Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer • Hacker News Board

Re: Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer

#11

Post by qdigital » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 9:29 PM UTC

Incredibly surprised it has taken this long.

Given the amount of listening data they have I was sure they'd have taken the Netflix route with regards to producing or orchestrating original content (i.e. this producer with these artists + brand partnerships tailored to audience = $$). I'm sure I am simplifying and this is much more complex than that, especially considering the legal maze that is music, but still. Their only innovation seems to have been in bespoke playlist generation.

Re: Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer

#12

Post by jpalomaki » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 9:29 PM UTC

wgerard wrote: post #4

I'm surprised Spotify hasn't broken into podcasts yet (or have they?). The platform works for it, and it feels like a natural transition to go from listening to music to listening to a podcast without leaving the platform. The article even notes it's a higher margin business.

When shall we see ”Netflix for audio”, meaning original content, either fact or fiction?

I think this would make sense, people are busy and have less time to spend watching stuff. Listening is easier to do on the move.

Original programming could be for example radio theatre or programs like Serial. This can be quite entertaining when it is done well. Production costs are much smaller than for video.

Re: Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer

#13

Post by bruthafez » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 9:50 PM UTC

jpalomaki wrote: post #12

wgerard wrote: post #4

I'm surprised Spotify hasn't broken into podcasts yet (or have they?). The platform works for it, and it feels like a natural transition to go from listening to music to listening to a podcast without leaving the platform. The article even notes it's a higher margin business.

When shall we see ”Netflix for audio”, meaning original content, either fact or fiction? I think this would make sense, people are busy and have less time to spend watching stuff. Listening is easier to do on the move. Original programming could be for example radio theatre or programs like Serial. This can be quite entertaining when it is done well. Production costs are much smaller than for video.

Serial was basically a Black Swan event dude, no one I know listens to narrative audio content when they could watch narrative video content instead.

It's true that listening is easier to do on the move, but people just prefer to listen to music. I've never met anyone who is more into podcasts than music.

TL;DR the market just isn't very big and what market there is has already been captured by podcast services.

Re: Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer

#14

Post by drb91 » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 9:54 PM UTC

bruthafez wrote: post #13

jpalomaki wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When shall we see ”Netflix for audio”, meaning original content, either fact or fiction? I think this would make sense, people are busy and have less time to spend watching stuff. Listening is easier to do on the move. Original programming could be for example radio theatre or programs like Serial. This can be quite entertaining when it is done well. Production costs are much smaller than for video.

Serial was basically a Black Swan event dude, no one I know listens to narrative audio content when they could watch narrative video content instead. It's true that listening is easier to do on the move, but people just prefer to listen to music. I've never met anyone who is more into podcasts than music. TL;DR the market just isn't very big and what market there is has already been captured by podcast services.

It sounds like you need to meet more people or you need to provide evidence. Otherwise it’s just a lazy assertion providing no value to the conversation.

Re: Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer

#15

Post by dsnuh » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 9:55 PM UTC

mattj1 wrote: post #6

traek wrote: post #3

Smart move for Spotify, foreboding news for Genius. This is also a cautionary lesson for founders about raising at inflated valuations--Genius's series B raise at close to a $1B post-money val will make it more difficult for them to exit with an acquisition. (In fairness, they completed that round with the intent of "annotating the internet", not becoming the music content platform they've since pivoted to.)

Didn't it start as a music annotation platform?

Yes, it was originally called Rap Genius.

Re: Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer

#16

Post by traek » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 10:10 PM UTC

mattj1 wrote: post #6

traek wrote: post #3

Smart move for Spotify, foreboding news for Genius. This is also a cautionary lesson for founders about raising at inflated valuations--Genius's series B raise at close to a $1B post-money val will make it more difficult for them to exit with an acquisition. (In fairness, they completed that round with the intent of "annotating the internet", not becoming the music content platform they've since pivoted to.)

Didn't it start as a music annotation platform?

Yes, but the intention was to expand from there to allow community knowledge curation on anything.

See Ben Horowitz's note: https://a16z.com/2014/07/11/from-rap-genius-to-genius-2/

Marc Andreessen's note: https://genius.com/1102682

Re: Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer

#17

Post by gakos » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 10:17 PM UTC

wgerard wrote: post #9

gakos wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spotify does have podcasts, including tech ones like a16z and Recode Decode. They even added speed adjustment if you like to listen on hyperspeed like me. https://open.spotify.com/genre/podcasts-page

Sorry, I meant original podcasts. It looks like they do have some (I see Amy Schumer's is tagged as such), but curious to see if they get into it more heavily.

Oh yeah - totally. If they followed the Netflix model of generating great content, they could make a killing (and justify their market cap). Original podcasts would be cool, but even better would be backing artists, especially long tail or emerging bands. Spotify Records?

Re: Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer

#18

Post by ggg9990 » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 10:21 PM UTC

bruthafez wrote: post #13

jpalomaki wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When shall we see ”Netflix for audio”, meaning original content, either fact or fiction? I think this would make sense, people are busy and have less time to spend watching stuff. Listening is easier to do on the move. Original programming could be for example radio theatre or programs like Serial. This can be quite entertaining when it is done well. Production costs are much smaller than for video.

Serial was basically a Black Swan event dude, no one I know listens to narrative audio content when they could watch narrative video content instead. It's true that listening is easier to do on the move, but people just prefer to listen to music. I've never met anyone who is more into podcasts than music. TL;DR the market just isn't very big and what market there is has already been captured by podcast services.

Podcasts are a huge market because Americans drive a shitload and an increasing percentage of cars on the road have Bluetooth audio.

Re: Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer

#19

Post by nxc18 » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 10:21 PM UTC

If anyone from Spotify is reading this: I love you, but please please please stop autoplaying videos in my playlists.

1) it makes playback stop when I'm driving. It's hard to get it to start again. If the screen is off, please just play the song in place of the video.

2) the UI goes away when a video is playing so there's no way to see the playlist without jumping through hoops.

3) it wastes data. My family regularly nears the monthly limit, so this really matters to me.

Re: Spotify, Nodding to Broader Ambitions, Hires Chief Content Officer

#20

Post by CPLX » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 10:34 PM UTC

traek wrote: post #3

Smart move for Spotify, foreboding news for Genius. This is also a cautionary lesson for founders about raising at inflated valuations--Genius's series B raise at close to a $1B post-money val will make it more difficult for them to exit with an acquisition. (In fairness, they completed that round with the intent of "annotating the internet", not becoming the music content platform they've since pivoted to.)

The other problem for Genius is that they've never really identified a profitable business at a scale that even remotely approaches their level of hype.