Spotify: From music streaming start-up to global audio company
During the last few decades, the internet and digital technology have
fundamentally changed the global music industry. As a consequence, new companies
and novel business models have emerged. Spotify, one of the new players in the music
industry, has expanded its business activities and grown to become the leading
streaming company worldwide. Today, Spotify offers a wide variety of audio products,
such as podcasts and audiobooks, to subscribers, as well as significant service solutions
for artists and music producers alike. This case study describes the development of the
music industry before the advent of Spotify. After presenting Spotify’s origins and after
discussing Spotify’s market entry into the most important music market in the world,
namely, the US, the case study focuses on the company’s growth. We show that
acquisitions of other companies enabled Spotify to develop its services further, as well as
to diversify its product portfolio. We also shed light on Spotify’s internationalization as
another important driver of firm growth. Over time, Spotify’s relationship with major
labels has changed, and this case study reveals how Spotify has gained power while
getting more independent from the major labels.
| Author: | Stefan Schmid, Tobias Romey |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1869-5426 |
| Parent Title (English): | ESCP Working Paper |
| Series (Serial Number) | ESCP Working Paper (71) |
| Publisher: | ESCP Europe Wirtschaftshochschule Berlin e.V. |
| Place of publication: | Berlin |
| Document Type: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Date of Publication (online): | 12.09.2022 |
| Year of first Publication: | 2022 |
| Tag: | Acquisitions; Case Study; Digital Music; Diversification; Firm Growth; Internationalization; Internet; Market Entry; Music Industry; Music Label; Platform; Podcast; Product Development; Spotify; Streaming |
| Pagenumber: | 60 |
| Licence (German): | Creative Commons CC-BY-ND - Namensnennung-Keine Bearbeitung |





