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☆ Spotify's stock is surging — and its CEO is cashing out
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has sold $176.3 million worth of stock this year. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementDaniel Ek, Spotify's cofounder and CEO, has sold $176.3 million worth of his stock in the streaming service this year as its shares continue to surge. On Wednesday, Ek sold roughly 400,000 shares, worth $118.8 million, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. In a separate transaction in February, he sold 250,000 shares, worth $57.5 million, per filings.

Persons: Daniel Ek, Ek, —, Spotify's Organizations: Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, Business

☆ Daniel Ek’s Next Act: Full-Body Scans for the People
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Bernhard Warner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The problem: Mr. Ek had neither a plan, nor the time or money to do much about it. He knew whom to contact: Hjalmar Nilsonne, a Swedish tech entrepreneur who Mr. Ek had met the year prior at the Brilliant Minds event, an annual gathering Mr. Ek started. At first, Mr. Nilsonne rebuffed Mr. Ek’s proposition. But Mr. Ek eventually won him over. Mr. Ek, a former computer coder, and Mr. Nilsonne, an engineer, zeroed in on building a better diagnostic tool.

Persons: Daniel Ek, ” Mr, Ek, DealBook, Hjalmar Nilsonne, Mr, Nilsonne, Watty Organizations: Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Amazon Music, Apple Watch, Neko Health Locations: Swedish, Stockholm, London

☆ Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has realized laying off 1,500 people at one go may have created a 'significant challenge' for Spotify's day-to-day operations
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Daniel Ek said Spotify underestimated the impact of laying off 1,500 people in December. "It took us some time to find our footing," Ek told investors in an earnings call. AdvertisementLaying off 1,500 people in December ended up creating a "significant challenge" for Spotify, the company's CEO Daniel Ek said on Tuesday. "Although there's no question that it was the right strategic decision, it did disrupt our day-to-day operations more than we anticipated," Ek told investors in an earnings call. The layoffs, Ek said in December, were necessary as the company needed to become "relentlessly resourceful."

Persons: Daniel Ek, Ek, —, Taylor, Swift, Mark Zuckerberg, Neal Freyman, Toby Howell, Zuckerberg Organizations: Service, Spotify, Poets Department, Brew Daily, BI

☆ Spotify reports record quarterly profit after a year marked by deep layoffs and activist attention
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Spotify reported first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, notching record quarterly profit and beating estimates on the top and bottom lines, after a year of deep cost cutting and streamlining. The company expects net new MAUs of 16 million, for a total of 631 million monthly active users. Spotify attributed the slowed growth to "moderated marketing activity" — driven by cost cutting — resulting in "more normalized growth." ValueAct, which manages nearly $12 billion in assets, has a 0.5% Spotify stake valued at $280 million. When the activist investor first disclosed the position in 2023, it owned around 1.2% of Spotify.

Persons: Daniel Ek, Joe Rogan, MAUs, Mason Morfit's ValueAct Organizations: Spotify, LSEG, StreetAccount Spotify Locations: Tokyo, Swedish

☆ Spotify employees question lavish spending on events while the company lays off thousands
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Some employees criticize lavish spending on events, while Spotify is trying to cut costs. Some employees think Spotify is spending too much on parties and events, especially when the company is laying off thousands of people and looking to cut more costs. However, these employees said event spending has gone too far, given the company's broader efforts at frugality. One former employee described it as the company "spending tons of money flying people to Sweden to drink the Kool-Aid." Noam Galai/Getty ImagesSome of this lavish event spending is focused on solving a problem that's loomed over Spotify for years.

