Q. How would you describe Spotify and what makes it the leading streaming platform for music creators and listeners?

Padmanabhan: We at Spotify realize that that we need to play our part bolstering the creator economy. Spotify has always been an artist first platform. We have always wanted artists to make money from their art and have gone all the way in connecting the artist with their fans. It is one of the core beliefs at Spotify that it is all about the artist and their fandom. Another important distinguishing feature at Spotify is the personalization user experiences on the app. Every listener has a different experience which is tailored to his/her likes and dislikes. The strong algorithm working the app is designed to present to the user the music that they prefer. Some dig Punjabi music, some head-bang to a hard rock hit, while there are those that prefer trance music. We cater to all listeners. This makes Spotify truly unique even from a listener point of view.
From the perspective of music creators, Spotify was the first Music App to reveal to Artists the way their music was used; Who are your listeners? Where are they listening from? How much time they are spending listening to your music and other such specific information was provided meticulously. Such intricate data for the Artist was provided by Spotify for the first time. Details like which city the song is being heard, the demography of the audience etc. was delivered routinely. Spotify did this at a very early stage of its launch. Music apps today are providing input that matter to the artist, but Spotify was the pioneer. Prior to this the only way an artist could know the response to his/her music was when he played live in front of a crowd or visited a music store.
This is what makes Spotify truly unique both from the creators and listeners point of view. The algorithm gives the listener a truly personalized and memorable experience. The available data for the artist helps them make decisions based on their strength as an artist. I would add that Spotify does not believe in Exclusive. Exclusive means that an artist offers his /her product only to a particular platform and no other. This, in fact, goes on to benefit the platform and not the artist as he misses out on all the other platforms. This is myopic. We advise artists to release their song on every platform and at the same time. Fans feel cheated if they are asked to download another app to listen to the artist of their choice and may in fact never listen to such an artist again.

 

Q. How does a new artist get their music on Spotify?

Padmanabhan: Artists must approach a label or an aggregator/distributor to get their music on any platform, including Spotify. That is the only way to get on to any platform. Platforms pay these entities for the sound recording who then make payments to the artists depending on their agreements with them. Distributors or labels are the pathways for the creators. Distributors have dashboards that give a clear picture of where the music is being played. There’s accountability in every way. The creator must find his or her way and choose one that suits their temperament. An artist should know which streaming platforms their songs are being distributed by the distributor. This is critical.

 

Q. Emerging artists need more promotion and support to get noticed. How does Spotify go ahead in this crucial area? Are there any Spotify tools that assist in the matter?

Padmanabhan: There are various ways that an artist can promote their music for maximizing their fan base. Artists would err if they looked at Spotify as a promotion platform. It is a music streaming platform. An artist can use social media, mainstream media to promote their music for it to be consumed on Spotify. For Spotify it is worth noting that on the free user model there is space for advertising. The artists label or even an artist in their personal capacity can advertise their music on Spotify for free users and promote their song. My recommendation is that every artist must have a “Spotify for Artist” account on the platform. Codes, Promo-cards, album clips, music video clips (Provided your aggregator has the facility) can be put up for free with the account. Use the pitching tool for your song, Use Canvas which is an 8 second animated videos running on Spotify. These are all free tools available with the Spotify For Artist account. Paid promotions are of course available through our sales team.

 

Q. Algorithms play a pivotal role in the eventual playlists. Help us understand it better?

Padmanabhan: Cooks assembling in the kitchen to cook the meals for the month would be a comparable analogy when one talks about Spotify Algorithms. It is important for an artist to plan their release. Ingesting the song at least a month before the chosen date of release is important. The Artwork, Metadata (Including all the creators involved and their data) and the master file must go at least a month before the release date. The algorithms then get to work and find a way to reach your song to the maximum number of users it feels your song should get. The algorithm will see that your followers on Spotify will get to notice the work. Email, banners, notifications, are the means used for this. The listener base is the next group the algorithm will try to widen by reaching the song to who it thinks can be prospective listeners of the song from the kind of music they listen. Once there is a response the algorithm amplifies the listener base and works for promoting the artist. The number of listeners sharing, saving, not skipping your music are some of the tokens taken into consideration by the algorithm. It is a secret sauce at Spotify and a great way to spread music.

