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Why streaming audio should star in your next Entertainment campaign

It’s no secret that music plays a major supporting role in movies and TV shows.

Céline Dion and Titanic, anyone? Or the iconic ending of The Sopranos, soundtracked by Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”? The examples write themselves.

While you might not be purchasing any CD soundtracks these days, digital audio streaming is giving entertainment fans new ways of engaging with the latest movies and TV shows. Soundtrack playlists, for example, get fans hyped for the big release, and help them relive the magic afterward. In a recent study, 56% of millennial Spotify Free listeners said they’ve discovered a new movie based on a playlist they listened to.1 And there’s no shortage of podcasts recapping the latest (and not-so-latest) TV shows and movies.

Music, podcasts, and digital audio ads are a gateway to discovering new Entertainment content. Especially on Spotify, where 98% of ad-supported listeners are subscribed to paid video-streaming services — and most subscribe to more than one.1 And — plot twist — Spotify listeners don’t think of audio ads as in interruption. In fact, 53% of Spotify Free listeners believe ads help remind them of movies or shows they haven’t seen.1

Entertainment marketing that utilizes audio can do more than remind people of new releases, too. It’s a powerful medium for immersing listeners into the world of a movie or TV show. That’s why Sony Pictures partnered with Spotify to transport fans to 1969 for the release of Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood, with playlists (including an annotated playlist by Quentin Tarantino himself) and an exclusive podcast giving a song-by-song breakdown of the film’s soundtrack.

Speaking of podcasts: Warner Bros. and DC teamed up with Spotify for an original slate of scripted narrative podcasts. For fans, podcasts are a new medium to experience the characters and stories they love. For Entertainment marketers, podcasts are a natural space to engage fans.

Audio isn’t just for fictional worlds, either. The BBC gave Spotify listeners an up-close listen to the furthest reaches of Earth for the release of the Seven Worlds, One Planet docu-series. Together, Spotify and the BBC created 3D audio ads that briefly transported listeners to another world, followed by an instantly familiar voice: Sir David Attenborough. All together, the campaign brought the BBC’s iconic nature programming to a new generation of younger listeners.

There’s never been a better time for Entertainment brands to cast Spotify in their next campaign. As people continue to shelter in place and enjoy the latest releases at home, the traditional channels for winning over viewers aren’t as reliable. OOH ads and cinema previews aren’t getting as many eyeballs these days. Radio is also losing its hold — in fact, Spotify’s ad-supported listeners are 2X more likely to discover new entertainment content on music streaming services over broadcast radio.1

Beyond that, Spotify’s trusted, hyper-personalized music and podcast recommendations have a halo effect for Entertainment brands. Compared to other platforms, 66% of listeners feel better about movies or shows advertised on Spotify.1

Learn more about how Spotify listeners are watching — and what brands need to know.

  1. Spotify/Qualtrics Entertainment Study among 6500 Respondents A13+ in the US, August 2020

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