to the heartbeat of culture and driving impact for brands. These conversations showcase how we’re creating impactful connections between artists, creators, fans, and brands in innovative and unique ways—both on and off the platform.

How has the evolution of Spotify’s platform to include video content changed the game for advertisers?

Spotify is now so much more than music and podcasts, including when it comes to advertising. Video consumption on our platform is booming, with users’ spending 44% more time looking at our app compared to last year. This increased in-focus engagement unlocks more visual, multiformat opportunities for advertisers, like our latest Canvas and In-Feed ad formats. 

We’ve found that audio and video ads together are a powerful combination for campaigns on Spotify. In fact, combining both increases purchase intent by 27% and incremental sales by 66%, compared to audio alone. As engagement on our platform continues to evolve, we’re evolving right alongside it—offering brands new ways to deliver compelling, multiformat audio and visual campaigns to Spotify’s global audience. We’re excited about the potential of video and what it means for creators, users, and advertisers alike.

At Spotify Advance in April, Spotify Advertising announced updates like Gen AI Ads. What’s the response been so far? 

The response to our efforts in making it easier for advertisers to buy, create, and measure results on Spotify has been incredibly strong, particularly with Gen AI Ads.

Since launching Gen AI Ads, nearly 1,500 advertisers in the U.S. and Canada have already used the tool to create and launch more than 7,000 high-quality audio ads on Spotify. Advertisers tell us they love how fast and easy it is: On average it takes just 17 minutes to go from idea to finished ad, and half of advertisers complete the process in under 9 minutes. That speed, combined with built-in scriptwriting and voiceover capabilities, is making audio advertising more accessible and flexible than ever for advertisers of all sizes.

Given the successful rollout in the U.S. and Canada, we recently expanded Gen AI Ads to the U.K.—bringing these tools to even more advertisers, now with voiceovers featuring British accents. It’s our latest step in helping advertisers of all sizes tap into Spotify Advertising with ease and full creative control, all within Spotify Ads Manager.

What advertising trends do you expect to see in the coming year?

In today’s fast-moving culture, we’re seeing that people are reducing their dependence on social media in favor of more authenticity and positive connection—and Spotify is one of the places they’re choosing. That’s not just good news for fans and artists; it’s great for brands, too. The attention our listeners give to Spotify translates directly to ads: In fact, our ads capture twice as much attention compared to social media platforms. 

I think there’s so much opportunity to scale the fan experiences we’ve created and imagine new, more interactive ways for fans to connect—not just with artists, creators, and brands on our platform, but also IRL. That’s why we have Creative Lab and our in-house consultancy Spotify AUX—to help brands build even more impactful connections with fans both on- and off-platform.

We’re also seeing automated buying become the industry default. Automated digital audio spend in the U.S. is on the rise and now represents 26% of the market. That’s why our investments in automated channels like the Spotify Ad Exchange and Spotify Ads Manager are more timely and important than ever.

What are you most looking forward to at Spotify Beach this year?

As someone who’s been in the ad industry for more than 20 years, I love Cannes Lions—it’s when everyone comes together to share wins and learnings, build relationships, and get inspired by the creativity and innovation happening across the industry.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the film Sinners, so I’m stoked about our Wednesday daytime session happening on Spotify Beach: The Art of Personalization Through Music with Ludwig Göransson and Miles Caton. If you haven’t seen the film yet, I highly recommend it!

Spotify Beach Is Back for the Annual Cannes Lions Festival

June 6, 2025

Spotify is heading back to France for the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and this year we’ll showcase how Spotify is more alive than ever as a creative playground where creators share, fans explore, and brands are discovered. Throughout the week, we’ll invite attendees to experience Spotify IRL, as a cultural force and the best home for creators and fans.

“Spotify is home to an unrivaled global community of artists, songwriters, podcasters, authors, creatives, fans, and brands,” said Brian Berner, Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Sales & Partnerships. “This year, we’re bringing to life the creativity that lives on Spotify and how we’ve made it easier than ever for advertisers to join Spotify’s ever-evolving playground and engage with audiences in a positive, premium, brand-safe environment.”

