Music streaming platform kicked off its 10th anniversary with a celebration of local artists as it hosted the first-ever Spotify lounge in the country last October 8.
With Pinoy music on the rise, it unveiled its refreshed Pinoy Music Hub, a comprehensive destination featuring 50 editorial playlists that drive culture and champion artist discovery.
“We really want to take this opportunity to celebrate all things Filipino music. At the same time, there are so many Spotify artists defying the sounds of this decade, along with rising stars shaping the future of Filipino music,” Kossy Ng, head of music for Southeast Asia, said during a media briefing prior to the event.
With this commitment in mind, it showcased the latest hits in genres such as Tatak Pinoy, KALYE, and P-Pop on the Rise alongside timeless favorites from OPM Hits of the ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s.
The hub also offers playlists tailored for every mood, including Kilig Pa More, Hugot and Panalo.
The music streaming platform also showcased unique features like personalized playlists, the ability to share favorite songs and lyrics on social media, and even recent innovations like the daylist, a curated playlist that quickly adjusts your day’s mood. There’s also DJ X, a personalized AI guide that plays music just how you want it.
“Today, we are at 626 million monthly active users, out of which 246 million are paid subscribers. So, what does this mean for artists? It just means that there’s more opportunities for them to reach this amount of audience anywhere across the world,” Ng said.
Reflecting on its 10-year journey in the country, Ng noted that it was only a year after its introduction that it launched its first localized playlist.
Over 150 tracks were presented, including dedicated music hubs for K-pop and karaoke, which were big hits for all Pinoys.
The head of music also highlighted Moira Dela Torre’s track in Himig Handog, which marked her as the first local artist to reach number one in the country at that time, along with “Tadhana” by Up Dharma Down from 2012.
“So, we knew at that point, that it was going to be a turning point for Filipino music,” she said.
Ng also said that OPM music has been growing extremely, with over 71 million tracks, which is four times the growth in consumption in just the last five years.
“Now, beyond streams, we’d like to say that, you know, as Spotify, we want to make sure that artists are part of the community. So, we’ve actually, you know, really championed a lot of these artists in the Philippines,” she added.
The lounge celebrated a decade of Pinoy music by bringing together the music industry and community, featuring live performances from Ben&Ben and RADAR artists Illest Morena and Maki.
There was also the presentation of milestone rings to local musicians whose songs have reached 200 million plays on the streaming platform as of September 1.
These silver rings feature a flat top with the Spotify logo engraved in one corner, while the inside bears the inscription “200,000,000.”
Ben&Ben and Moira Dela Torre were honored as Spotify’s inaugural decade definers for their record-breaking hits.
Tracks like “Tadhana” by Up Dharma Down, “Kathang Isip” and “Maybe The Night” (Ben&Ben), “Pano” (Zack Tabudlo), “Ikaw Lang” (NOBITA), “Paraluman” (Adie), “Mahika” (Adie and Janine Berdin), “Mundo” and “Come Inside Of My Heart” (IV Of Spades), “Pasilyo” (SunKissed Lola), “Kung ‘Di Rin Lang Ikaw” (December Avenue and Moira Dela Torre), “Pagsamo” and “Isa Lang” (Arthur Nery), and “Kung Wala Ka” (Hale) were also spotlighted for their impact on the music industry.
Rising stars, including artists like Hev Abi and Maki, were also recognized for their innovative sounds and styles, shaping the next wave of Pinoy music.
As OPM music continues to rise, it hopes to bring Pinoy music culture to a global audience.
It also aims to raise the country’s flag higher with a stronger and continued commitment to support Filipino music by promoting more interactivity and diversity in consumption across genres, languages, and cultures, fostering a deeper artist-fan connection, and building a vibrant and dynamic music industry as a collective.
“Pinoy music continues to reach new fans across genres and borders. Spotify not only delivers an unparalleled, personalized music experience for listeners but also serves as the platform for artists to grow their audience and build deep connections with their fans,” Ng said.
