Spotify Just Revolutionized Music In Podcasts and The Potential For Artists Is Huge

A new Spotify format enables the addition of full songs to podcasts and it should mean big wins for artists on multiple fronts.

Spotify Pays Artists When A Song Is Played

Previously adding music to a podcast meant navigating thorny licensing issues. That meant that very little music was used.

Now artists are paid the same as any song streamed on Spotify.

“Shows using this format are exclusive to Spotify because they rely on Spotify’s music catalog licenses and compensate musicians and songwriters just like any regular stream of a music track on Spotify,” writes Spotify. “Premium listeners will hear full tracks as part of these shows, and those with the Free tier will hear 30-second music previews.”

Podcasters Will Use More Music

To qualify, a podcaster just needs to record using the free Anchor podcasting app which Spotify purchased last year.

When creating a new episode the creator can use the new ‘Music’ tool inside Anchor to access the Spotify music catalog. There they search for songs or artists, and if on desktop, they can connect a Spotify account to browse and select songs from playlists.

The initial launch is in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

New Opportunites For Musicians

This clever combination of Spotify’s music and podcasting ecosystems also seems likely to unleash a multitude of opportunities for creative musicians.

Imagine an artist sharing the story behind each track on their new release or creating a Christmas message and playlist for their fans.

“With shows that use this new format, listeners can interact with the music within the episodes, in the same way they interact with all other song tracks on Spotify (for example liking, saving, and reading more information about a track) without having to leave the episode page or search for it manually,” wrote Spotify.

Some formats for artists suggested by Spotify:

Play and discuss the music that inspires you Every artist is a fan, too. Do a deep dive into the timeless songs, albums, and artists you love. Talk about how you discovered them and how they’ve influenced your work.

Tell the stories behind your songs Give fans context for your music. Break down lyrics, explain your musical choices, and give anecdotes about your creative process.

Spotlight your collabs and collaborators Music is a team sport. Help fans get to know the other artists in your world and feature your work with them.

Let fans know what music you have in rotation right now Your taste makes you unique. It’s already evident in your music but you can do even more to demonstrate it through your own curation of a show that features that you’re listening to in the moment.

Engage with shows that feature your music With your music on Spotify, creators around the world can add your songs to their shows and help you reach new listeners on Spotify. When you see a show that features your work, share it on social media, reach out to the creator, or add it to one of your Spotify playlists.

Feature shows on your artist profile Whether you record a show with music, you guest on someone else’s talk show, or your music is featured by a creator — you can pin any show or individual episode to your artist profile through the Artist Pick feature in Spotify for Artists.

Examples Of New Shows

To showcase the potential there are seven new Spotify Original Shows that use the feature.

All of these Spotify Original Shows can be found in the “Shows with Music” hub in Browse, or in a programmed shelf on the usersHome tab.

• 10 Songs that Made Me
• Rock This With Allison Hagendorf
• 60 Songs that Explain the 90s
• Conspiracy Theories: Music Edition
• Our Love Song
• Halleloo Happy Hour with DJ Shangela
• Murder Ballads

More info on the launch and how it works here.