11 ms·

This is nothing more than PR fluff. Spotify is in big trouble, as waging war with Apple is proving to be far more costly than they expected. I want to know how

This is nothing more than PR fluff. Spotify is in big trouble, as waging war with Apple is proving to be far more costly than they expected. I want to know how much Techcrunch got paid for this advertisement.

foota 10y ago
I don't have any real reason to believe so, but I doubt techcrunch would accept money straight up for an article.
- anotherthrow2 10y ago
  Access to scoops and leaks, which translate into articles that get page views, which translate into ad dollars, is an indirect way to pay off a journalist.
  - edblarney 10y ago
    So by your logic they are 'bribing' the journalist and 'paying them off' by 'giving them a scoop'? Ergo - every decent news story amounts to 'bribery'? I think you bit your tongue on that one.
    - shard972 10y ago
      Is this not the main criticism leveled at big press outlets during Obama's administration? That they were too easy on reporting and justified it by saying you need to be to get the scoops.
    - im3w1l 10y ago
      http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/24/media/cnn-blocked-white-house-gaggle/ http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/24/media/cnn-blocked-white-hous...
    - coldtea 10y ago
      >So by your logic they are 'bribing' the journalist and 'paying them off' by 'giving them a scoop'? Yes, it happens often. Journalists get paid with scoops, etc (aka in the industry as "access") and that buys some favorable pieces and a sympathetic ear on the other side. Here's an example (there are countless others from all parties and from tons of companies): http://gawker.com/this-is-how-hillary-clinton-gets-the-coverage-she-wants-1758019058 http://gawker.com/this-is-how-hillary-clinton-gets-the-cover... >Ergo - every decent news story amounts to 'bribery'? Where did you came with this weirdo conclusion? Bribing a journalist/media with scoops if something that happens, not something that ALWAYS happen -- so it doesn't apply to "every decent news story". For one, not every scoop has been leaked to the outlet breaking it by the company/organization that the scoop is about. >I think you bit your tongue on that one. No, he really didn't.
      - edblarney 10y ago
        I'm fully aware of how it works. And no, it's not bribery. His comment was an unsubstantiated attack on the journalist who wrote that piece. That piece is by no means a 'puff piece' - it's just a normal bit of journalism, and it's actually reasonably good. Making statements like 'oh, they paid them for that piece' is derogatory and crude, and unless there's some obvious reason or merit to the argument, it need not be said.
    - rglullis 10y ago
      > Every decent news story amounts to bribery? George Orwell's "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations" is the best filter to apply in these situations.
- funkyy 10y ago
  There is an actual price list for those if you know where to look and you know right people.
- edblarney 10y ago
  "I don't have any real reason to believe so" They are a reasonable journalistic outfit. You can safely assume they are not taking bribes for stories.
- bredren 10y ago
  You absolutely can buy your way on there. You pay a PR firm with a strong enough relationship with an editor to get anything on there. This goes for traditional news orgs as well.
refulgentis 10y ago
My instincts feel that way, but Apple Music announced they crossed 20 million paid users in 12/2016, 40% of Spotify's 50+ million. Anecdotally, discover weekly is a tremendous hit. Makes you wish for functional public capital markets so we knew the real story.
- JamilD 10y ago
  Spotify has partnered with telecoms, newspapers, and others to provide bundled subscriptions -- inflating their "paid" subscriber amount. A good chunk of those 50m aren't paying $10/mo; they've expanded their partnerships (in part) to inflate that number.
  - newsat13 10y ago
    Very interesting. Can you give me some pointers on what kind of partnerships they have?
    - jeremymcanally 10y ago
      Every Starbucks barista (who's worked at Starbucks for some number of months) receives a free Spotify subscription, for example.
    - jaylynch 10y ago
      Here in Australia, Vodafone (a mobile carrier) have been bundling Spotify Premium with their contracts, for example: https://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/News/Vodafone-reveals-Spotify-plans https://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/News/Vodafone-rev... Interestingly Apple did a similar thing with Telstra (the largest, formerly state owned carrier), with a year free on 1 year contracts. That has now become more of a free trial sort of deal though: https://www.telstra.com.au/applemusic https://www.telstra.com.au/applemusic
    - brennebeck 10y ago
      Here in the Philippines the major providers bundle Spotify with data plans. Also, a family subscription here is a fraction of what it was back home in the US (~P159 vs ~$10+)
bogomipz 10y ago
Agreed, I came here to say the same thing, namely this is a PR fluff piece, not serious journalism. I don't believe there is a records executive at any of the major 3 labels that is legitimately concerned about Spotify gaining "leverage" over them. And like you mentioned Apple seems to be quietly growing its subscribers in leaps in bounds: https://9to5mac.com/2017/02/13/apple-music-subscribers-past-20-million/ https://9to5mac.com/2017/02/13/apple-music-subscribers-past-...

