So should Spotify grow on podcastmarknaden

When Spotify in the beginning of February, podcast producer, Gimlet Studio and the company behind the poddverktyget Anchor for the estimated 3.4 billion, it was big news in the media industry. It was in monetary terms the largest purchase of a pure podcastföretag and Spotify's biggest bolagsköp so far, it was a clear sign that Spotify is ready to move up a gear in its ambition to be a platform for any form of listening. When Spotify, the Gimlet and the Anchor for the first time, talked about what they actually intend to do together was an interest in huge on digitalfestivalen SXSW - and the largest hall in the convention center filled to the last seat.

Already in may 2015 proclaimed Spotifygrundaren Daniel Ek to musikströmningstjänsten would expand with podcast, video and liveradio. But it is in the year the major investment is made, in any part of the market.

, which is expected to be followed by more during the year, is about to get a foot in several areas: content production, production, and analysis tools, and advertising sales. The advertising market for podcasts is expected to reach 10 billion in 2020, and even if the Gimlet only has a small part of the market, it is a new source of revenue. Dawn Ostroff confirmed yesterday also that advertising in podcasts will be left, even for customers who have the ”ad-free” levels of subscription.

" We will retain the formats, yes.

Dawn Ostroff. Photo: Chris Maluszynski

another question that many people asked themselves is whether Spotify will now make some poddinnehåll exclusively for the platform. Gimlet has produced several of the most popular american podcasts, such as ”Homecoming”, which recently was also made as a tv series, with Julia Roberts and, traditionally, such content existed in all large podcastplattformar. This was Ostroff, however, a little vague, to keep all the doors open.

" basically we want to podcastinnehållet should be as accessible as possible, to the experience for users will be as good as possible. But, in pace with the market will mature we will probably do the experiment with exclusivity. So there will be some form of hybrid. But it will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

is first and foremost the fact that the market has now entered a new wave of very strong growth, not least in the united states. A new survey by Edison research released this week shows that there are now 90 million people listening on the podcast at least once a month, an increase of 23 % in just one year.

Above all, it is the younger audience that is growing: 40 % of the audience under 24 years of age listen at least once per month. It is the same target market, where Spotify is the strongest in the american market: it is the only åldersspann where they are larger than major competitor to Pandora.

Podcastlyssnandet is also a strong habitual behavior: of those who listen to the podcast every week, it is 40 % listening to four or more sections. It is a behavior that is also evident visible for Spotify:

– Those who listen to the podcast of us adds on average twice as long on the platform as non-podcastlyssnarna. They also listen to more music, which is interesting, " says Dawn Ostroff.

Matt Lieber. Photo: Chris Maluszynski

that produced more than 2000 different podcasts, know what it is that drives the loyal listening:

" the People want to hear a good story. They want to learn something new. They want a friend to hang with. There is an intimacy in the podcastmediet that is unique.

For their part, means the Spotify-the purchase of new opportunities to do more original content, but also new möljigheter to reach out.

Spotify already accounts for 15 per cent, just over, by listening to our podcasts, but it will be able to increase properly.

Michael Mignaro, founder of the Anchor, still believe that we are only at the beginning of the podcastexplosionen.

" It has still been quite difficult to do a podcast: there has been access to studio and advanced equipment. What we do allow that the threshold for recording and the launch will be much lower, then the format will be democratized even more and we will see a huge increase in both range and listening.

is how podcastinnehållet should be made more visible so that it becomes easier for users to find, something that has so far been a bit of a problem child.

- It is what we focus on now, to develop tools and services that make kureringen and recommendations better, so that the listener will find the content that interests them most, " said Dawn Ostroff.

Spotify also launched yesterday a new bet on video, through an offer for u.s. customers to add videoströmnngstjänsten Hulu free. Any news if it will be extended also to other markets could Ostroff, however, does not give.

: the BBC has partnered with Spotify in the pod-a documentary about The Clash