Spotify opens way for local podcasters

Since its entrance to the local and Caribbean market in February, audio streaming and media company Spotify has been using a number of tools to generate and grow Caribbean content.

Late last year, the company launched its Caribbean hub and new island pop playlist, “which will include the amazing pop music from the islands which blends a lot of Caribbean sounds together,” its head of new market Niklas Lundberg said.

The company is also now seeking to generate more content out of the region through its podcasts.

On August 4 the company announced its new investigative podcast Loud which chronicles the “ history and evolution of reggaeton, hosted by iconic Puerto Rican singer, rapper and songwriter Ivy Queen, and plenty of artistes who expanded the genre.”

The company hopes to grow more Caribbean and TT-based podcasts, something that’s already happening, Lundberg said.

“Our creation tools for podcasters such as Anchor, where creators have the ability to record, distribute, and monetise their podcasts from any device (for free), and Spotify for Podcasters is available to creators in the Caribbean with the aim to set them up for success with their content.

“This is the same set of tools that’s available to international peers. In addition, in some markets around the world we offer opportunities for podcasters such as Sound Up, which gives underrepresented podcasters the tools to boost their platforms and build their own shows, which we’re continuing to expand to new markets.”

Its overall mission in the region is to connect local artistes with a wider audience both locally and globally.

The company has been well received in the region, Lundberg said.

“By opening our platform to creators in the region we give them access to our innovative creator tools that gives them better understanding of their audiences – as well as exposing them to more local and global fans and thus allowing them to live off their art,” he added.

He said its Caribbean hub and new playlist were also very well received in the artiste and user community. The hub has four shelves – popular, dancehall, soca and new releases showcase the wide range of sounds and talent from the region.

“And by being present in the region Spotify will continue to update and iterate the hub over time to cover releases from new and existing talents and enable Caribbean artistes to connect with the right fans worldwide and locally,” he said.

In June it also launched Greenroom, a new social audio app.

Lundberg said the app lets people host and participate in live discussions.

“Through virtual rooms, people can listen and talk about the things they love with artists and fans with similar interests,” he said.

A Tech Crunch June 16 article said the new mobile app would allow Spotify users worldwide to join or host live audio rooms, and optionally turn those conversations into podcasts and that it also announced a creator fund which would help fuel the app with more content in the future.

As Spotify goes forward in the region it hopes, “to continue surfacing incredible local talents, introducing them to more Spotify listeners so they have the opportunity to discover unique local sounds, voices, and cultures.

“As we enter new markets, we are not only giving artistes a global stage, but we are also accelerating the discovery of more genres, like reggaeton, on a global scale,” Lundberg said.