foota 10y ago

I don't have any real reason to believe so, but I doubt techcrunch would accept money straight up for an article.

anotherthrow2 10y ago
Access to scoops and leaks, which translate into articles that get page views, which translate into ad dollars, is an indirect way to pay off a journalist.
- edblarney 10y ago
  So by your logic they are 'bribing' the journalist and 'paying them off' by 'giving them a scoop'? Ergo - every decent news story amounts to 'bribery'? I think you bit your tongue on that one.
  - shard972 10y ago
    Is this not the main criticism leveled at big press outlets during Obama's administration? That they were too easy on reporting and justified it by saying you need to be to get the scoops.
  - im3w1l 10y ago
    http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/24/media/cnn-blocked-white-house-gaggle/ http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/24/media/cnn-blocked-white-hous...
  - coldtea 10y ago
    >So by your logic they are 'bribing' the journalist and 'paying them off' by 'giving them a scoop'? Yes, it happens often. Journalists get paid with scoops, etc (aka in the industry as "access") and that buys some favorable pieces and a sympathetic ear on the other side. Here's an example (there are countless others from all parties and from tons of companies): http://gawker.com/this-is-how-hillary-clinton-gets-the-coverage-she-wants-1758019058 http://gawker.com/this-is-how-hillary-clinton-gets-the-cover... >Ergo - every decent news story amounts to 'bribery'? Where did you came with this weirdo conclusion? Bribing a journalist/media with scoops if something that happens, not something that ALWAYS happen -- so it doesn't apply to "every decent news story". For one, not every scoop has been leaked to the outlet breaking it by the company/organization that the scoop is about. >I think you bit your tongue on that one. No, he really didn't.
    - edblarney 10y ago
      I'm fully aware of how it works. And no, it's not bribery. His comment was an unsubstantiated attack on the journalist who wrote that piece. That piece is by no means a 'puff piece' - it's just a normal bit of journalism, and it's actually reasonably good. Making statements like 'oh, they paid them for that piece' is derogatory and crude, and unless there's some obvious reason or merit to the argument, it need not be said.
  - rglullis 10y ago
    > Every decent news story amounts to bribery? George Orwell's "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations" is the best filter to apply in these situations.
funkyy 10y ago
There is an actual price list for those if you know where to look and you know right people.
edblarney 10y ago
"I don't have any real reason to believe so" They are a reasonable journalistic outfit. You can safely assume they are not taking bribes for stories.
bredren 10y ago
You absolutely can buy your way on there. You pay a PR firm with a strong enough relationship with an editor to get anything on there. This goes for traditional news orgs as well.

refulgentis 10y ago

My instincts feel that way, but Apple Music announced they crossed 20 million paid users in 12/2016, 40% of Spotify's 50+ million. Anecdotally, discover weekly is a tremendous hit. Makes you wish for functional public capital markets so we knew the real story.

JamilD 10y ago
Spotify has partnered with telecoms, newspapers, and others to provide bundled subscriptions -- inflating their "paid" subscriber amount. A good chunk of those 50m aren't paying $10/mo; they've expanded their partnerships (in part) to inflate that number.
- newsat13 10y ago
  Very interesting. Can you give me some pointers on what kind of partnerships they have?
  - jeremymcanally 10y ago
    Every Starbucks barista (who's worked at Starbucks for some number of months) receives a free Spotify subscription, for example.
  - jaylynch 10y ago
    Here in Australia, Vodafone (a mobile carrier) have been bundling Spotify Premium with their contracts, for example: https://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/News/Vodafone-reveals-Spotify-plans https://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/News/Vodafone-rev... Interestingly Apple did a similar thing with Telstra (the largest, formerly state owned carrier), with a year free on 1 year contracts. That has now become more of a free trial sort of deal though: https://www.telstra.com.au/applemusic https://www.telstra.com.au/applemusic
  - brennebeck 10y ago
    Here in the Philippines the major providers bundle Spotify with data plans. Also, a family subscription here is a fraction of what it was back home in the US (~P159 vs ~$10+)

bogomipz 10y ago

Agreed, I came here to say the same thing, namely this is a PR fluff piece, not serious journalism. I don't believe there is a records executive at any of the major 3 labels that is legitimately concerned about Spotify gaining "leverage" over them. And like you mentioned Apple seems to be quietly growing its subscribers in leaps in bounds: https://9to5mac.com/2017/02/13/apple-music-subscribers-past-20-million/ https://9to5mac.com/2017/02/13/apple-music-subscribers-past-...