There’s new and exciting talent everywhere. Artists across all disciplines often learn from leaders of the past to forge ahead and create their own distinctive styles. It’s a trusted formula for many of today’s top-selling trendsetters. But finding developing artists that are truly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible can be challenging if you don’t know where to look. Luckily, Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlists make that discovery simple and enjoyable for audiences worldwide.
Launched in 2016, the Fresh Finds playlists are a dual-purpose hub for listeners who crave something new, as well as independent artists wanting to be heard. Since then, Fresh Finds has featured more than 27,000 artists from different genres whose music has taken off reaching listeners globally.
To expand upon the success of the playlists, Spotify launched the Fresh Finds marketing program in May 2021. The initiative aims to give indie artists useful tools to succeed in both the competitive streaming world and their careers in the long term.
“Independent artists are at the forefront of what’s next in music,” says Rachel Ring, music marketing manager at Spotify. “It’s vital that we continue to create space and opportunities for this wide-ranging group of artists, meet them where they are, provide tools for them to have agency over their careers, and give them a voice in our marketing campaigns.”
Using a combination of data, online buzz, social media, and editorial review, Spotify’s marketing, and editorial teams decided which creators qualified for the inaugural program. The talented eight musicians, who were broken up into two separate classes, proved to be an innovative and nuanced collective that embodied the Fresh Finds ethos.
This first group of artists and producers included Wallice, who worked alongside marinelli and Ariel Rechtshaid; Unusual Demont, who collaborated with The Idiot; Julia Wolf, who teamed up with Jackson Foote; and EKKSTACY, who partnered with Jonny Pierce of The Drums. The second class of indie inductees included TOLEDO, who created music with Gabe Wax; Pom Pom Squad, who joined forces with Sarah Tudzin of the Illuminati Hotties; Araya, who worked alongside Mindchatter; and Doss, who was paired with Cecilia Gault.
Over the course of six to eight weeks, the eight artists received a masterclass that dove deeper into all the resources available in the Spotify ecosystem. They learned how to use Spotify for Artists tools, had an opportunity to work with Spotify’s Songwriter and Publisher Relations teams, and experienced one-on-one mentoring. At the end of the program, each musician—better equipped with insight and tools to take their careers to the next level—created an original Spotify track for the Fresh Finds playlist, having been paired with producers to help them execute their visions.
To support and impact additional artists gaining traction within the Fresh Finds ecosystem, Spotify partnered with Samsung to provide these musicians with tangible resources and feature them in ads within the playlist. “My phone is one of the most important tools in my life,” says Miami’s Elena Rose. “I record on my voice recorder every day. On my notes as well… I write everything there. Video calls are my favorite thing in the world. That person can be writing with me on that two-minute or three-hour call.”
Samsung aims to give Rose and other up-and-coming artists, such as Otis Kane, Blu De Tiger, Fiji Blue, maye, and ELLIANA useful tools to grow their careers whether it’s helping them drive their creative process, share their work with loved ones, or connect with fans.
“The phone is really important to my creative process,” Blue De Tiger says. “The hands-free video options are really, really cool—especially for me because I’m constantly filming what I’m doing and I need both of my hands to play. I’m very heavily on social media… Nowadays, it’s important to have your fans be involved and see your journey from start to finish.”
Each artist was able to use either the Galaxy Z Flip3, Galaxy Buds Pro, or Galaxy S21 5G for their creative needs. In parallel, the associated marketing amplification on Spotify was able to help them grow their following and expand their fanbase throughout the course of the year.
Take a listen to the latest Fresh Finds Spotify Singles tracks and dig into the other Fresh Finds artists in the playlist below.