Persons: —, Sam Smith, Charli XCX, Gunna, Daniel Ek, Ek, Daniel Ek Dave Benett, Diplo, Spotifest, Melanie Stetson Freeman, it's, Alicia Keys, Noam Galai, Gustav Söderström Organizations: Spotify, Service, Ikea, Business, Brooklyn, Spotifest, Christian Science, Getty, company's, Apple, YouTube Locations: Drumsheds, Houston, Stockholm, New York, Sweden, New York City, York

☆ Neil Young Will Return to Spotify After Joe Rogan Protest
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Following Young’s protest, the singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell also removed her music from Spotify, and the R&B singer India.Arie circulated clips showing Rogan using a racial slur repeatedly on the show. Rogan apologized for his use of the word, and Spotify quietly removed dozens of episodes of his show. Spotify signed Rogan to a deal in 2020, worth at least $200 million, that made his show exclusive to that platform. Last month, the company announced a new, multiyear arrangement with Rogan in which Spotify would also distribute “The Joe Rogan Experience” to other podcast platforms, as well as YouTube. In his statement on Tuesday, Young didn’t give a timeline for when his music would return to Spotify, and a representative of Spotify did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Robert Malone, ”, Joni Mitchell, India.Arie, Rogan, Daniel Ek, Joe Rogan, Young didn’t, Mitchell Organizations: Spotify, Street Journal Locations: Covid

☆ Neil Young announces return to Spotify after Joe Rogan boycott
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Neil Young attends a press conference for Farm Aid 34 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre on September 21, 2019 in East Troy, Wisconsin. Neil Young on Wednesday said his music will return to Spotify , just over two years after he and other artists removed their catalogues from the music streaming platform amid a vaccine disinformation dispute. Spotify announced a multi-year deal with Rogan last month that removed its exclusivity, meaning "The Joe Rogan Experience" will return to platforms, including Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Amazon Music. Young previously said Spotify accounted for 60% of his global streaming revenue, prior to his departure. The move placed Spotify in a position to choose between numerous legendary musical figures and the controversial but hugely popular Joe Rogan podcast, which was its most streamed show in 2023.

Persons: Neil Young, Joe Rogan, Young, Rogan, Joni Mitchell, India Arie, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Daniel Ek Organizations: Farm, Valley Music Theatre, Spotify, CNBC, Apple, Amazon, Horse Locations: East Troy , Wisconsin, American

☆ Apple reportedly faces its first EU antitrust fine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple blocked rivals from telling users about cheaper options, the EU is expected to say next month. Apple is expected to be fined by the European Union for the first time, according to reports by the Financial Times and Bloomberg. The EU is set to impose a penalty of about 500 million euros ($539 million) in early March, the FT reported. AdvertisementThe EU is expected to find that Apple placed “unfair trading conditions” on rivals to its Apple Music service, per the reports. The streaming company claimed Apple’s App Store rules “purposely limit choice and stifle innovation” by imposing a 30% commission on app developers.

Persons: Daniel Ek, Apple didn’t Organizations: Apple, European Union, Financial Times, Bloomberg, EU, Apple Music, Spotify, Digital Markets, Business Locations: EU

☆ Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is worth billions — but says he still feels 'inadequate every day'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek admitted to feeling not good enough every day despite his success. He told Norges Bank Investment Management’s podcast “In Good Company” he often feels "inadequate." download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementDaniel Ek is a billionaire and CEO of one of the world’s best-known companies — but says he still feels “inadequate every day.”The Spotify chief made the comment on Norges Bank Investment Management’s podcast “In Good Company” last month. The stock has had a rollercoaster ride but is up 58% over the past five years, and 91% up over the past 12 months, leaving Spotify worth $46 billion.

Persons: Daniel Ek, ”, Ek, —, he's, That’s, ” Ek, Forbes, George Barnard Shaw Organizations: Spotify, Norges Bank Investment, Service, New York Stock Exchange, Business Locations: Swedish

☆ Apple wants to know what developers really think about its App Store changes. It may regret asking.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewApple is about to find out what developers really make of its App Store shake-up . The iPhone maker has started to offer 30-minute online consultations to any app maker seeking to give feedback on a raft of controversial changes made to its App Store last month . To address lawmakers' concerns, Apple set about allowing third-party app stores onto iOS. AdvertisementFor one, it can expect to hear strong thoughts about rules dictating which third-party app stores will be allowed onto its operating systems. That said, it's still open to talk about topics including alternative distribution on iOS, alternative payments in the App Store, and more.

