Ostroff said Spotify is “ahead of Apple” in more than 60 markets. Spotify said it reaches 286 million monthly active users, which translates to about 54.3 million podcast listeners.Īpple has long been the dominant player in podcast consumption, but Spotify is rising in popularity among listeners. About 19% of Spotify’s monthly active users listen to podcasts, up from 16% last quarter, the company reported as part of its first quarter earnings in April. Those pricey acquisitions are starting to pay off. Celeste Sloman for CNNįor Spotify, music might not actually be the key to success NEW YORK, NEW YORK, November 1, 2019: Dawn Ostroff photographed at the Spotify headquarters in New York City.Credit: Celeste Sloman for CNN. “It’s been clear to us that there’s real opportunity in family consumption.” “What we’ve seen through the pandemic is that people are really sitting down and listening to podcasts in a group,” Ostroff said. They also are listening through more home devices such as televisions and gaming consoles. In an interview with CNN Business’ Rachel Crane, Ostroff said Spotify users have been listening to podcasts later in the day than usual. “It just allows for even more time for them to consume podcasts in different times and different ways.” “I think once things return to normal and people wind up commuting again, the habits that they’re forming now will stay with them,” Ostroff said. That sudden shift wasn’t something the company had anticipated - and it could have been worrying, but Spotify’s Chief Content and Advertising Business Officer Dawn Ostroff said the streaming service is getting even stronger in spite of the pandemic. “It’s clear from our data that morning routines have changed significantly,” the company said in its first quarter earnings release. There was also an uptick in podcasts related to wellness and meditation.

Meanwhile, listening time around activities like cooking, doing chores and family time suddenly surged. Spotify noticed drop-offs in listeners tuning in via their cars and wearable devices - probably because they were no longer commuting into work. Then the coronavirus pandemic struck, and podcasting consumption immediately changed. For a company that was still unprofitable, losing more than $200 million that year, it was a bold move. It airs on CNN on Saturday, June 20 at 2:30 pm ET.Ī year ago, Spotify made an expensive bet, shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars to get into the podcast business. Editor’s Note: The content in this story is part of a “Risk Takers” TV special.

Sources spotify podcasts streetjournal