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Spotify will reduce total headcount by approximately 17%

newsroom.spotify.com

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Re: Spotify will reduce total headcount by approximately 17%

#751

Post by FalconSensei »

rez9x wrote: post #649
crazygringo wrote: post #596

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is completely backwards. They didn't hire "for the sake of hiring" -- they hired specifically to build up their podcasting and audiobook efforts, which were totally new products within the app. Which they thought were essential to staying competitive -- e.g. what if people start moving over to Amazon instead with its Music+Wondery+Audible, or other competitors? Now it's turned out those bets haven't been as succ…

I recently left Spotify for Apple Music, in large part because of this new development path. I don't want podcasts, audiobooks, etc mixed in with my music. I prefer separate apps. I think what bothered me more was the focus on branching into these new paths without any innovation in the music department--I'm sure there was innovation that wasn't visible to me. I'm tired of the same black and green color scheme. I don…

> I don't like that I don't have a 'Library' and everything just goes in liked or a playlist.

I left Spotify a while ago, but one thing I hate is that there's no way of differentiating when you add complete albums to your collection vs only one song.

Re: Spotify will reduce total headcount by approximately 17%

#752

Post by atommclain »

r00fus wrote: post #702
rez9x wrote: post #649

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently left Spotify for Apple Music, in large part because of this new development path. I don't want podcasts, audiobooks, etc mixed in with my music. I prefer separate apps. I think what bothered me more was the focus on branching into these new paths without any innovation in the music department--I'm sure there was innovation that wasn't visible to me. I'm tired of the same black and green color scheme. I don…

Looking to do this - how did you migrate your playlists? Also my family was using my main Apple Music account - so I have to "clear out the new place" as I setup a family account for them.

Not OP, but I used SongShift for iOS. Worked great.

Re: Spotify will reduce total headcount by approximately 17%

#753

Post by pgwhalen »

bogomipz wrote: post #556
svarcoe wrote: post #516

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And they were still hiring too! My first day was last Monday haha, last day today

Wait, you were hired and laid off in the same week? I'm really sorry that happened to you. The fact that that was allowed to happen suggests a very dysfunctional and incompetent management culture.

I agree it's not a fun situation, but I'm curious what you expect to have happened instead. What would the "competent management" version of the situation look like?

Re: Spotify will reduce total headcount by approximately 17%

#754

Post by tomatocracy »

bogomipz wrote: post #604
ActionHank wrote: post #505

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just remember they signed Joe Rogan for over 200 million and he's not brought in nearly that amount for them. Did they retrench the people who made that decision? Did they retrench the management who approved that contract? Spotify employees should be pushing for some degree of corporate and fiscal responsibility given they are retrenching, but they still gave Joe the bag.

They also signed a deal with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry that was worth 20 million. They agreed to part ways in June. I'm guessing the reason was that it failed to deliver financially. See: https://archive.is/Hgh3V

Reportedly only a fraction of this sum was actually paid out though.

Re: Spotify will reduce total headcount by approximately 17%

#755

Post by generalpf »

teg4n_ wrote: post #627
jaywalk wrote: post #605

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless you are pretty high up at Spotify, you have literally no idea how much Joe Rogan has brought in for them. His podcast has been number one on the platform since it launched.

Personally, I cancelled my Spotify premium family plan over it. I doubt I’m the only one.

Likewise.

Re: Spotify will reduce total headcount by approximately 17%

#756

Post by saadullahsaeed »

rez9x wrote: post #649
crazygringo wrote: post #596

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is completely backwards. They didn't hire "for the sake of hiring" -- they hired specifically to build up their podcasting and audiobook efforts, which were totally new products within the app. Which they thought were essential to staying competitive -- e.g. what if people start moving over to Amazon instead with its Music+Wondery+Audible, or other competitors? Now it's turned out those bets haven't been as succ…

I recently left Spotify for Apple Music, in large part because of this new development path. I don't want podcasts, audiobooks, etc mixed in with my music. I prefer separate apps. I think what bothered me more was the focus on branching into these new paths without any innovation in the music department--I'm sure there was innovation that wasn't visible to me. I'm tired of the same black and green color scheme. I don…

This is precisely why I also switched to Apple Music, it was annoying to have Spotify constantly pushing podcast content to me as someone who had no interest in Podcasts and no way to enable a "music only" mode either.

