Sunita Kaur
As part of its efforts to give Filipino music lovers more curated and localized content, the streaming service Spotify has recently included six acts from the Philippines in the Early Noise 2017—a playlist that puts the spotlight on burgeoning talents across Asia.
Joining promising musicians from neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are: Ben&Ben, the folk-pop duo composed of twin brothers and PhilPop 2016 finalists Paolo and Miguel Guico; contemporary R&B singer Jess Connelly; Kaye Cal, former vocalist of Ezra Band from “Pilipinas Got Talent” Season 1; the indie-pop tandem of Leanne and Naara; pop-acoustic singers Zack and Fritz; and the pop-rock band IV of Spades.
“Of course, talent was the main criterion in selecting which promising artists to feature. But we also looked at how they’re faring in terms of streaming; if they’re beginning to gain traction on the scene and enjoying a considerable following,” Spotify Asia managing director Sunita Kaur said in a recent interview.
The intent, the executive added, is to utilize Spotify as a means of discovering new talents, and giving them a platform to help make their material more visible and accessible to a wider audience. “We hope to give such talents some push, so that, eventually, we may see their music in the Top Hits charts,” Kaur said.
Aside from Early Noise 2017, Spotify continues to create new playlists and augment existing ones that specifically cater to Filipinos’ changing OPM cravings, depending on their mood or time of the day. For mornings, there’s the likes of Jeepney Joyride and Commute sa Umaga; Top Hits Philippines at noon; and #Hugot at night.
“We have recently hired a music editor from the Philippines to improve our playlists further. We want to ensure that our content is specific to our different markets,” Kaur related, adding that Spotify likewise planned to reach out and collaborate with local music festivals.
IV of Spades
Fans can also expect other homegrown musicians to be featured in Spotify Sessions, a series of intimate shows and live recordings exclusive to the music app. The first Filipino act to be featured was the pop-rock band Hale, in 2015.
“Perhaps the music festivals or events could let us know their featured acts. And we, in turn, would make playlists based on that. So that by the time the concertgoers arrive in the venue, they will already be in the mood,” she said.
Such initiatives in the Philippines are crucial, Kaur pointed out, because the Philippines is one of Spotify’s biggest markets. According to figures provided by the company, two out of every five Filipinos with mobile internet access stream music via Spotify.
They spend an average of 154 minutes on the app per day, with OPM, pop and hip-hop being the most popular genres.
Spotify also claimed that the past 12 months saw Filipino consumers streaming close to 30 billion minutes worth of music.
“We’re lucky that word-of-mouth is strong here in the Philippines,” Kaur said. “And we want to continue finding out what Filipinos want.”
Kaye Cal
Zack and Fritz