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AI鈥檚 role in Spotify Wrapped is slightly subdued: The platform鈥檚 yearly marketing event included AI, but stopped short of prominently featuring it.

Spotify has nearly twice as many US listeners as the next most popular digital audio platform, Amazon Music, at 103.6 million compared to 53.1 million, per our September 2024 forecast.

Joe Rogan dominates spotify charts again: The podcaster remains a cultural touchstone for young men and politically diverse listeners.

With features like video and synced illustrations, Spotify seeks to rebrand as more than audio-only and tap into the growing audiobook market.

Podcasters can now let Spotify take over control filters, but with election season looming, the platform鈥檚 ability to manage offensive comments will be tested.

Spotify launches its own ad exchange: The company will offer video inventory before eventually expanding to audio.

Instagram integrates with Spotify: Users can now save songs from Reels directly to their Spotify library.

Spotify is holding off on launching audiobook ads: Statements from its ad chief reflect a nascent product that it doesn鈥檛 want to dilute with ads鈥攜et.

Spotify is ramping up its new SSP as it caters to performance advertisers. The Spotify Ad Exchange (SAX) was announced in October 2024 as a direct connection to the platform鈥檚 video inventory, with audio formats still on the agenda.

The news: Apple Music launched a tool in Australia and New Zealand for importing libraries and playlists to help convert users from competing platforms like Spotify, Tidal, YouTube Music, and Pandora. Users can transfer songs, albums, and personal playlists through the web or Apple Music鈥檚 iOS and Android apps.

Patreon recently inked a partnership with Sony to make select Sony Music podcasts available on Patreon and offer exclusive fan perks, while Spotify expanded its Partner Program to nine new markets to entice more creators.

That put it behind both Spotify and Apple Podcasts. But in October 2024, that number jumped up to 34%鈥攑utting YouTube ahead of Spotify (17%) and Apple Podcasts (11%). YouTube has been busy as of late courting podcasters with new tools and monetization schemes.

Spotify has expanded its Partner Program to better compete in the podcast ecosystem. Part of why podcasts remain profitable and reliable for advertisers outside of consistent growth in engaged audiences is the medium鈥檚 affordability.

Spotify is already looking to capitalize on the opportunity. Company rep Jeanne Moran told The Verge that 鈥沦辫辞迟颈蹿测 will soon submit an app update to improve the experience for US users.鈥�. Smaller developers could have a harder time; unlike Epic or Spotify, they don鈥檛 have the scale or capital to build secure checkout flows or negotiate with payment processors globally.

Spotify can expect another strong year for ad revenues: Investor pressure has the company capitalizing on podcasts for a video advertising expansion.

Spotify expanded its Partner Program to nine new markets in March to remain competitive in light of YouTube surpassing it as the preferred platform for podcasts. Patreon inked a partnership with Sony and Wondery in April that made select Sony Music and Wondery podcasts available on Patreon. As part of the partnership, Patreon also introduced exclusive fan perks and content for listeners.

Thirty-one percent of weekly and 33% of monthly podcast listeners prefer YouTube, putting it above competitors like Spotify (27%) and Apple Podcasts (15%). Spotify is trying to prove its worth as a podcast platform, recently expanding its Partner Program to nine new markets and providing more growth opportunities to entice creators.

Platforms like Spotify have capitalized on growing digital audio consumption. We forecast that there will be 13.0 million Spotify listeners in Canada in 2025, nearly 57% of whom will be paid premium subscribers. Like TV, terrestrial radio maintains a loyal but diminishing audience. In 2025, daily radio consumption will be 1:04 daily, tied largely to automobile listenership.