Right now, English speakers are overwhelmed by the sheer number of podcasts on Spotify—millions of them, in fact. But if CEO Daniel Ek’s vision comes to fruition, that number could skyrocket.
You might want to set aside some time for this.
Ek envisions a future where all 7 million podcasts on the platform—currently available in languages from Arabic to Albanian—can be translated into English quickly and affordably through AI.
“Picture this: you’re a podcast creator who’s an expert in your field, but let’s say you’re Indonesian,” Ek explained. “If you’re unaware of language barriers and the fact that English can reach such a broad audience, it can be tough. AI could make it possible for you to speak in your native tongue while the technology translates it for listeners in real-time.”
“What does this mean for creativity? For sharing knowledge? For entertainment? I think we’re just scratching the surface here.”
Ek, who founded Spotify back in 2006 and led it to an IPO in 2018, sat down with me to discuss how he’s positioning the company amid advancements and legal challenges.
With 678 million users across 183 countries—239 million of whom are paying subscribers—Ek believes Spotify will see even more growth in the coming year, both in audience and content creators.
“When we really dove into podcasting about five years ago, only around 20% of Americans even knew what a podcast was,” he told me. “Now, roughly 50% of people engage with podcasts, which still means there’s room for half the population to join in.”
Ek is excited at the prospect of “more voices from around the world” becoming accessible.
That’s why Spotify is also embracing video, both in podcasts and music. “We’ve started rolling out full-length music videos,” he mentioned. “Plus, more artists are experimenting with shorter video formats, leading to an increase in music video uploads on the platform.”
In its recent Revenue Report, Spotify indicated it has gained 5 million new subscribers just in the last quarter.
Interestingly, Ek’s aspiration for global reach is influenced by how fractured online culture has become.
He cited country music as an intriguing example. “It’s massive in the US, yet it’s gained traction in places like Europe and Southeast Asia. It’s interesting how what may appear as American culture has become a worldwide phenomenon.”
Connectivity has always been at the core of his mission. Spotify emerged in response to peer-to-peer sharing services like Napster, providing a legal avenue to stream music instantly while ensuring artists are compensated.
Of course, criticism about Spotify’s artist compensation per stream has persisted. However, the platform’s influence in terms of reach and exposure is undeniable.
“We are… the largest contributors to the music industry,” Ek stated. “In just the last quarter, we’ve paid over $100 million to creators in podcasting alone.”
This includes high-profile names like Joe Rogan, who holds a $250 million non-exclusive deal with Spotify. Ek stood by Rogan during controversies, unlike other tech companies that censored him for discussing topics like COVID-19 origins and vaccine effectiveness.
“It was pretty clear to me that things weren’t as black and white as some were claiming,” Ek remarked. “In the US, it seems like there’s one standard, but my experiences back home showed a different perspective.”
He emphasizes the importance of allowing voices like Rogan’s—questioning and challenging ideas—to be heard on Spotify.
“We want Spotify to be a platform for all voices,” he asserted, even including niche genres like “Myanmar punk music… resisting the regime.”
