Spotify’s radio DJ-style Music + Talk format opens up to more creators around the globe
The format launched last year for select countries via Anchor
Image: Alamy
Spotify is expanding its Music + Talk format to creators worldwide via its podcasting service Anchor.
The Music + Talk format is, as the name suggests, a combination of music and spoken word commentary in between tracks, as you would find on a radio station with a DJ or a podcast show with music. This Spotify genre has been available in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand since its launch in October 2020, but now more creators around the world are able to tap into the format.
According to Spotify, Music + Talk is expanding to 14 new markets across Europe, Latin America and Asia, including, Japan, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia.
Creators looking to produce shows in this format should access the Music tool in Anchor, where they can include full tracks from Spotify’s 70 million-strong music library in their show. Listeners are able to like, save and share each track as it plays on the show, as they would on a playlist or Spotify radio station.
Any Spotify user can access Music + Talk shows, whether they’re a free or Spotify Premium user. However, Spotify free users will only be able to listen to a 30-second preview of the songs, due to licensing restrictions. Paying subscribers can hear the music in full.
Meanwhile, the streaming giant appears to be edging closer to rolling out its HiFi service, as a leak on Reddit suggests. A video offers a sneak peek at the HiFi onboarding process, hinting that the service may be arriving imminently, despite Spotify being yet to announce a launch date.
