Highlights for Advertisers from Spotify’s Q1 2021 Earnings

Yesterday Spotify released its Q1 2021 earnings report, reflecting a strong quarter with continued momentum across many aspects of our business. We now have 356 million monthly active users globally (up 24% YoY), of which 208 million are Ad-Supported MAUs. We feel confident about what’s on the horizon for the remainder of the year and beyond.

Some highlights showing opportunities for advertisers on Spotify:

1. We’re taking Podcast Advertising to the next level. We saw a strong increase in Q1 podcast consumption hours vs. Q4, creating more opportunities for advertisers to reach listeners when they're immersed in their favorite shows. At Stream On, we announced the Spotify Audience Network, a first-of-its-kind audio advertising marketplace that will allow advertisers of all sizes to connect with listeners in a highly targeted way. The Spotify Audience Network allows advertisers to buy specific audiences across multiple shows, leveraging our recent acquisition of Megaphone as well as our game-changing Streaming Ad Insertion (SAI) technology for advanced targeting and reporting.
   
   
2. Global expansion creates more opportunities for advertisers to connect with listeners. Earlier this year, we expanded access to our self-serve channel Spotify Ad Studio, launching fully localized versions in Germany, France and Italy. These three markets join the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Spain, granting more advertisers the tools to easily create ads and reach Spotify listeners. Additionally, we began beta testing podcast ad buying on Ad Studio in the US. And, in April, we expanded availability of our SAI technology from the US, Canada, UK, and Germany to now also include Australia and Sweden.
   
   
3. Advertisers are partnering with Spotify to launch stand-out audio experiences. Advertisers are integrating audio as a core part of their year-long storytelling and marketing strategies. For instance, Dollar Shave Club (US), Comcast (US), McDonald’s (Australia), Telekom (Germany), Starbucks (Canada) and BT (UK) were the first presenting sponsors of Renegades: Born in the USA — President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen’s buzzworthy Spotify Original podcast. TurboTax was able to reach listeners as they stream their favorite songs by becoming the first US sponsor of On Repeat — a personalized playlist that reached 12 billion global streams earlier this month. And Telecom giant O2 partnered with Spotify on a new offering called Sustainable Sonics, using carbon offsets to neutralize the environmental impact of audio advertising.
   
   
4. We’re providing resources for advertisers to be part of cultural moments. Whether it's the Big Game or soundtracking your vaccination journey — when something happens in the world we hear it on Spotify. With this in mind, we’ve launched Culture Compass, the ultimate resource for advertisers looking to connect with listeners during holidays, festivals, and seasons that drive cultural conversation.

Reach out to your Spotify client partner to learn more about how we can help your brand cut through the noise and be part of the immersive listening experience on Spotify.