logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
1h 37m

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek

Ben Gilbert And David Rosenthal
About this episode

We sit down with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek live in Stockholm at Spotify’s amazing HQ studio (check out the video version of this episode — which plays natively on Spotify!). This was an incredibly special and timely conversation: for those who haven’t been paying attention over the past few years, after revolutionizing music Spotify has now ALSO completely transformed our own industry in podcasting. Starting from way behind with ~zero market share in 2018, Spotify has now aggregated the listener market and amazingly surpassed Apple as the world’s largest podcast platform — including close to home with the Acquired audience, where it has 60%+ market share among you all!


We discuss the origins of this “second act” strategy with Daniel, the vision to move from a music company to an audio company, and what’s coming next with Spotify’s entry into Audiobooks. And of course we relive some key moments from the Acquired canon that Daniel was involved in, including his pivotal conversations with Taylor Swift and her team convincing her to come back to streaming following the release of 1984. Tune in!

Links

Sponsors:

Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired
WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25
Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24


More Acquired!:

© Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLC


Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

Up next
Jun 30
Google
We tell the story of the single greatest business ever created: Google search. From its origins as a Stanford research project called BackRub, Google became the front door to the internet. Today it’s an essential service for over half the world, and one that generates more profit ... Show More
3h 39m
Jun 2
The Steve Ballmer Interview
We sit down with Steve Ballmer, the legendary former Microsoft CEO and owner of the LA Clippers, for an epic conversation covering his 34 years at Microsoft. Steve listened to our Microsoft episodes and had some thoughts to share — and boy, did he deliver. Steve takes us point-by ... Show More
2h 59m
Apr 28
Announcement: Acquired Live at Radio City Music Hall!
A few weeks ago, we told you that Acquired is doing something in New York City on July 15 with our good friends at J.P. Morgan Payments. Well, the big announcement is finally here: We are doing our 2025 Live Show… at Radio City Music Hall!Radio City is of course the iconic New Yo ... Show More
4m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2023
Spotify Founder: “Your Music Taste Could Signal The Books You NEED to Read” - Daniel Ek
BONUS EPISODE: Today I’m joined by Daniel Ek - a man you might never have heard of but whose business you’ve almost certainly used. Daniel is the co-founder and CEO of Spotify, and he ‘s taken the company from an struggling start-up to industry giant. And, Spotify has just launch ... Show More
47m 34s
Mar 2023
[VIDEO] Our first Spotify Video! Interview with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek!
Justine had the opportunity to interview the Spotify CEO at their Stream On event where they launched a bunch of new features!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/samebrain/support 
24m 51s
Apr 2024
Spotify-Europachef Michael Krause (#687)
Michael Krause spricht im OMR Podcast über Musik-Trends und die neue Strategie der Schweden. Weltweit nutzen inzwischen mehr als 600 Millionen Menschen den Musik-Streamingdienst Spotify. Europa-Chef Michael Krause verrät, wieso das Unternehmen seine Podcast-Strategie radikal geän ... Show More
1h 11m
Jan 2024
Live podcast with Daniel Ek Founder & CEO Spotify: The future of audio, AI in music and motivation
Daniel shares the unique story of how Spotify revolutionized the music industry, the future of audio, the impact of AI, and his approach to leadership and building a strong corporate culture.  The production team on this episode were PLAN-B's Pål Huuse and Niklas Figenschau Johan ... Show More
44m 14s
Sep 2023
Building Anchor, selling to Spotify, and lessons learned | Maya Prohovnik (Spotify’s Head of Podcast Product)
Brought to you by Sidebar—Catalyze your career with a Personal Board of Directors | Wix Studio—The web creation platform built for agencies | LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business—Maya Prohovnik is currently Spotify’s Head of Podcast Product. She wa ... Show More
1h 7m
Apr 2020
SV039: Creating a Podcast Career with TIP Co-Founder Stig Brodersen
On today’s show, we’re happy to chat with our very own Stig Brodersen. Stig is a value investor, business owner, and international bestselling author. His podcast We Study Billionaires has over 30 million+ downloads and has been recognized as the #1 ranked stock investing podcast ... Show More
44m 59s
Feb 2023
Podcasting? Radio? It’s all one big opportunity for iHeartMedia digital CEO Conal Byrne
We taped this episode live at Hot Pod Summit. That’s our conference for the podcast industry. We have a whole newsletter for podcasters. It’s called Hot Pod, written by our very own Ariel Shapiro. Hot Pod Summit is where we bring that community of creators, trendsetters and decis ... Show More
1h 8m
Dec 2023
Spotify layoffs and the psyche of workers
Audio streaming juggernaut Spotify laid off 17% of its workforce today after a large uptick in users and its first profitable quarter since 2021. What are constant layoffs like this doing to the psyche of workers? Plus: KISS lives on as the first US digital avatar band and Alaska ... Show More
13m 48s
May 2023
Lessons from scaling Spotify: The science of product, taking risky bets, and how AI is already impacting the future of music | Gustav Söderström (Co-President, CPO, and CTO at Spotify)
Brought to you by Microsoft Clarity—See how people actually use your product | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments | Eco—Your most rewarding app—Gustav Söderström is the Co-President and Chief Product and Technology Officer at Spotify. He is responsible for Spotify’s global ... Show More
1h 24m