Spotify Plans New Formats Beyond Music and Podcasts as It Eyes Next 20 Years
Spotify marked its 20th anniversary this week with plans to expand beyond its core offerings of music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Sten Garmark, the company's Global Head of Consumer Experience, said the platform will add new creative formats in the coming years, though he did not specify which ones.
"We've added wonderful new types of creative people to the platform," Garmark said. "I think we're going to add some more formats that people are going to love from more creative people."
AI Tools for Creators, Controls for Users
Spotify views AI as a production tool for artists, similar to how electric guitars and samplers became standard instruments. Many artists already use AI in their work, Garmark said.
The company is pushing user control further by letting people express their preferences in their own language rather than relying solely on algorithmic recommendations. "The unlocking of AI enables users to express who they want to be and what they aspire to do," Garmark said. "Not what an algorithm believes they should do, but what they want to do themselves."
Spotify also plans to strengthen social features. The company acknowledged being a "singular player" in community-building and wants to expand multiplayer features that let friends interact around shared interests.
Removing Fraudulent AI Tracks
Spotify faces a darker side of AI: fraudulent streams and artist impersonation. The company removed 25 million AI-generated tracks in the last 12 months and has established rules against impersonation.
"There are other people that want to scam us and the artists by trying to divert users' listening and attention to things that they don't want to listen to," Garmark said. The company is also helping artists annotate AI-generated portions of their songs and giving them stronger controls over what appears under their names on the platform.
Ubiquity as Strategy
Spotify operates on more than 2,000 device types and is essentially available everywhere a consumer product launches. "If a brand is launching a consumer product of any type, they call us in advance," Garmark said. "I need to have Spotify on my thing, otherwise I can't sell it."
The company plans to expand this reach further, though specifics remain unclear. Garmark called ubiquity "close to heart" for the platform's future strategy.
Your membership also unlocks:
