Live music has had quite a week. On one end, Coachella kicked off its first festival weekend with a slew of epic performances. On the other hand, Ticketmaster owner Live Nation was found guilty of monopolizing the ticket market. Still, the desire to go to concerts and experience live music persists. Now, Spotify has entered the chat.
The streaming music giant announced a new year-long partnership with the National Independent Venue Association on Wednesday, aiming to boost the independent live music scene across the US. With titans in the industry like AEG and Live Nation consolidating control over major venues across the country, the Spotify deal opens up the possibility for smaller venues — and the artists who perform there — to gain ground and thrive.
“Independent venues are the heartbeat of live music,” Rene Volker, Spotify’s senior director of live music, said in a statement. “They’re where artists take risks, build devoted communities, and where fans discover what they’ll love for the rest of their lives. This partnership with NIVA is about making sure Spotify’s platform, editorial and product capabilities are working in direct service of that ecosystem. We’re here for the long game.”
What exactly does this long game look like? According to Spotify, new features are rolling out on the platform to enhance the discovery experience for independent music (and venues).
Spotify listeners will be able to discover more independent shows through boosted venue visibility on the app’s venue pages — where you can follow local live music locales — the Concerts Near You playlist, and the regularly updated Live Events Feed, which keeps you informed on the best music events happening in your area.
The Independent Booker Spotlight playlist will launch on Spotify this summer, celebrating the behind-the-scenes folks who make independent live music happen. Each month, NIVA will tap an independent booker to curate a playlist highlighting artists and venues across the country.
“The partnership is anchored around NIVA’s Certified Live Independent seal, which they award to independently owned venues and festivals,” a Spotify spokesperson told CNET. “They’re the leading voice for this community and know their member venues best, so rather than defining independent from scratch, we’re leaning on their existing framework.”
The seal, which will be displayed on Spotify’s venue pages, “shows the sacrifices and ingenuity that goes into keeping their venue or festival independent,” Stephen Parker, executive director at NIVA, said in a statement. “Spotify is elevating that seal and independent stages on their platform to allow millions of fans to experience the magic of these spaces.”