Persons: —, Tim Sweeney, Daniel Ek, Don Emmert, Sarah Bond, Apple, Sweeney, It's, Zach Meyers, it's Organizations: Service, Union's, Business, Apple, EU, Epic, iOS, Getty, Center, European Locations: Cupertino , London, Singapore, AFP, @Zach_CER

NEW YORK (AP) — Spotify has penned a new multi-year partnership deal with controversial podcast host Joe Rogan, whose enormously popular show will soon also be available on competing platforms, including YouTube and Apple Podcasts. Spotify announced the renewed partnership in a post on the company's corporate blog Friday. Under a prior multimillion-dollar deal, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” had been a Spotify exclusive since 2020. Wall Street Journal, which first reported the new deal on Friday, estimated that the new contract was worth as much as $250 million over its multiyear term. These conversations have changed the way I think about life immeasurably and continue to do so.”The show is consistently Spotify's most popular podcast but also a frequent cause of controversy for the company.

Persons: Joe Rogan, ”, Rogan, “ It’s, immeasurably, Neil Young, Daniel Ek, Joe Organizations: Spotify, YouTube, Apple, Wall Street

☆ Mark Zuckerberg hits out at Apple's 'onerous' new App Store rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is the latest to slam Apple's new app store rules. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementMeta has joined the ranks of companies criticizing Apple's new App Store rules. AdvertisementOn a call with analysts this week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the changes were "so onerous" that he'd be "very surprised if any developer" chooses to opt in. The streaming giant also released a statement accusing Apple of acting like "they don't think the rules apply to them."

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, —, It's, Apple, Daniel Ek, Apple's, Sarah Bond Organizations: Service, Meta, Union's, Apple, Digital

☆ The Vision Pro needs apps. Now is not a good time for Apple to be at odds with developers.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewWhen Apple launches the Vision Pro on Friday, it could really do with developers lapping it up. Given the price tag, Apple watchers aren't expecting the Vision Pro to fly off the shelves immediately. AdvertisementTo spur future consumer sales then, Apple really needs developers onside to help make the Vision Pro a success. In theory, it means developers aren't strictly limited to releasing their apps to Apple users through its own App Store. More broadly, it puts Apple and developers at odds with each other at a moment when Apple really needs apps for Vision Pro.

Persons: —, It's, aren't, Apple Apple, Daniel Ek, Ek, Tim Sweeney, Sweeney, Apple, Apps, Mark Gurman Organizations: Service, Apple, Business, Vision, European Union, bloc's, Epic, Microsoft, Valve, Vision Pro

☆ Spotify CEO Daniel Ek says Apple's new App Store changes are a 'new low'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek is unhappy about Apple's proposed App Store changes . Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek said in an X post on Friday that Apple's changes represent a "new low, even for them." Under Apple's new changes, apps with over one million downloads will need to pay a "core technology fee" for "each first annual install per year." Apple's App Store change not only falls short of that ideal, but "mocks the spirit of the law and the lawmakers who wrote it," Ek said. AdvertisementThe good news for him is that Apple's new changes aren't set in stone until they pass muster with the EU.

Persons: Daniel Ek, Apple's, Apple, Ek, —, — Daniel Ek, he's, doesn't Organizations: Spotify, Service, Apple, Digital, EU, European Union

☆ Spotify’s Layoff Memo and the Art of Delivering Bad News
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Chip Cutter | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Daniel Ek, founder and CEO of Spotify, at an event in New York in October. It has become a staple of the modern corporate downsizing: the public CEO layoff letter. Before a company cuts workers, many executives send an all-staff email explaining what went wrong. Then the company typically shares it online. Such missives, sent this year at companies including Meta, Salesforce and Amazon, often follow a familiar structure, providing some rationale for the job cuts while saying an often-awkward goodbye to departing staffers.

