SWIMMING IN THE STREAM: SPOTIFY'S RACHEL WHITNEY

What is your assessment of where country is now in the streaming landscape? In what ways has it grown and why?

It’s growing tremendously. Year over year, it’s the fastest-growing genre in the U.S., with strong global growth as well. While there are certainly outstanding artists leading the charge, I would also credit the growth to listeners becoming more comfortable being genre-agnostic. The beauty of streaming is the ability for listeners to discover their next favorite song without genre boundaries. As a result, users are becoming more open to letting the music speak for itself.

What initiatives has your platform used to cultivate the country audience? Where have you seen the biggest response/engagement?

CMA Fest is always an incredible activation for us. This year alone, we had over 70 artists play. It’s an event for the fans, allowing them to hear newer artists as well as superstars who may not play small venues anymore. Our Hot Country Instagram largely spreads the word during CMA Fest, and every year we’re seeing significant growth and engagement. On Spotify, playlists like “Hot Country,” “Indigo” and “Homegrown” are seeing consistent growth. We’re watching what our listeners are responding to and helping them find more music that fits their taste through our playlists, marketing campaigns, events and more.

Which acts have broken through? What are you learning from your users?

Spotify is a place where artists can build true careers, not just experience a viral moment. Our Fresh Finds program has led to success for artists like Tanner Adell, Alana Springsteen, Dylan Marlowe, Megan Moroney and Ella Langley, who all played our CMA Fest Spotify House Fresh Finds stage in 2022. Fast forward, and these artists all rocked the main stage at the event this year and are experiencing significant listening on Spotify. Megan Moroney, for example, now has over 90 million streams with her song “Tennessee Orange.”

Demographically, who are the biggest streamers of country music? How does it break down?

On Spotify, it’s overwhelmingly Gen-Z & Millennials. With the promise of discovery, curated playlists and ease of sharing music, Spotify is the go-to for these engaged country listeners.

We notice the long tail is particularly in effect with country, as fans of the genre seem to add to their playlists but not subtract, so songs from several years ago still stream well. Can you speak to this?

Country fans are extremely loyal to their favorite artists, and the songs they love become part of the fabric of their lives. They are more likely to integrate new songs into their go-to playlists without letting go of their favorites. The country-music community also has a meaningful reverence for the past. Artists often focus on the legacy of country music as they talk about their careers, and they idolize the artists they grew up listening to. Fans discover icons through their new favorites and reflect that in their listening patterns.