Spotify got a big boost this year from an unexpected audience

kAm!6@A=6 DEC62>65 >FD:4 7C@> E96:C 82>:?8 4@?D@=6D ddT >@C6 E9:D J62C 4@>A2C65 E@ =2DE J62C[ $A@E:7J E@=5 r}} qFD:?6DD]k^Am

kAmQ%9:D J62C H2D F?=:<6 ,2?J. 367@C6 2?5 2D A6@A=6 DE2CE65 E@ D@4:2= 5:DE2?46[ FD6CD H6C6 =@@<:?8 7@C H2JD E@ DE2J 4@??64E65 H:E9 6249 @E96C G:CEF2==J[Q D2:5 $92?@? r@@<[ $A@E:7JVD 9625 @7 8=@32= 4F=EFC6 2?5 EC6?5D] Qv2>:?8 D66>65 E@ 36 D@>6E9:?8 E92E AC@G:565 E92E 766=:?8 @7 4@??64E:G:EJ[ H9:=6 2=D@ A2DD:?8 E:>6 2E 9@>6]Qk^Am

kAmxEVD 92C5=J 2 DFCAC:D6 E92E DEC62>:?8 :D FA 24C@DD E96 3@2C5[ 3FE $A@E:7J E@=5 r}} qFD:?6DD E96C6 H6C6 D@>6 F?6IA64E65 EC6?5D E9:D J62C]k^Am

kAmv2>6CD EF?65 :? 62C=J] %96 >FD:4 DEC62>65 @? 82>:?8 4@?D@=6D 36EH66? E96 9@FCD @7 e 2> 2?5 h>2> C@D6 cfT 7C@> =2DE J62C] %96:C AC676CC65 86?C6n |@DE=J C2A 2?5 EC2A >FD:4] %96 E@A D@?8D DEC62>65 @? 82>:?8 4@?D@=6D :?4=F565 Q%96 q@IQ 3J #@55J #:449[ Qq=F636CCJ u2J8@Q 3J {:= |@D6J[ Q8@@D63F>ADQ 3J C2AA6C %C2G:D $4@EE[ Q#~rz$%p#Q 3J s2q23J 762E] #@55J #:449 2?5 Qu2==:?8Q 3J %C6G@C s2?:6=]k^Am

kAm$A@E:7J EC277:4 7@C %C2G:D $4@EE[ H9@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4??]4@>^a_a_^_h^_b^3FD:?6DD^EC2G:D\D4@EE\>45@?2=5D\EC?5^:?56I]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm92D 562=D H:E9 |4s@?2=5Dk^2m[ !=2J$E2E:@? 2?5 u@CE?:E6[ D<JC@4<6E65 27E6C 96 A6C7@C>65 2 G:CEF2= 4@?46CE :?D:56 u@CE?:E6] %96 DEC62>:?8 A=2E7@C> ?@E65 DEC62>D :?4C62D65 a_fT H@C=5H:56 36EH66? pAC:= ae 2?5 pAC:= b_ 4@>A2C65 E@ E96 D2>6 A6C:@5 =2DE J62C]k^Am

kAm!6@A=6 24EF2==J D@F89E @FE G:56@ 82>6 >FD:4] %96 >@DE A@AF=2C G:56@ 82>6 D@F?5EC24<D E9:D J62C H6C6 7C@> Qk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4??]4@>^a_a_^_d^ae^E649^>:?64C27E\5F?86@?D\I3@I\?6H\C6=62D6^:?56I]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm|:?64C27Ek^2m[Q E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4??]4@>^a_a_^_`^a`^E649^5@@>\6E6C?2=\92?5D\@?^:?56I]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm@C:8:?2= Qs@@>k^2mQ 2?5 Qk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4??]4@>^a_a_^_g^_`^E649^562E9\DEC2?5:?8\<@;:>2\A4\ADc\=2F?49^:?56I]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qms62E9 $EC2?5:?8k^2m]Qk^Am

kAma_a_ H2D 2=D@ 2 3:8 J62C 7@C G:CEF2= 2CE:DED — >FD:4:2?D C6AC6D6?E65 3J 7:4E:@?2= A6CD@?2D[ DF49 2D E96 32?5 v@C:==2K] y2A2?6D6 G:CEF2= D:?86C w2EDF?6 |:<F D2H DEC62>D 8@ FA `beT E9:D J62C]k^Am

kAmx? a_`g[ #:@E v2>6D[ H9:49 >2<6D E96 9:E 82>6 Q{628F6 @7 {686?5D[Q :?G6?E65 2 G:CEF2= A@A DE2C 8C@FA 42==65 z^sp] %96:C ?2>6 :D 2 ?@5 E@ 4@>>@? {628F6 @7 {686?5D =:?8@i E96 <:==D[ 562E9D 2?5 2DD:DED A=2J6CD C24< FA :? 6249 82>6 2?5 E92E 86E ?@E65 @? E96 D4@C63@2C5] %9:D J62C[ #:@E 3C@F89E E96 8C@FA[ G@:465 3J C62=\=:76 D:?86CD[ 324< H:E9 2 ?6H 2=3F>[ H9@D6 D@?8D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3:==3@2C5]4@>^2CE:4=6D^?6HD^=:DE^hchffb_^36DE\A@A\D@?8D\a_a_^nFE>0>65:F>lD@4:2=U2>AjFE>0D@FC46lEH:EE6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmE@AA65 q:==3@2C5 492CEDk^2m] xED DEC62>D H6C6 FA `_hT E9:D J62C @? $A@E:7J]k^Am

kAm#:@E D2:5 E92E :ED :?G6?E:@? @7 z^sp 92D 96=A65 :E C6249 2 3C@256C 2F5:6?46 36J@?5 {628F6 82>6CD 2?5 86E >@C6 A6@A=6 :?E6C6DE65 :? E96 82>6VD 4@?E6?E[ :E E@=5 r}} qFD:?6DD :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am

kAmr@@< D2:5 E92E 82>:?8 2?5 >FD:4 8@ 92?5 :? 92?5[ 2D 82>6CD E6?5 E@ =:DE6? H9:=6 E96J A=2J]k^Am

kAm$A@E:7J :D 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ =@@< 2E A2CE?6CD9:AD H:E9 82>:?8 4@CA@C2E:@?D] |@DE C646?E=J[ $A@E:7J A2CE?6C65 H:E9 {628F6 @7 {686?5D[ 2?5 :E 4@?E:?F6D E@ H@C< H:E9 |:4C@D@7E 2?5 $@?J @? E96 )3@I 2?5 !=2J$E2E:@? A=2E7@C>D]k^Am

kAmpD 82>:?8 4@?D@=6 DEC62>D 92G6 :?4C62D65[ $A@E:7J 92D 25565 E@ :ED 4FC2E65 A=2J=:DED[ QE9:?<:?8 E9C@F89 9@H 2?5 H92E A6@A=6 H2?E E@ =:DE6? E@ H9:=6 E96J A=2J[Q D2:5 r@@<]k^Am