Persons: Daniel Ek Organizations: Spotify, Meta Locations: New York

☆ Spotify is being hammered for wrapping 2023 with big layoffs just before Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Users on X are mocking the company's timing with its signature Spotify Wrapped style. "That puts you in the top 3% of biggest layoffs this year from a tech company," one user quipped. The layoffs come despite Spotify reporting its first quarterly profit in a year in October — and less than a month before the Christmas holidays. That puts you in the top 3% of biggest layoffs this year from a tech company," wrote Roshan Patel on a post titled "Daniel Ek's Spotify Wrapped." Another X user, @digi_chad42069, shared a video mocking the timing of the layoffs: "2023 was a feast for your shareholders.

Persons: —, Daniel Ek, Daniel Ek's, — Roshan Patel, Roshan Patel, Daniel, ike, uros Organizations: Spotify, Service Locations: —

☆ Walmart and Target borrowing ideas from each other shows we're in a new economic landscape
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In today's big story, we're looking at the rising similarities between Target and Walmart. Dominick Reuter/Business InsiderIf imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Walmart and Target are embarking on some serious tributes to each other. AdvertisementTwo of the country's largest retailers are taking pages from each other's playbooks as they adjust to a changing economic landscape. And Walmart founder Sam Walton openly admitted he stole borrowed plenty of ideas from Sol Price, the originator of the wholesale club model. That's led Walmart to see an increase in higher-income clientele, a trend they're leaning into.

Persons: —, Dominick Reuter, Insider's Dominick Reuter, Dominick, Christina Hennington, it's, Sam Walton, Sol Price, That's, Charlie Flanagan, Management's Bryan Kelly, Li Deng, Mike Schuster, Sam Altman Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Daniel Ek, Slaven Vlasic, Rebecca Zisser, Elon, Zers, Xochitl Gomez, Alyson Hannigan, Jason Mraz, Charity Lawson, Ariana Madix, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Target, Walmart, AQR, Investments, AQR Capital Management, Vatic Investments, Sigma, Investment, Barclays, ING, MSCI Israel, Tel, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Israel Securities Authority, Reuters, Broadcom, VMware, The New York Times, Inc, Adobe, ABC, Major, Baseball, MLB Network Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ Spotify ditches popular podcasts 'Heavyweight' and 'Stolen' as CEO doubles down on cost-cutting
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Spotify is cutting two big podcasts, "Heavyweight" and "Stolen," Bloomberg reported. The podcasts in question, "Heavyweight" and "Stolen," will be canceled after completing their current seasons, the report said. Given the cancellations, the streaming giant's viral Spotify Wrapped campaign might soon be overshadowed by a new mantra: "Spotify Scrapped." "Heavyweight" was listed as one of The New York Times' top podcasts of the year and "Stolen" won a Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award. The news of the podcasts' axing comes as Spotify made its third round of layoffs this year.

Persons: Daniel Ek, —, Ek, Mason Morfit, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Organizations: Bloomberg, Analysts, Service, Spotify, The New York Times, Peabody, Spotify's Gimlet, Financial Times Locations: Stockholm

☆ Spotify's former podcast boss calls out the company for setting 'money on fire' with costly celeb deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Spotify 'lit money on fire' with celeb podcasting deals, says the former boss of its podcast studio. Lydia Polgreen, formerly managing director of Gimlet Media, criticized Spotify's decision to cancel two hit podcasts. AdvertisementSpotify "lit money on fire" with celebrity podcast deals, says a former exec at Spotify's podcast studio Gimlet Media. Lydia Polgreen, a New York Times columnist and former managing director of Gimlet Media, criticized the company's decision to cancel its "Heavyweight" and "Stolen" podcasts. Lydia Polgreen used to be managing director of Spotfiy's podcast studio, Gimlet Media.

Persons: Lydia Polgreen, Spotify's, —, Sean Mathis, Bloomberg's Ashley Carman, Daniel Ek, Kim Kardashian, Emma Chamberlain, Barack, Michelle Obama, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Duke, Duchess of Sussex Organizations: Spotify, Gimlet Media, Service, New York Times

☆ Spotify to Lay Off 17% of Staff, Its Third Round of Job Cuts This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Anne Steele | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Spotify’s workforce had nearly doubled over the last three years. Photo: Emanuel Hahn for The Wall Street JournalSpotify is preparing to lay off 17% of its workforce or about 1,500 employees, as the company accelerates its profitability push. Chief Executive Daniel Ek announced the job cuts—the Stockholm-based company’s third round of layoffs this year—to staff Monday.

