Picture this: you’re feeling a bit blue, and you’re listening to your ‘feelin’ a bit blue’ playlist on Spotify – Sinead O’Connor, Elton John, Whitney Houston…y’know, the classics – and suddenly an ad pops up for Kleenex. Because Spotify thinks you might need some tissues to wipe away those tears.
Privacy issues and invasiveness aside, Spotify has announced that it will begin monetising the moods of its 60 million active users next month.
By combining its first-party data with recently-acquired music analytics service The Echo Nest, the music streaming platform hopes to allow brands to tap into the mood of a consumer based on what they’re listening to – and what they’re likely doing at that time.
So, while Kleenex may be able to get a few sales off the back of somebody’s misery, a ‘dinner party’ playlist may entice the likes of Tesco or Smirnoff.
The playlist targeting service will also enable brands to target ads based on age, geography, genre and language.
In a release, Spotify described the service as “an industry-first targeting solution that enables brands to tap into Spotify first-party data to reach the audiences that matter most.”
There are currently 1.5 billion playlists on Spotify, with users listening to an average of 148 minutes of music per day.
“Music is an integral part of life, day in and day out,” said Jeff Levick, chief revenue officer, Spotify.
“Our new targeting solutions based on rich behavioural insights combined with our global footprint in 58 markets give brands unprecedented ways to reach streaming consumers.”
