Music + Talk
Music + Talk is a tool and a content format exclusive to Spotify that lets podcasters insert full music tracks into their episodes without a license. It removed a rights barrier that had kept creators from building music-led shows, and it still generates royalties for the tracks that get played. I worked across the product design, the project management, and the production of original shows in the format.
licensed music, no license
Music + Talk lets a podcaster drop a full track into an episode without clearing rights, because playback runs through a listener's own Spotify account. Play a track and it counts, and the rights holder gets paid. It was a real unlock for creators who had never been able to build a music show.
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made in the studio
Alongside the format, we produced original Music + Talk shows to seed the catalogue and show creators what the format could be.
- Hypebot
“Music + Talk has led to the creation of radio show-like podcasts and enabled artists to share music with fans.”
- TechCrunch
“A significant update. Limitations around streaming rights had previously kept podcast creators from easily integrating licensed music in their programs.”
- Music Ally
“Music shows using the new format could be great discovery vehicles for frontline and catalogue music alike, and crucially will generate royalties for that music.”