Persons: Emanuel Hahn, Daniel Ek Organizations: The Wall Street, Spotify Locations: Stockholm

☆ Spotify to reduce staff by 17% in second layoff this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Small figurines are seen in front of displayed Spotify logo in this illustration taken February 11, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Ilustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Spotify (SPOT.N) will reduce its total headcount by around 17% across the company, it said in an email on Monday, after laying of 6% of this staff in January citing higher costs. CEO Daniel Ek told Reuters at that time the company was still focusing on efficiencies to get more out of each dollar. "We debated making smaller reductions throughout 2024 and 2025," CEO Daniel Ek said in a mail to employees. Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee, writing by Anna Ringstrom, editing by Essi Lehto and Terje SolsvikOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Daniel Ek, Supantha Mukherjee, Anna Ringstrom, Essi Lehto, Terje Solsvik Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson

☆ Spotify to lay off 17% of employees — read the full memo CEO Daniel Ek sent to staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Spotify raised prices of its subscription plans earlier this year and has been expanding into podcasts and audio books. Spotify cut 6% of its workforce, or about 600 employees, at the start of the year. For the team that will remain at Spotify, I know this decision will be difficult for many. Looking AheadThe decision to reduce our team size is a hard but crucial step towards forging a stronger, more efficient Spotify for the future. As we've grown, we've moved too far away from this core principle of resourcefulness.

Persons: Ek, we've, I've, we're, Katarina, Severance, We're, – Daniel Organizations: Spotify

LONDON (AP) — Spotify says it's axing 17% of its global workforce, the music streaming service's third round of layoffs this year as it moves to slash costs while focusing on becoming profitable. Spotify had used cheap financing to expand the business and “invested significantly” in employees, content and marketing in 2020 and 2021, the blog post said. But Ek indicated that the company was caught out as central banks started hiking interest rates last year, which can slow economic growth. In June, it cut staff by another 2%, or about 200 workers, mainly in its podcast division. Tech companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta and IBM have announced hundreds of thousands of job cuts this year.

Persons: Daniel Ek, “, Ek, ” Organizations: Spotify, ”, Tech, Google, Microsoft, Meta, IBM Locations: ” Stockholm

☆ Spotify to Cut 1,500 Jobs After Spending Spree
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Adam Satariano | More About Adam Satariano | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Spotify said on Monday that it would cut nearly a fifth of its work force, at least the third round of layoffs this year, as it has struggled to become consistently profitable after spending aggressively to expand beyond music streaming into areas such as podcasting. “Economic growth has slowed dramatically and capital has become more expensive,” Mr. Ek said. “Despite our efforts to reduce costs this past year, our cost structure for where we need to be is still too big,” Mr. Ek added. Despite being the largest music streaming platform, Spotify has long struggled to be profitable because of the terms of licensing deals it has with record labels and music publishers. It struck expensive deals with well-known figures such as former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, as well as Prince Harry and wife, Meghan.

Persons: Daniel Ek, Mr, Ek, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Prince Harry, Meghan Organizations: Spotify

☆ Spotify layoffs: Company to cut 17% of jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Spotify is not an exception to these realities,” Ek wrote in a letter to staff posted to the company’s website. And in June, Spotify cut 200 employees from its podcasting unit. Despite adding 6 million subscribers in the June-to-September period — 2 million more than the company had forecast — Spotify eked out a profit of just €32 million ($34.8 million) in that time. That was up from a loss of €228 million ($248 million) in the same period last year. The company has 226 million subscribers in total.

Persons: Daniel Ek, ” Ek, headcount, Daniel Ek Drew Angerer, Ek, “, ” Organizations: London CNN, Spotify, Microsoft

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