Spotify recently posted news that their Music + Talk program was expanding. The official press release can be found below:
Last October, Spotify launched a pioneering listening experience called Music + Talk which brings together music and spoken-word content. The unique format weaves full songs and talk commentary together into one show.
Through Anchor, Spotify has also made Music + Talk an accessible format that anyone can use to create these unique shows. Anchor’s suite of tools is already available to users in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Starting today, we’re expanding the experience to millions more creators and listeners around the world and sharing the tool with 15 new markets across Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Where in the world is Music + Talk?
With this expansion, Japan, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia will have access to the blended audio experience.
Creators in these markets will now have access to the “Music” tool in Anchor, where they can incorporate full songs from Spotify’s library of 70 million tracks into their spoken-word audio creations. And in return, listeners can interact directly with the music within an episode by liking, saving, and sharing with each track as they would in any playlist.
The shows will be available to Premium and Free listeners. Spotify Premium users will hear full tracks as part of these shows, while Free users will hear 30-second previews of each song. Shows can be listened to globally wherever Spotify is available.
Our catalog of Music + Talk Spotify Originals will also get a boost across a number of markets as new shows from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, India, Japan, and the Philippines join our library today. Plus, there’s more to come from all the markets included in our latest launch. These shows will explore the many facets of music, from the stories and inspiration behind a song to the listening trends of the modern age, and they will offer an opportunity for artists to engage listeners in a unique way.
More ways to get inspired
Along with the market expansion, Spotify will begin offering a variety of new educational and inspirational resources for creators interested in using Music + Talk.
Today also marks the launch of an exciting new Spotify Original called Music + Talk: Unlocked, which will explore creative uses of the Music + Talk format—from guided runs to music trivia and more. Listeners and creators can find more best-in-class shows in the Music + Talk hub in the Spotify app.
Since we rolled out Music + Talk last year, we’ve learned from the needs and behaviors of listeners, as we always do with new products. Savvy streamers will notice that we’ve implemented small tweaks to improve the listening experience and reflect those needs: clearer visual distinction between the music and talk segments of an episode and music previews on episode pages.
We can’t wait to see new creativity and stories from around the globe as more markets make the audio storytelling features their own. Check out Anchor’s blog post and creator landing page for more information on how to get started with Music + Talk.