From Monday, June 16, through Thursday, June 19, Spotify Beach once again serves as a creative epicenter on the Croisette. Our daytime sessions will feature some of the world’s leading authors, actors, creators, and musicians, including Paris Hilton, Louis Theroux, Charlie Puth, Mark Ronson, Morgan Absher, Jake Shane, Rachel Lindsay, Seal, Rob Mayhew, and more. We’ll also be hosting two evenings of can’t-miss concerts: Alex Warren, sombr, and Royel Otis will perform on June 17, while Cardi B, a DJ set from Mark Ronson, and Lola Young take the stage on June 18. Charlie Puth will also perform during an exclusive opening-night soirée. 

Spotify Beach will also host interactive, immersive experiences. At the Soul Coffee Cafe, guests can enjoy a coffee and join the Beach Jam via QR codes. Guests can snap a selfie, use it to create their own custom playlist cover art, and have it printed or sent to their socials at the Cover Art Creator Zone. At the Audiobook Flavors Bar, guests can check out top titles for summer listening and cool off with customized soft serve, so they can “taste” an audiobook of their choice.

Here’s a rundown of what’s happening daily:

Monday, June 16

Mic Check: In Conversation with Louis Theroux, featuring Paris Hilton
What happens when an award-winning documentarian meets a pop-culture powerhouse? Join Louis Theroux and Paris Hilton as they share the stage to explore the art of storytelling across formats—from podcasts and documentaries to music, memoir, and more. Expect creative chemistry, surprising parallels, and sharp perspectives you won’t want to miss.

Rhythm and ROI: Amplifying Music in Your Marketing Strategy with Charlie Puth
Artists shape culture; learn how brands can tap in. Chart-topping artist Charlie Puth shares his thoughts on how sound drives emotion and how collaboration can boost cultural impact and audience connection.

Tuesday, June 17

Culture Club: The Influence and Impact of Fandom
Culture isn’t just created; it’s ignited and propelled by fans. From viral podcasts fueled by listener enthusiasm to global music moments amplified by devoted audiences, fandoms are the vibrant engines where culture truly comes to life. Join Jake Shane, Morgan Absher, and Rachel Lindsay for a deep dive into how fandoms drive modern culture and elevate creators.

The Power of Presence: How Authenticity and Resilience Forge Global Influence with Mark Ronson
What does it take to build lasting cultural impact across industries? In this dynamic conversation, Spotify’s Chief Public Affairs Officer Dustee Jenkins sits down with Grammy-winning producer and author Mark Ronson to explore the role of authenticity in creative and professional success. From number-one hits to thought-provoking storytelling, they’ll discuss how staying true to your voice—whether written, spoken, or sung—can resonate with audiences, spark emotional connection, and drive meaningful brand engagement in today’s attention economy.

Nighttime performances shine a spotlight on the biggest emerging talent of 2025, including Alex Warren, sombr, and Royel Otis, and feature sets from DJs Baby J and Dre Tala.

Wednesday, June 18

From AI to IRL: Navigating Creativity in the Now
AI is the marketing industry’s topic du jour, but it takes human creativity to make ads that matter. In this discussion, guided by Spotify’s own AI DJ X, prominent creatives discuss how brands are blending Spotify’s intelligence (AI, personalization) with cultural and editorial insights to build products and campaigns that connect with global audiences and individuals on emotional levels. Get a fresh perspective on how to pair AI’s capabilities with human creativity to enhance brand storytelling and inspire engagement. The session will close with a special appearance by Grammy-winning artist Seal, who’ll reflect on the role of human emotion and storytelling in the age of AI.

Sound to Story: The Art of Personalization Through Music with Ludwig Göransson and Miles Caton
Unlock the sound secrets behind the blockbuster film Sinners. Discover how the seamless fusion of music and storytelling elevates a film’s emotional impact with composer Ludwig Göransson and breakout film actor Miles Caton. This session explores how soundtracks shape cinematic experiences and how brands can harness the same power to create lasting emotional connections with their audiences.

Nighttime performances feature Cardi B, a DJ set from Mark Ronson, and Lola Young. DJs Baby J and Dre Tala will also spin tunes.

Spotify Sparks UK Returns To Bring Together Advertisers and Creators

May 2, 2025

With more than 678 million users worldwide tuned in to Spotify, we’re at the heart of music and culture. Our unrivaled global community of artists, songwriters, podcasters, authors, and creators is an essential daily companion for fans, and we use this superpower to create impactful connections between artists, creators, listeners, and brands.

