Spotify is a platform that keeps unfolding with new features every day, every week and every month. It’s on a continuous evolution, and its unique features are getting the attention of other brands who want more engagement. According to an announcement on January 7th, Spotify will now allow brands to sponsor ‘Discover Weekly’ playlists.

Let me take a step back and explain this last sentence. ‘Discover Weekly’ is a weekly playlist by Spotify unique to each user. Based on what songs and artists you listen on Spotify, the platform’s algorithm suggests 30 songs for you every week. You have access to this playlist for a week, then the playlist is updated with 30 new songs the next week.

“Personalization has quickly gone from a nice-to-have to an expected consumer experience that delights audiences, and marketers are craving opportunities to be part of it,” says Danielle Lee, global head of partner solutions at Spotify. “Our new Discover Weekly ad experience positions advertisers for success and ensures that our fans are hearing messages that embody the ethos of discovery.”

So, Spotify will allow brands to step in sponsor Discover Weekly playlists. Of course, Premium users of Spotify are not included because Spotify Premium does not have advertising. So this feature is for free users only. (When you are a free user of Spotify, there is a commercial break between every 3 songs you listen).

For the beta launch of this new feature, Spotify has partnered with Microsoft. Microsoft will run a campaign on Spotify, which will include messages about how AI can be used in a variety of industries ranging from education to healthcare to philanthropy. Erin Bevington, general manager of global media at Microsoft, said: “Our partnership with a technology innovator like Spotify offered a way for us to effectively share that message within a personalized entertainment experience powered by AI.”

A statistic by Spotify says that users who use Discover Weekly stream twice as more songs on Spotify than other users. The users who use Discover Weekly are a highly engaged group, which is a demographic that brands are very interested because they want the same engagement for themselves.

This is a move by Spotify to increase its revenue streams and also to get a leg up in competition with other platforms such as Apple Music and Amazon Music. This move will surely bring more revenue to Spotify, but it is ambiguous whether this newfound revenue will trickle down to the royalty rate the artists are receiving as the primary content drivers of the platform.

Adva Mobile is a marketing services and technology company for creative artists. Using Adva’s mobile services, you can let your fans learn about your latest creative work, run contests, take surveys, reach out to your superfans and engage with them.

Alper Tuzcu is a Berklee College of Music and Denison University alumni, and a Boston based guitarist, songwriter and producer. His new album ‘Aurora’ was released on October 19, 2018 and his debut eclectic album ‘Between 12 Waters’ featuring 8 different vocalists is available on Spotify. In addition to being a musician, he regularly teaches workshops and masterclasses internationally. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter, and for more information you can visit his website www.alpertuzcu.com