Tag: video

Talking Tech, Tunes, and Beyond as Spotify Talks Launches in Pakistan

September 26, 2022

Today the conversation gets a little more lively as we launch the first episode of Spotify Talks in Pakistan.

Spotify Talks is a quarterly series of hour-long conversations hosted here that give Pakistani listeners the inside scoop on what’s going on in the local entertainment, music, and tech scenes. From how to keep the music industry growing to the latest trends in advertising, discussions each episode will feature a diverse panel of industry leaders, tastemakers, and creators. 

The first season kicks off with a bang as the host, actress and VJ Anoushey Ashraf, brings together artists and EQUAL Ambassadors Natasha Baig, Momina Mustehsan, and Zoha Zuberi along with Spotify Music Manager Rutaba Yaqub for a lively discussion on the ups and downs that come with being a woman in the music industry. 

For the Record sat down with Rutaba Yaqub—Spotify’s Music Manager for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan—to learn more about what listeners can expect from Spotify Talks.

Why are you launching Spotify Talks?

Culture is close to our heart at Spotify—and by culture, we’re talking about Pakistan’s rich music scene, its talented creators, and the fans who make it possible for artists to reach new heights every day. Spotify Talks is all about that. 

Through Spotify Talks, we are leveraging our platform to bring together key industry players, tastemakers, and experts to have conversations about the latest movements across music, technology, and entertainment in Pakistan. Each episode of the digital series will cover a new topic, and we hope that our viewers leave feeling inspired by the amazing stories our guests will share. 

What should we expect from Spotify Talks?

You can expect candid and engaging conversations among experts with varying backgrounds. Each episode touches on hard-hitting topics important to Pakistan, such as women in music, piracy, cultivating local talent, the latest trends in advertising, authenticity in the digital age, and more. 

Our first episode is a celebration of women in music, reflecting on their triumphs and challenges and looking at how EQUAL Pakistan contributed to the discovery of women’s voices around the globe. 

What have been the major milestones for EQUAL Pakistan in the last six months? 

On International Women’s Day this year, we launched the EQUAL Pakistan playlist to highlight the importance of equity for women in music. It is already challenging to pursue a career in music in Pakistan, let alone embark on this journey as a woman where platforms never existed to amplify the music careers of Pakistani women. 

Every year on Women’s Day in March, we hear a lot of noise about giving equal rights to women, but this noise is time-bound. Therefore, keeping this in mind, our goal is to make that noise throughout the year, giving the opportunity to all women in music from singers to producers. 

Since the launch of EQUAL Pakistan six months ago, the program’s dedicated playlist has seen a 63% increase in streams by listeners in Pakistan. And fans from all over the globe are streaming Pakistani women artists at full volume, from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to Canada. 

We are proud to say that women artists added to the EQUAL Pakistan playlist are about 20 times more likely to be discovered by new fans. 

What are your hopes for Pakistani women artists in years to come? 

We hope that Pakistani women artists keep creating music and have their work seen and heard—not just in Pakistan, but all over the globe. Seeing more women in music will motivate more women to pursue careers in the field, without hesitation.

As Pakistan’s music industry continues to evolve, providing a nurturing environment for women artists and supporting them will be crucial. We have plenty of phenomenal talent coming out of the country, and with EQUAL, we will continue inspiring and encouraging our listeners to play their music at full volume. 

This is just the beginning. 

 

See what everybody’s talking about by tuning in to the EQUAL Pakistan playlist:

All Creators in Select Markets Can Now Publish Video Podcasts on Spotify

April 21, 2022

Podcasters Ricky and Denzel in green box

*Update as of Tuesday, November 15, 2022: Video podcast publishing capabilities are now available to Anchor creators in over 180 global markets. Learn more here.