As Spotify Advertising’s flagship event series, Sparks is designed to educate advertisers and offer exclusive insights into Spotify’s unique capabilities. To date, we’ve hosted Spotify Sparks U.K. and Spotify Sparks Brazil, and we’re bringing these events to the U.S., France, and Japan in the coming months.

On May 1, Spotify executives, industry leaders, content creators, and advertisers returned to London for a series of live discussions, presentations, and interactive experiences that explored the full power of the Spotify ecosystem. During the event, Rosalind Jeffcoat, Spotify’s Global Head of Consumer Affairs, moderated a conversation with Marc Hazan, Spotify’s VP of Partnerships and Marketing, around how Spotify is creating the ultimate fan experience. 

Spotify Celebrates Its Next Stage of Advertising in New York City

April 3, 2025

Some of the biggest names in marketing, advertising, publishing, traditional and social media, and the creative worlds gathered yesterday at Chelsea Factory in New York City to help usher in the next stage of Spotify Advertising.

During our inaugural Spotify Advance event, we showcased our commitment to modernizing our ad tech, strengthening our partnerships, and deepening our human expertise to make it easier for advertisers to buy, create, measure, and achieve clear results on Spotify’s ad platform.

The Three Key Takeaways for Advertisers From Our Spotify Advance Event

April 2, 2025

The next stage of Spotify Advertising has arrived. Today, during our Spotify Advance event in New York City, we unveiled a host of updates that make it easier for advertisers to buy, create, measure, and get clear results on Spotify’s ad platform. These efforts reflect a big leap forward in automated buying and creative innovation for Spotify and the broader digital audio industry, most notably, the new Spotify Ad Exchange. 

We know that one of the reasons advertisers turn to us is because we’re constantly innovating at the intersection of culture, tech, and creativity. 

So we now have new ways to help advertisers jump into Spotify’s creative playground with ease, including our new Spotify Gen AI Ads.

1. We’re modernizing our ad platform to give advertisers the flexibility to buy Spotify in the way that works best for them: the new Spotify Ad Exchange and our self-serve Spotify Ads Manager.

  • Spotify Ad Exchange (SAX) is our new programmatic offering. For the first time, advertisers can now access Spotify’s engaged, logged-in users via real-time auction with full addressability and measurement capabilities in whatever way works best for them. Beginning today, in addition to The Trade Desk, the Spotify Ad Exchange is now available via Google’s Display & Video 360 and Magnite, with Yahoo DSP, Adform, and many more to come soon. These partners now have access to our suite of audio, video, and display formats across music, with podcasts coming soon. SAX is now available to advertisers across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Brazil, and Mexico.
  • Spotify Ads Manager: We’re continuing to innovate our self-serve platform with more advanced targeting capabilities, new 1P and 3P measurement solutions, and new outcome-based objectives to help advertisers of all sizes create, optimize, and measure their Spotify campaigns, including Spotify Pixel, Custom Audiences, key third-party partnerships, and a new App Installs objective.

2. We’re making it easier than ever for advertisers to create with Spotify.

  • Spotify Gen AI Ads: We’re bringing our decades-long AI expertise and innovative approach to our advertising partners to enable them to create scripts and voiceovers at no additional cost, making it easier than ever to create high-quality, scalable audio ads. Gen AI Ads are available to advertisers in the U.S. and Canada in Spotify Ads Manager.

  • Spotify Creative Lab: Our dedicated team of creative minds work collaboratively with brands and agencies to inspire and scale creativity and to build unique and effective campaigns made just for the Spotify platform. Our Creative Lab team has helped brands create first-of-its-kind Spotify experiences, like Bestie Mode with Coca-Cola and Oreo; American Express and Resy’s Music Taste campaign; and “100 Years of Chevrolet” in Brazil.
  • Spotify AUX: Our in-house consultancy brings together our unrivaled know-how in music, podcasts, culture, experiential, and content production to bridge the worlds of brands, artists, creators, and fandom. Our mission is to provide innovative solutions that elevate brands through the power of music and culture. Today, we’re welcoming two partners to the AUX family: Visa and Kona Big Wave. We’re also continuing our multiyear partnership with Coca-Cola.

3. We’re helping advertisers reach their goals on Spotify with new measurement tools built just for Spotify and new 3P partnerships: We’ve rebuilt our first-party measurement stack and expanded tools with key third-party partnerships, enabling advertisers to evaluate performance across the funnel.

  • New Lower-Funnel Objectives: Starting today, our new App Installs Objective enables advertisers to show ads to people likely to click and download their app, while our new Website Traffic Objective enables advertisers to optimize their campaign toward people most likely to view their website.

  • Measurement Solutions: We’ve updated Spotify Brand Lift, our 1P measurement tool that helps advertisers understand how their Spotify campaigns impact their brand metrics. We’re also bringing Spotify Brand Lift and Spotify Pixel to Ads Manager. Lastly, we’re investing in key 3P partnerships to offer greater measurement capabilities and ensure that Spotify can be a trusted partner in this ever-evolving landscape.

Check out more coverage from Spotify Advance and visit Spotify Advertising for more about our advertising program and tools.

Spotify Tunes Up Platform To Make It Easy for Advertisers To Buy, Create, and Measure

April 2, 2025

Spotify Advertising hit a new high note today as we unveiled how we’re making it easier than ever for advertisers to buy, create, and measure on and for our platform.

We’ve been hard at work investing in our ad platform, modernizing our ad tech, and solidifying industry partnerships to become a platform that delivers results for advertisers of all sizes. During our first Spotify Advance event in New York City, we showcased a suite of new ad solutions that will unlock the full power of Spotify.

This next stage of Spotify Advertising was ushered in with news of the launch of Spotify Ad Exchange. We call it SAX for short. For the first time, advertisers will be able to access Spotify’s engaged and logged-in users via real-time auction, with full addressability and measurement capabilities. Today, advertisers can plug into SAX via The Trade Desk and Google Display & Video 360, with Magnite, Adform, and Yahoo DSP coming soon.

We also shared how we’re making our self-serve Spotify Ads Manager work harder for advertisers with new tools and solutions to help them meet their objectives, including enhanced targeting and measurement capabilities.

To complement our automated buying solutions, we introduced new ways for advertisers to create with Spotify: our in-house agencies, Creative Lab and AUX, and our new Spotify Gen AI Ads.

We’re also making our platform more addressable to help advertisers better measure the impact of their Spotify campaigns with our Spotify Brand Lift solution and new App Installs objective, alongside industry-leading tools from our third-party partners.

For the Record sat down with Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Lee Brown to unpack these developments and hear more about how Spotify is revolutionizing advertising for brands of all sizes.

This is such an exciting new chapter for Spotify! Why is it so critical to assemble these global CMOs, agencies, creators, and key influencers now, and share these updates?

Thanks! I’m really proud of our team for getting us to this point—we’re happy to finally be able to share what we’ve been busy working on. Spotify Advance marks a pivotal moment for our company as our advertising business enters a new stage. We’ve been investing to become a platform that can deliver results for advertisers, whatever their goal, whatever their size. 

Whether you’re a CMO, a media agency buyer, a podcast publisher, a seasoned creative director, or a creator looking to grow your brand, we’ve got you covered. We invited this cross-sectional group to learn about our new solutions firsthand and hear from our team directly on why Spotify should play a bigger role in their marketing strategy.

What are the biggest benefits that our ad products offer businesses? 

Spotify Free users tune in to Spotify for two hours each day, making it an essential daily companion that gives brands the unique opportunity to connect with super-engaged fans in our positive environment. People feel good when they’re on Spotify. This is good for advertisers looking to build new connections or go deeper with their audience. In fact, Spotify’s 2024 Culture Next report found that 71% of Gen Zs see Spotify as the ultimate antidote to doomscrolling.

Now it’s easier than ever to reach these users thanks to solutions like the Spotify Ad Exchange and Spotify Ads Manager, and to create audio ads made for Spotify with our intuitive Gen AI Ads. Advertisers in the U.S. and Canada can now leverage generative AI in Spotify Ads Manager to produce scripts and voiceovers at no additional cost, making it easy to create high-quality, scalable audio ads. We’ll be launching Gen AI Ads in the U.K. next.

And because we all know that if you can’t measure it, it really doesn’t matter, we’re also bringing more measurement solutions to our platform. We want to ensure advertisers can more easily understand the impact of their campaigns with tools like an enhanced Spotify Pixel and new partnerships with leading third-party players, including DoubleVerify, IAS, AppsFlyer, and Kochava.

