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What is the appeal of Spotify's new feature "Music + Talk"?

Music + Talk, a new podcast service that mixes Spotify music and talk

A new podcast service that you can enjoy at no additional charge

In 2019, Spotify created a system to provide users with high-quality “audio streaming content in general” as part of its business strategy, not just music. , declared that it would grow as a company with the slogan "Audio First". The free podcast distribution platform `` Anchor '', which became available in Japan from June 29, 2020, is also part of this.

Music + Talk is a listening experience that combines music and talk content, which was launched in October 2020 in overseas markets such as the United States. This time, it is now available in 15 countries and regions including Japan.

Spotify users can enjoy it at no additional charge regardless of paid premium plan or free plan. Playback is available from the Spotify app on mobile or desktop. In addition, browser playback is not supported.

Spotify has added a new Music + Talk section to its menu. On the day of the release on August 19th, 16 contents were released. Among them, the author also participated in "Kyoko Koizumi and YOU's K-POP PARTY" where Kyoko Koizumi and YOU talk about K-POP, and "NOA Music + Talk" where young artist NOA introduces the appeal of her work. I listened to the program.

When you open a Music + Talk show in the Spotify app, you'll see songs and talks divided into segments. If you find a song you like, you can tap the "heart mark" or "..." to add it to your playlist as a favorite from the menu, or view detailed information about the song.

If you are a paid premium plan user, you can enjoy full-size listening to the songs distributed in the Music + Talk program. The talent's talk is sophisticated, so I was able to enjoy a program that was about 20 minutes long without getting bored.

If you use the free plan, there is a 30-second playback limit for each song. Also, for free plan users, songs in the playlist will be shuffled when listening with the mobile app on your smartphone.

Music + Talk programs are 30-second versions of songs lined up between talks, but they are played in order according to the composition intended by the creator without being shuffled. Follow programs that you like.

If you have a data plan with less available data, you can download Music + Talk podcast content to your device and listen offline.

The appeal of creators is that they can freely use Spotify songs

Programs published by creators on Spotify are based on Anchor, a free hosting platform developed and provided by Spotify. To do. To use Anchor, you need to register a user account separate from Spotify, but anyone can register for free.

Anchor has a new "Music" panel in the left menu. Creators can use Anchor to record talks and, in between, freely select and insert songs from over 70 million titles distributed on Spotify. Anyone can easily create their own original podcast show without any special knowledge of software. Above all, the appeal of being able to freely select songs from Spotify's music archive and create a program without having to search for free music materials yourself is great.

There doesn't seem to be a limit to the length of shows that can be delivered as Music + Talk content. However, there are some rules when using songs. For one, the length of the music used cannot be changed. Another thing is that it is not permitted to use it in a “radio program-like” way, such as applying effects or playing it as background music during talks. In other words, it is required to "use as it is" without modifying the songs distributed on Spotify.

From a creator's point of view, Music + Talk can be regarded as a service that allows you to create and share podcast programs by adding talk to Spotify's traditional music playlist creation and sharing function. increase.

Conditions for Music + Talk to succeed in Japan

Compared to Japan, it seems that more users overseas, especially in the United States, are enjoying podcasts. In contrast to live radio programs that have fixed broadcast times, podcasts are gaining popularity due to their high on-demand nature, which allows users to listen to them all at once according to their own convenience.

According to the results of a survey conducted overseas by Spotify, in an environment where people cannot freely go out or talk to people during the pandemic caused by the corona virus, talk-centered podcast programs give listeners a sense of security. It seems that it has been found that it gives and supports the heart. Among the Music + Talk programs that started earlier in the United States, "GREENLIGHTS", a program hosted by actor Matthew McConaughey, and a music program in which music labels deliver hit tunes, are gaining popularity.

Spotify new feature

The podcast service is also focused on Spotify's rivals. In order for Spotify's Music + Talk to continue to outperform its rivals and grow, I believe that there are several important issues other than cultivating popular programs.

First, I want an interactive element that allows the listener to give feedback to the creator. A good sense of tension is created on the side of producing and distributing programs, and it seems to be an opportunity to create famous programs.

With Anchor, Spotify hopes to create a monetization system that will reduce the time and energy that creators need to spend on production, and will also open up avenues for funding. In some regions overseas, it seems that a monetization mechanism has already been introduced so that creators who register with Anchor can earn money from their programs.

In the case of Japan, Music + Talk has just been launched, so we are still at the stage of creating a monetization system for creators. Monetization is not the only reward for creative activities, but I think that some kind of system should be introduced to motivate creators and make them sustainable.

Spotify will also launch a program to support production activities for creators who want to learn how to create podcast programs. It will also be necessary to connect not only Spotify with high-quality content but also platforms that introduce excellent external podcast programs to reach more listeners.

It will be interesting to see if expectations for podcasts will rise in Japan in the future as the company and its rivals start to move.

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