Spotify has hit 50 million subscribers worldwide, up a whopping 20 million on March 2016.
It was around this time last year that the market leading streaming service reported that it had reached 30m global subscribers. Since then, company has made a number of high-profile content and personnel changes, all of which may well have contributed to its impressive growth rate.
Last summer, Spotify introduced its Discover service, providing subscribers with a curated list of recommendations based on the user’s listening habits. This was followed by New Music Friday, another weekly playlist presenting listeners with the latest new releases.
A key addition to the Spotify UK operation has been the arrival of former BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra chief George Ergatoudis as head of content programming. After 20 years with the Beeb, Ergatoudis has been tasked with making Spotify’s playlist and curation offering the best in the business. Shortly after joining the firm he hired a crack playlist team comprised of Austin Daboh, James Foley, Dexter Batson, Sara Sesardic and Rob Khan.
“The people that you employ – their abilities, their expertise is fundamental to the success of what we’re trying to do,” Ergatoudis told Music Week.
While Spotify may have reported it a significant boost to its consumer base this week, it has also lost two of its most senior executives. Head of global licensing Francis Keeling and senior legal exec Petra Hannson both quit the company this week, with Spotify refusing to comment on if/when replacements will be announced.
Keeling joined the company just under a year lead its charge in the licensing sector. However, Spotify has confirmed that he has now left the firm due to ‘personal reasons’, although it refused to comment on when a replacement will be announced.
Meanwhile, Hansson, who has been at Spotify since 2007, has also parted ways with the company. Again, the company declined to comment on when a replacement will be installed.