Last fall, Spotify began activating Video Podcasts for creators on a limited basis. Since then, we’ve found that podcasters love having the option to accompany their audio with visual components, and fans love having the opportunity to more deeply connect with the content. So as the audience for this format grows, we’re also opening up the Video Podcast capability to more creators, creating a growing catalog of video podcasts. Starting today, we’re expanding Video Podcasts on Spotify to all creators in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.K. Creators will have the ability to upload their video content to Spotify through Anchor as easily as they already publish audio. 

Visual interactions allow fans to get to know their favorite podcast hosts even better, and allow creators to connect with their audiences in a much deeper way. But if you want to stick to the pure audio experience, that’s great too—video on Spotify is backgroundable for all listeners, so you can immerse yourself in the content when you want to, or simply lean back and just listen.

Two displays of "We Said What We Said" podcast, one is a Video Podcast

But wait—there are new features too. 

As exciting as Video Podcasts are, we know this is new territory for many podcasters. And since Video Podcasting is more than simply uploading a video, alongside our expansion to more podcasters, we’re also enabling new features to help set creators up for success. 

Here’s what’s new: 

  • Access for everyone: Starting now, creators in these five markets can find Video Podcast uploading capabilities on Anchor’s web platform. We plan to roll this out to additional markets in the future. 
  • Podcast Subscriptions: Spotify Podcast Subscriptions will be available for video podcasts, empowering creators to own their monetization models by creating exclusive content, gating video, and more. Stay tuned—we’re working on more monetization features to come soon.
  • Integration with Riverside: Today we’re also kicking off a partnership with Riverside, the go-to platform for remote recording. The integration enables creators to record and publish video content for free with Riverside with a quick distribution path to Spotify via Anchor.
  • Embeddable video: Now, when you embed a Video Podcast episode from Spotify, the video will play directly in the embed player wherever you placed it. It’s a great tool—whether you’re excited to share great content with friends or grow your audience.
  • Video Bulk-Replace: Bulk-replace allows Anchor creators to easily replace their existing audio episodes with video versions from an easy-to-use interface. Get ready for more time creating content and less time editing it.
  • Video Analytics: Video-specific analytics will give creators deep insights into their videos’ performance on Spotify, enabling them to better understand their audiences and publish content suited to them.
  • Interactive capabilities: Our interactive podcast features, like Polls and Q&A, will be available for Video Podcasts so creators can connect with and get feedback directly from their listeners.

With this latest expansion, we’re continuing to make Video Podcasting a great experience for creators—empowering them to reach new global audiences, own how they monetize their content, and interact with fans in new ways. There’s a massive opportunity for Video Podcasts on Spotify, and we can’t wait to see what creators bring to the table.

Want to make a Video Podcast of your own? Check out our guide on Anchor’s blog for the full details for creators.

Listen—and Watch—Your Favorite Creators as Video Podcasting Comes to Spotify

October 21, 2021

When you head to Spotify to stream your favorite podcast, sometimes you’re looking for an active listening experience—one with the option to more deeply engage with the content you’re listening to. That’s why we’ve created features like Polls and Q&A for a chance to interact with creators. It’s also why we’ve incorporated video podcasts alongside our audio offering so fans can get to know their favorite podcast hosts even better, and creators can connect with their audiences in a much deeper way.

When we began rolling out video podcasts on Spotify, we tested the format with a variety of Spotify Originals. Since then, we’ve found that our users want the option to easily switch between audio only and video depending on where they are, what they’re doing, and what they’re enjoying. So today, we’re beginning a major expansion of our video podcast catalog—by putting it in the capable hands of creators. 

Soon, Spotify users will see a lot more video podcasts on the platform as we open up access for creators to begin publishing video podcasts to Spotify. This tool will be accessible through Anchor, Spotify’s podcasting platform, and will offer a seamless way for creators to upload video content and publish to Spotify. 