 

Q. What kind of assistance does Spotify provide artists in getting meaningful engagement and collaborations within the music community especially between labels and artists?

Padmanabhan: Fan engagement is pivotal in music promotion of the day. Exploring your social media contacts, the family/friends, and performing live is where it all begins. You may use your alma mater to reach out the Gen Z. These can be the first advocates of your music. One must realize that we as a country like a song, especially film songs. The regular fans cannot distinguish between artists. Fans make a song big. This is the reality. In the west that is the established reality about the success of a song. Punjabi music is perhaps the only exception in India that has caught on to this trend. “Fans are also listening” is a feature on Spotify. Artists must see who they are being grouped with and try to collaborate with such artists. It is important to remember to not use it as a formula as there’s a chance it may backfire. Be discreet in who you collaborate with as an artist.

 

Q. Spotify playlists are much coveted by music creators. How can a creator without the backing of a music label get on Spotify playlists?

Padmanabhan: Source of streams is a feature on Spotify that’d perhaps take you near the idea. Factors deciding the matter include:
Profile induced streams
Algorithm induced streams,
Editorial playlist induced streams,
Personal playlist induced streams (Perhaps the clincher)
Sharing playlists induced streams.
To be included in the editorial playlist needs the song to go viral. Visit the pitching tool “Submit a song” feature on Spotify and write about your song giving the reason you created it; mood, tempo, instruments used etc. This must be written succinctly in about 300 words. The note reaches the editor, who then listens to the song and may decide to put it on the playlist even before its release. It is largely your own contribution in making a song a chartbuster. The other factors are a distant second. You may also chat with other artists who’ve appeared on the editorial playlist for better understanding of its nuances.

 

Q. Can you tell us about an important page on Spotify titled “Loud and Clear”? What is its significance for the artist?

Padmanabhan: The page “Loud and Clear” explains the economics on which Spotify operates. Seventy percent of every rupee we get is distributed among the aggregator and distributor. Every streaming earns money for the creator. There are many independent artists who have made decent revenues from their music streaming’ on Spotify. Registering your song with IPRS, therefore is mandatory. As artists your agreement with the distributor or aggregator decides your income. Platforms like Spotify have no commercial impact on the artists income as we pay the aggregators and the distributors 70% of every streaming on Spotify.

 

Q. What are the initiatives or partnerships for promoting independent music creators on a global platform?

Padmanabhan: Diaspora audiences across the world get to hear your song the moment it is up on Spotify through algorithms and playlists. Indian artists singing in English have a great chance of making the international playlist. Indian bands are on the international playlists too. Tarun Balani, an Indian jazz artist features on the international playlist “New in Jazz”. Shankar Mahadevan and other independent Indian artists have also made their mark on international playlists. Collaborations, in an open world today are happening regularly. Many Indian artists are popular in Spain and other countries.

 

Q. What would be the typical problems Spotify confronts as a streaming platform and how do you address them?

Padmanabhan: The fact that there are very few users who pay for the music they hear is a major challenge. This can be addressed by amplifying the fan base for the artist. Barring Punjabi, and international music fans from India to an extent, most other language music listeners are loath to paying for the music they enjoy. Artists should urge their fans to pay for the music they hear irrespective of the platform they utilize. Metadata ingestion is another issue. Do upload your song with accurate metadata. Your name (Composer/Author) as the main creator should feature in the Metadata. This needs diligence. Different spellings for the same artists are a common mistake. We correct these mistakes at our end but that is obviously not possible in each case. Distributors, for tagging, need to be given the correct URL by the artists. All in all, Spotify is always available to promote the cause of the Artists. The Artists themselves must get their awareness sorted to make their musical journey smooth as a whistle.