Spotify’s selection of electronic music is about to blossom in a big way, as the service has inked a new music streaming and video partnership with electronic music streamer Beatport. It’s a non-traditional move for Spotify to partner with a competing streaming platform, but it’s one that has major potential to benefit both sides.
Spotify has a huge user base (75 million between paid and ad-based subscribers) and wants to add Beatport’s highly-curated dance music content into the fold. Beatport, owned by music festival company SFX (known for Electric Zoo), is a well-established brand in the electronic music world and wants to grow further.
“We have a unique perspective on what’s trending, which new artists are breaking,” said Beatport CEO Greg Consiglio to Billboard. “We’re taking that expertise to Spotify — we’ll be curating weekly playlists that really only Beatport can do. It’s a really interesting opportunity for us to be looked at by Spotify, where they have a lot of electronic music, but they don’t have the same expertise that we do.”
With the partnership, Spotify will have access to Beatport’s exclusive music and video content, as well as programming from SFX festivals and events. As Spotify moves further into video programming, it looks like Beatport’s content will be a big part of that push.
“We’re not just in the streaming or download business, but heavily focused on video,” said Consiglio. “There’s an awful lot of behind-the-scenes, very interesting footage that happens at [SFX-owned festivals including TomorrowWorld, Rock in Rio, Electric Zoo and Mysteryland]. Original content that we’re now starting to shoot that captures the essence of what’s going on in electronic music.”
As the battle between Spotify and Apple Music continues to heat up, bringing Beatport on gives the Swedish service a leg up when it comes to courting the ever-growing throng of electronic music fans. Spotify will acquire Beatport’s exclusive music and video content, but it will also further beef up its music curation to compete with Apple.
Other ways that Spotify plans to develop music curation going forward include ‘strengthening of [its] editorial staff,’ and ‘algorithm-driven opportunities like Discover Weekly,’ according to Spotify exec Sachin Doshi (via Billboard). “We’re mixing it all together to create this perfect experience for our users.”
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