Feature to try: Spotify Listening Party
Introduced last year to coincide with the release of Billie Eilish’s third album, Hit Me Hard And Soft, Spotify’s Listening Party is starting to take off. And this new way of connecting artists and fans could well reimagine album launch strategies. This tool enables artists to organize live audio sessions where fans can listen to music, interact in real time via chat, and even ask questions directly to the artist.
Spotify has been testing these Listening Parties since December 2023 and has already organized sessions with artists such as Zara Larsson, Bleachers, Peso Pluma and most recently, with TOKiMONSTA.
Why this new feature?
These Listening Parties are designed to improve engagement and real-time exchange between artists and fans. It’s Spotify’s way of bringing the human element back into interactions, in the same way as in-store meetings and signings were organized in the 90s and 2000s. Listening Parties offer fans an immersive way of connecting with artists, creating special moments that can positively alter the trajectory of an album release.
The opinion of our DSP Editorial & Partnerships team:
“According to Spotify, on average, fans who attend a listening party stream the artist +125% more in the week following the event than they would have if they hadn't attended.”
What is a Spotify Listening Party?
A Listening Party is an exclusive event organized by artists in the Spotify app. Fans who sign up can listen to a new album in real time, while chatting with the artist and other fans via live chat. Artists can also address their audience directly for a personalized listening experience.
The opinion of our Audience Development team: “This new tool offers artists an effective way to connect with their superfans, without needing to go on camera – ideal for those who aren’t comfortable with video content on social networks.”
What is Spotify Listening Party for?
This feature enhances fan engagement by providing a space for real-time interaction and the creation of a community around an artist’s music. At this stage, Spotify does not provide recordings of Listening Parties, making the session even more exclusive.
Spotify Listening Parties mark an important change in the way artists communicate with their audiences. Unlike traditional album release promotions, these live audio experiences create an intimate, interactive space for fans. By integrating real-time chat and Q&A elements, artists can build stronger relationships with their fans and improve community engagement.
The opinion of our Audience Development team: “Take the opportunity to share anecdotes about these new compositions. You can also play any music available on Spotify during the event, to extend the listening experience with your catalogue, all streams are subject to royalties based on the number of listeners present.”
Listening Party organized by TOKiMONSTA for the release of Eternal Rêverie
Practical recommendations
Listening parties take place on the Spotify website – accessible via mobile or desktop. Fans receive an invitation link that they can share. All details are managed from Spotify for Artists.
Only Spotify Premium users (Individual, Duo, Family or Student) can participate. Please note: The number of places is limited, which means that some registered fans may not have access. If a fan leaves the session, their place may be taken by someone else. Spotify will invite your biggest listeners to the session for you, but will also ask you to share the event to reach as many people as possible.
The feature is also integrated with Spotify’s merchandising ecosystem, allowing fans to browse and purchase artist merchandise during the event.
The feature is currently available in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile. The artist must also have a Spotify Premium account in one of these territories in order to organize a Listening Party.