How is Spotify Advertising unlocking innovative ways for brands to connect with artists, creators, and fans?

We’re on the cutting edge of culture and creativity—and we know that’s one of the reasons advertisers turn to Spotify. So just as we’re making it easier to buy on Spotify, we’re making it even easier for advertisers to create for Spotify and in collaboration with us. That’s where our in-house agencies, Creative Lab and AUX, come in.

Creative Lab is our dedicated team of creative minds that works collaboratively with brands and agencies to inspire and scale creativity to build unique and effective campaigns made just for the Spotify platform.

Our in-house music consulting agency AUX leverages our expertise in music, culture, creators, and fandom to elevate brands as only Spotify can. Today, we welcomed Visa and Kona Big Wave to the AUX family and announced the expansion of our partnership with Coke Studio.

How should advertisers approach younger audiences like Gen Z, assuming their habits are different from older generations?

More than 251 million Gen Zers turn to Spotify as their daily companion, so we know this audience well. We’ve built an intimate, engaging, and uplifting space for them, and they also use us to soundtrack moments throughout their day—not just when they’re sitting in front of a screen. For brands, that’s a really exciting opportunity to engage this young audience at key moments throughout their day. Now it’s easier than ever to do that on Spotify. 

Check out more coverage from Spotify Advance and visit Spotify Advertising for more about our advertising program and tools.

e.l.f. Cosmetics Uplifts Emerging Artists With a New Soundtrack to Your Beauty Routine

October 31, 2024

When it comes to self-expression, music and makeup are powerful tools that often go hand in hand. That’s why Spotify is excited to spotlight a new project from e.l.f. Cosmetics: Get Ready With Music, The Album. The cosmetics brand worked with a diverse group of artists to create 16 original tracks for its very own album, celebrating beauty, belonging, and expression.

A creative twist on the popular “get ready with me” social media trend, the album showcases both up-and-coming talent and more established artists, including Betty Who, Charlotte Rose Benjamin, Mariangela, Meduulla, Alana, Black Gatsby, Jenita, Dianna Lopez, Zoe Ko, Olivia Reyes, Tasty Lopez, and Cakes da Killa.

Infused with the creative energy and spirit of these artists, the songs encourage fans to embrace their individuality. By highlighting these rising stars, Spotify and e.l.f. aim to foster a sense of community and belonging among our listeners, bridging the worlds of music and beauty. And with e.l.f. Cosmetics leveraging our ad platform, the brand not only expands its reach but also connects more authentically with music fans.

To celebrate the launch, For the Record caught up with Patrick O’Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer at e.l.f. Cosmetics, and pop trailblazer Betty Who, whose track “Wings” is all about self-love. We chatted about the project: how it came to be, what it represents, and the artistry that ties it all together. 

Patrick, what inspired e.l.f. to create this album?

Patrick: We were inspired by the countless “get ready with me” beauty videos that have flooded our social media feeds. Our community loves to listen to music while they get ready, so we wanted to create an album that would be the perfect soundtrack for their beauty routines. Then we did some more digging and found out that 92% of women say listening to music while getting ready boosts their mood, so we knew we were onto something good!

We have a history of merging beauty and music, including our chart-topping single with Manuel Turizo, “ojos. labios. cara.” and our previous holiday album, e.l.f. The Hauls. Our new entertainment arm, e.l.f. made, allows us to fully immerse ourselves in this creative project and take on entertainment with more vigor. The album is a megaphone for emerging artists and gives them a platform to step into their whole selves and share their magic.

How did you land on the featured artists?

Patrick: We wanted to create an album that reflected our unique global community, so we tapped into a group of artists that represents the diversity of our e.l.f. beauty enthusiasts. We included global artists like Betty, as well as local talent like Olivia Reyes, who was a contestant on The Voice and is one of our employees at e.l.f.!

We first heard Olivia sing last year at a company off-site and all the stars aligned. We knew there was so much power in her voice, and we had to share it with our community. By featuring artists from different backgrounds and experiences, we’re continuing to celebrate inclusivity and champion every eye, lip, and face.

Betty, what was it like to work on this project?

