Audio-First
Key ideas
Ek argues audio is undervalued next to video and explains why Spotify is buying Gimlet and Anchor to grow beyond music into podcasting.
- 1
Size the opportunity by where attention goes
Ek compares time and money: he says people spend roughly the same time on video and audio, while video is about a trillion-dollar market and music and radio about a hundred billion. He takes the gap as a sign of room to grow, and adds radio listening and efforts to reduce screen time as further openings.
- 2
Expand where the core business gains
Ek reports that podcast users spend almost twice the time on Spotify and listen to more music as well, and that unique shows draw in people who had thought the service was not for them. From radio data he treats it as a safe assumption that non-music will exceed 20% of listening over time.
- 3
Buy pieces that play different roles
Ek describes the two acquisitions as filling different roles: Gimlet as a content creator and Anchor as a way for new podcasters to create. He says they are meant to speed Spotify's path to being the leading audio platform, with discovery, data and monetization for creators.
- 4
Invest ahead while the core performs
Ek says music remains as important as before and the core business is doing well. His stated reason for investing now is what he expects from going deeper into audio, especially original content: more scale across the business and leverage through both subscriptions and ads.
- 5
Redefine who you compete against
Ek acknowledges fierce competition and lists what he believes other audio companies lack, including a two-sided marketplace and both ad and subscription revenue at global scale. He accepts that success would put Spotify in competition for people's time with all entertainment and information services.
In Daniel’s words
“I always come back to the same question: Are our eyes really worth 10 times more than our ears?”
Daniel Ek·Audio-First·Read in context(opens the original in a new tab)“But as we expand deeper into audio, especially with original content, we will scale our entire business, creating leverage in the model through subscriptions and ads.”
Daniel Ek·Audio-First·Read in context(opens the original in a new tab)“Ultimately, if we are successful, we will begin competing more broadly for time against all forms of entertainment and informational services, and not just music streaming services.”
Daniel Ek·Audio-First·Read in context(opens the original in a new tab)About this entry
- Published
- Feb 6, 2019
- Publisher
- newsroom.spotify.com
- Type
- Essay
- Language
- English
- Added
- Nov 2, 2026
- Source last checked
- Nov 2, 2026
Cover photo of Daniel Ek, not from this work: Lukasz Kobus/European Commission, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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