Start-up to IPO: The rise and rise of Spotify

Start-up to IPO: The rise and rise of Spotify

It’s D-Day for Spotify: the world will be watching as the streaming giant launches its IPO today (April 3) on the New York Stock Exchange.

The music business will be busy debating whether the decision has paid off in the days, weeks and month ahead. But there’s no doubt that Spotify has transformed the industry over the last decade. Of all his many visionary pronouncements, CEO and co-founder Daniel Ek’s claims for the impact of Spotify are probably justified. Here, Music Week looks back at the company’s milestones in a decade of soaring streaming growth

OCTOBER 2008

Spotify launched in Stockholm, Sweden. Announces licensing deals with major music labels.

FEBRUARY 2009

Spotify opens public registration for paid and free tiers in the UK.

MARCH 2011

Hits one million paid subscribers across Europe.

SEPTEMBER 2011

Hits two million paid subscribers.

JULY 2011

Spotify launches in the US.

JULY 2013

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke removes solo and spin-off projects from Spotify, saying the platform is bad for new artists.

MARCH 2014

Acquires music intelligence company The Echo Nest.

MAY 2014

Hits 10 million subscribers

NOVEMBER 2014

Taylor Swift pulls her catalogue from the service.

JUNE 2015

Hits 20 million subscribers.

DECEMBER 2015

The Beatles entire discography is made available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.

NOVEMBER 2016

International billboard campaign launched with adverts that humorously mocked users’ listening habits.

APRIL 2017

Spotify signs new deals with Universal and Merlin that allow windowing on Spotify Premium in exchange for lower rates. Sony and Warner deals follow.

JUNE 2017

Taylor Swift returns to Spotify.

JULY 2017

Hits 140m users and 60m subscribers.

DECEMBER 2017

Some of Thom Yorke’s albums return to Spotify.

JANUARY 2018

Wixen Music Publishing sues Spotify for allegedly using thousands of songs without the proper licence. 

JANUARY 2018

Hits 70m subscribers.

FEBRUARY 2018

Files for direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

MARCH 2018

Taylor Swift releases exclusive video for Spotify.

APRIL 2018

Spotify goes public.

By Allison Miller



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