Re: Spotify will reduce total headcount by approximately 17%

#757

Post by bede »

massysett wrote: post #470
bede wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a scientist working in public health, this decision burned my faith in Spotify. They were taking down conspiracy theory podcasts daily while bankrolling Rogan to provide a platform with insane reach for cranks like Robert Malone. I cancelled my subscription for a few months in protest.

"for a few months" - so you went back. Honest question - what is Spotify doing so well that you went back rather than just sticking with, say, Apple Music?

Depth and breadth of electronic music catalogue and switching cost. Former is probably narrowing rapidly. What would you recommend? Building Apple's future streaming monopoly isn't particularly appealing. Small perhaps, but pausing a sub with explanation sends a clear signal.

Re: Spotify will reduce total headcount by approximately 17%

#758

Post by criddell »

rez9x wrote: post #649
crazygringo wrote: post #596

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is completely backwards. They didn't hire "for the sake of hiring" -- they hired specifically to build up their podcasting and audiobook efforts, which were totally new products within the app. Which they thought were essential to staying competitive -- e.g. what if people start moving over to Amazon instead with its Music+Wondery+Audible, or other competitors? Now it's turned out those bets haven't been as succ…

I recently left Spotify for Apple Music, in large part because of this new development path. I don't want podcasts, audiobooks, etc mixed in with my music. I prefer separate apps. I think what bothered me more was the focus on branching into these new paths without any innovation in the music department--I'm sure there was innovation that wasn't visible to me. I'm tired of the same black and green color scheme. I don…

I too recently left Spotify for Apple Music because it works better on my Home Pod and Apple TV. I don't know why Spotify doesn't fix this. I know they are in a feud with Apple and maybe they think this is a way to apply pressure to Apple, but the risk is they lose people like me.

There were other reasons for leaving. I don't like that I can't hide or disable audiobooks or podcasts. They take up a lot of important screen space and are useless to me. I also really dislike the notifications from Spotify. I have them all turned off, but ever once in a while they decide to show one anyway.

Re: Spotify will reduce total headcount by approximately 17%

#759

Post by buro9 »

heyjamesknight wrote: post #676
buro9 wrote: post #621

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They placed a bet, and that bet didn't pay off. But what I'd expect is for them to cut only a little (not 17%), because they would place another bet on something else to remain competitive. To cut so heavily looks like they've no great idea on the next bet that they could make, that they don't believe those people they hired could contribute towards another thing in the near future (or they have no runway to explore…

This is what happens during periods of economic uncertainty. It's like counting cards with a freshly shuffled deck: nobody can tell what the state of the game is, so you place a minimum bet until you can get a feel for things again. The movie is meh, but the boardroom scene in Margin Call has a great line: "I'm here for one reason and one reason alone. I'm here to guess what the music might do a week, a month, a year…

> Consumer confidence is down three straight quarters in a row. Nobody feels good about what the music is going to do next.

Sure, but you can leave a downturn four ways:

1. You went out of business

2. You experienced a decline and let a lot of people go

3. You managed to stay roughly where you were, no further forward, no further backwards (this is a small success but still a great achievement) and you may have let some people go — the expression "running to stand still" applies here

4. You find a way to come out better than you went in and maybe continued to hire

Spotify feel like they've gone from #3 to #2, but they had ambitions to be #4 of those scenarios, they will likely survive, but in what form and with what potential? And more to the point, if their competitors manage to achieve #3 or #4, at what long-term cost to Spotify?

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