Betty: It’s been such a pleasure to work with e.l.f. throughout this process. I love being in the studio and being on set, so this collaboration has given me such a fun opportunity to combine those two passions. I think I have a lot of crossover with e.l.f. in the kind of art I want to make. Their message of inclusivity and accessibility really speaks to me.

Betty Who

Tell us about “Wings,” your song on the album.

Betty: The second I heard “Wings,” I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I think of music as a mantra sometimes—the songs we listen to are spells that we’re casting, if you want to get *witchy* with it. So this is the perfect song to inspire confidence and self-love, even on days when those feelings feel far away.

Music and makeup are forms of self-expression. Why do you think they’re both so special and important to promote?

Patrick: Music and makeup can have a profound impact on how we feel about ourselves. We’re merging these worlds because they can help us connect with others, express our individuality, and feel more confident. Ultimately, we can help our community unlock their full potential and feel empowered to be themselves.

Betty: The possibilities of self-expression through makeup are endless. Makeup is such a beautiful and fun way to try new things and decide who we are on a day-to-day basis. Some days I’m subtle, some days I’m an over-the-top diva! Having the ability to choose who I want to be on any given day is so freeing.

What’s your “get ready with me” anthem?

Betty: Well, we’ve obviously made the perfect playlist for getting ready with this album. And something about my song “Wings” makes me feel like all my best friends are standing in the mirror next to me while I get ready, gassing me up.

Patrick: One of the things I love about this album is that there are anthems for every mood. Depending on how I’m feeling, I might choose a different song to help set my intentions for my day ahead. It’s hard to choose a favorite because they’re all in heavy rotation as I’m getting ready in the morning, in the car to work, and when I need that extra boost on the weekends.

Describe e.l.f.’s album in three words.

Betty: FULL. OF. BOPS!

Patrick: Inclusive. Magnetic. And e.l.f.ing empowering!

Stream Get Ready With Music, The Album on Spotify.

That’s a Wrap on Cannes Lions 2024! Inside the Awards, Spotify Beach Action, and More

June 21, 2024

This week, Spotify returned to the South of France for the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which recognizes excellence in the world of marketing and advertising. This annual gathering of the biggest brands, coolest creators, and most famous faces is an exciting opportunity to showcase how our platform inspires creativity, connection, and innovation.

This year, we’re thrilled to share that Spotify Advertising took home nine awards for Spreadbeats, our latest B2B marketing campaign that features a first-of-its-kind music video made and distributed entirely in a media plan spreadsheet. The campaign earned one Grand Prix Lion, two Gold Lions, three Silver Lions, and three Bronze Lions across several categories, including Digital Craft, Creative B2B, Creative Data, and more. It was the most shortlisted of all Cannes Lions submissions. Additionally, Spotify won a Bronze Lion in the Creative Effectiveness category for our 2023 Wrapped On-Platform experience, our biggest Wrapped yet.

These wins cap off a jam-packed week for Spotify at Cannes. With it being our 10th year at the festival, we wanted to make sure the Spotify experience was more alive than ever. As Cannes Lions lit up the Croisette, Spotify Beach was at the center of the action, home to inspiring conversations during the day and unmissable musical performances at night. Relive all the festivities and see photos from each day below.

Monday, June 17

We kicked things off with some fascinating conversations with singer-songwriter Shaboozey and PepsiCo International Beverages Chief Marketing Officer Mark Kirkham, who touched on brand partnership and creative content, with a special focus on the relationship between music, sports, and culture.

From there, comedian, content creator, and Therapuss host Jake Shane sat down with Brad Ross, VP of Global Sports and Entertainment Marketing & Partnerships at The Coca-Cola Company, to discuss building a community on Spotify and defining your brand. We capped the conversation off with the exciting announcement that Spotify is bringing daylist—our ever-changing playlist feature—to even more fans in more languages around the world in the coming months. “I love using Spotify to document my life—I add songs kind of like a diary. With daylist, it’s really fun getting playlists that capture what I’m feeling on a random Tuesday afternoon or a Sunday morning,” said Jake. “It’s like a musical diary entry made for me.”

Last but not least, we gathered some of the week’s hottest stars at a scenic villa in the hills for our annual Spotify Soirée. The evening featured an acoustic performance from John Legend, as well as DJ sets from Tinea Taylor and Pearl Thusi. Guests included Jessica Alba, Joe Burrow, Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York, Alix Earle, and Sophia Bush, among others.