We’ll be launching on a rolling basis with a number of key creators, including existing podcasters who are expanding to video as well as video creators looking to extend their offering to Spotify listeners. Some of these include Philip DeFranco, The GaryVee Audio Experience, Jasmine Chiswell, The WAN Show, Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald, Mark Manson, Tap In w/ Harry Jowsey, and many more to come. These shows join Spotify Originals and Exclusives including The Ringer’s Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay and The Joe Rogan Experience. Expect to see more original video podcasts from Spotify in the future.

Ready to take a watch and a listen? Here’s how to find video content:

  1. Open the Spotify mobile app. 
  2. Navigate to the show you’re excited about and go to the episode page.
  3. Hit “Play” on a podcast episode.
  4. Tap the play bar at the bottom of the screen to view the video full-screen.
  5. Sit back, listen, and watch! (Or if you want to go back to just listening, you can easily do that too). 

More video podcasts will soon be coming to Spotify, so keep an ear—and an eye—on your favorite creators and shows.

Are you a podcast creator? Head over to Anchor’s blog to learn more about the video podcasting feature.

Watch 15-Year-Old Jazz Pianist Joey Alexander Share His Passion for Music

August 17, 2018

Each time jazz musician Joey Alexander opens Spotify, he sees something that most 15-year-olds don’t: his fourth studio album. What’s more, he sees the numbers: 400,000-plus listeners from around the world follow the Indonesian jazz pianist.

The care and delight Joey expresses with each stroke of the keyboard is apparent in his performance of his own free composition, “Eclipse,” seen in an exclusive interview and performance with Joey at Steinway Hall in New York City. Between his utter surrender to the melody and the excitement with which he shares his story, it is clear that when Joey plays, he pours his heart and soul into the music and instrument he loves.

Music has always been a part of Joey’s life. He taught himself piano when he was 6 years old by both listening to his father’s jazz albums and sitting down at the piano to practice playing the notes himself. At 9, he won the Grand Prix at the 2013 Master-Jam Fest, an international, all-ages jazz competition. And when he was 11, he became the youngest jazz artist ever to be nominated for a Grammy. But what’s most important in all of this, he says, is “to enjoy every moment.”

It’s more than talent and dedication that have pushed Joey decades ahead of his peers in his musical career. His passion for jazz, belief in music’s ability to bring people together, and love of storytelling through composition all fuel his playing—and keep him going. Joey’s musical influences and inspiration span decades of jazz expertise, as you can hear in his Inspiration Playlist:

Between his utter surrender to the melody and the excitement with which he shares his story, it is clear that when Joey plays, he pours his heart and soul into the music and instrument he loves.

‘See You Again’: Charlie Puth’s Musical Homecoming

July 30, 2018

Most people visit their alma maters excited to see their old dorms or to catch the homecoming tailgate and football game. But when Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/producer Charlie Puth stopped by his old stomping grounds at Berklee College of Music in July, it was for slightly more academic reasons: to be a frank, off-the-cuff guest lecturer for students looking to perfect their music and pursue their passion, just as he did.

The Berklee grad (class of 2013) walked away from college with a degree in music production and engineering, as well as knowledge and experience that helped him land his first major label deal, with Atlantic, in 2015. From there, he collaborated with Meghan Trainor on their hit single “Marvin Gaye,” and Wiz Khalifa on the Grammy-nominated number “See You Again.” He released his debut album, Nine Track Mind, in January 2016.

Yet throughout his burgeoning fame he hasn’t forgotten his roots. On July 12, Puth joined up with Spotify and one of his former Berklee teachers, Grammy-nominated hit songwriter and former “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi, to host a special workshop and live performance for current top-performing upperclassmen at campus hot spot Cafe 939. He reflected on his time at the school and launching his career, workshopped with students, provided tips for improvement, and even performed some of his hits, including “Done for Me,” “How Long,” “Attention,” “The Way I Am,” and “See You Again.”

“I’m on cloud nine right now, you know why?” Charlie asked the class. “I played a show in front of 15,000 people last night. But my first show ever was in this room. It’s come full circle.”

Listen to Charlie Puth’s newest, self-produced album, Voicenotes.