What went down at Spotify Talks

TMN was at the Chauvel Cinema in Sydney this morning to witness the inaugural Spotify Talks event. On the agenda was an eclectic mix of technology, creativity and science, all tied together on the common ground of music.

Here are four takeaways from Spotify Talks’ first ever event – ‘The More We Know, The Louder We Get’.

There are “tests going on” for Spotify’s video content

Spotify’s Head of Artists & Label Service International Kevin Brown may spend most of his time on airplanes travelling the world, but he did happen to ground any speculation regarding Spotify’s impending introduction of video content.

“Yes, there are tests currently going,” he confirmed to session host Marc Fennell.

While Brown also hinted at more “long-form” content, we may well see a dramatic explosion of video on the streaming service much sooner than expected.

"We want to get better at telling the stories of artists and the best way to do that is through video," he added. 

Spotify realises the value of playlists

Playlists was a frequently revisited topic of discussion throughout the morning. The notion of the “active listener” was put forward by Dr Amanda Krause, Researcher, Social and Applied Psychology of Music, explaining how we are all personal DJs in the current musical landscape.

Saiko Management’s Scott Maclachlan also weighed in on the power of certain playlists: “New Music Fridays has become a bit of a holy grail for artists.”

Unsigned Sydney producer CLYPSO made it to #10 on the Australian Viral 50 after being featured on three high-profile playlists – read more here.

Data is breaking down borders

Spotify’s competitive advantage in the global streaming market is built on the availability of data. Each one of the millions of songs currently in Spotify’s bank has data attached to it, according to Brown – not to mention the abundance of charts data that is freely available to artists, labels and streamers. 

It’s also a great tool to have at your disposal: "It’s fun looking up who’s topping the chart in the far-reaching points of the globe," said Spotify ANZ Artist & Label Services Manager Tom Mee. 

Music is blissful euphoria for the brain

According to Professor Peter Keller, music is one of the most common and intense triggers of happiness in the brain. Through a series of theoretical and practical demonstrations, Keller sought to educate the audience on the complex nuances in the world of neuroscience.

“It’s not just a random explosion,” Keller said of the brain’s response to music and rhythm. “A careful combination of sounds and rhythm trigger the brain to respond in a number of different ways.”