Artists can now pay to feature on Spotify's home page thanks to new 'Showcase' tool
Spotify has launched a new tool named 'Showcase', which allows artists to pay for a spot on its homepage.
The streaming platform describes the feature as "a sponsored recommendation that helps you share your music — whether it’s your newest release, your deepest catalog cut, or anything in between — at any time to likely listeners across Spotify."
A statement adds: "It appears as a mobile banner at the top of Spotify’s Home — the most visited place on Spotify, where millions of listeners come to decide what to listen to, resulting in billions of streams each day."
Spotify predict that people who see a showcase are 6x more likely to stream a release, potentially revolutionising the way artists and their teams carry out campaigns on the platform.
However, some artists are already calling the new feature out as a step away from what they truly want from the streaming service: to be paid fairly.
Hey artists, we know you make no money from your music, but what if you paid to get featured and make no money? 🤔 https://t.co/Q8hx76ORxp
— Shokunin (@DNSCEO) September 14, 2023
Other users have suggested the move is a further indication that Spotify are moving away from its personalisation model, with functions such as Discover Weekly and DJ designed to provide users with unique experiences.
So basically this is payola and the evolution of autoplay 😭
— steven (@arianaunext) September 13, 2023
Back in July, Spotify confirmed price hikes of its premium subscription tier in 53 territories, including the UK and US.
Its UK subscriptions have since increased by £1 each month, taking its individual plan up to £10.99 a month.
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