【生活中的品牌故事】拆解Spotify吸引上億用戶的秘訣，全賴跑贏市場的個性化服務 The key to Spotify's ability to attract millions of users lies in its personalised service, which sets it apart in the market
音樂串流平台Spotify廣受市場歡迎，截至2022年底，Spotify月活躍用戶達到4.89億，當中付費用戶更達2.05億。整體行業方面，YouTube Music付費用戶僅8,000萬，與Apple Music相近。相比之下，Spotify明顯跑出，相信全賴其個性化的功能。
Spotify的個人化服務讓用戶以嶄新的方式發掘音樂，例如其演算法就猶如一位個人DJ，透過觀察用戶的音樂口味、收聽紀錄、搜尋紀錄，甚至情緒去了解用戶的個人喜好，為每位用戶度身訂造一些專屬他們的播放清單，繼而挖掘更多他們可能會喜歡的歌曲。Spotify的演算法能透過協同過濾的方法，分析數百萬用戶的收聽習慣，並提供個性化的建議，而這個演算法亦會持續進化，適應用戶不斷變化的音樂口味。
- 每周新發現
「每周新發現」（Discover weekly）是Spotify最受歡迎的功能之一，它會根據用戶的音樂喜好，為客戶制定推薦歌單。該功能會向用戶推薦一些符合他們口味，但還未被加入在音樂庫中的歌曲，讓每個用戶的「每周新發現」都有所不同。這個功能可以為知名度較低的音樂人帶來曝光率，同時保持用戶的回頭率。「每周新發現」於2015年剛推出頭十周，就已經創造了逾10億次的串流，短短一年間，Spotify就在「每周新發現」中推薦了數百萬首歌曲。
Spotify的成功無疑要歸因於其個性化營銷策略，旨在理解每位客戶的需求，進而與他們建立緊密的聯繫。Spotify透與客戶建立獨一無二的關係，讓他們都感到被重視，並能享受獨特的聆聽體驗。 - Spotify Wrapped
Spotify Wrapped亦是Spotify最有成效的個性化功能。Spotify Wrapped能為用戶整合年度總回顧，讓全球用戶能將自己的聆聽紀錄、歷程、喜好分享到各社群平台，和好友分享自己的聽歌品味，產生「競爭感」和「成就感」。它能凸顯用戶獨特的音樂品味，引起熱烈迴響，甚至已成為一種文化現象，因此消費者為了緊貼潮流而下載Spotify。同時，音樂人亦會紛紛轉貼分享歌曲的收聽數據，藉此拓展影響力。
此外，當非Spotify用戶看到他們的朋友發布Spotify Wrapped時，會產生FOMO（錯失恐懼，Fear of missing out）效應，自然促使新用戶考慮使用 Spotify，這是一種飛輪效應。此功能促進Spotify的下載量在2020年12月第一週增加了21%。自2015年推出以來，Wrapped 已經在每年12月成功席捲社群媒體。
Spotify為用戶提供獨特的聆聽體驗和建立密切聯繫，是公司成功在業界中脫穎而出的原因。目前，Spotify Wrapped已成為一種熱潮，讓音樂愛好者持續使用Spotify，而Spotify亦會關注用戶的使用體驗，這種服務概念奠定了其全球串流音樂市場的龍頭地位。直至現在，Spotify仍致力於科技創新，堅持提供個性化和本地化服務，成為其成功的關鍵。
Spotify is the largest on-demand music service application today. Spotify ended last year with 489 million monthly users, including 205 million paid subscribers. Recent statistics indicate that YouTube Music has 80 million paid subscribers, whereas Apple Music is getting close to the same figure as well. Spotify has become a household name, thanks to its success in providing users with a personalised listening experience.
Spotify’s major offering is music discovery, they found a way to personalise this aspect of their service for their customers. The platform's algorithm, like a personal DJ, constantly learns about users' music tastes, listening history, search queries, and even their mood to create a personalised playlist that will keep them dancing all night long. The algorithm uses collaborative filtering to analyse millions of users' listening habits to make personalised recommendations. The algorithm is always evolving and adapting to users' changing musical tastes.
- Discover Weekly
One of its most popular features, 'Discover Weekly', generates customised playlists based on users' search history and music preferences. This feature recommends songs that match their taste but have not yet been added to their library, making each user's "Discover Weekly" unique. It also enables greater exposure for lesser-known artists while keeping users engaged and returning to the platform. Within ten weeks of its launch in 2015, "Discover Weekly" had already generated 1 billion streams, and within a year, Spotify recommended millions of songs through this feature.
Spotify's success is largely attributed to its use of personalization in marketing, a strategy that tailors communication to the specific needs of customers, seeking to understand and connect with them on an individual level. By doing so, Spotify has created an unparalleled relationship with its consumers, making each customer feel valued and providing them with a unique listening experience. - Spotify Wrapped
The best use of their personalisation, hands down, has been the creation of Spotify Wrapped. Spotify Wrapped, an annual review that allows global users to share their music journey on various social media platforms, allowing users to show off their music taste and compete with friends.. It highlights each user's unique taste in music, has successfully generated enthusiastic responses and become a cultural phenomenon that music lovers look forward to. Wrapped works as an effective marketing tool for the platform by increasing app downloads while musicians also share song listening data to expand their influence.
When non-Spotify users see their friends posting their reports, they experience FOMO and feel left out of the conversation, which motivates them to join the platform. Therefore, it creates a flywheel effect. Wrapped increased Spotify's app downloads by 21% in the first week of December 2020. With these staggering numbers, it's no surprise that Spotify Wrapped has taken over social media every December since its launch in 2015.
Spotify's hyper-personalization in marketing has set it apart in the industry, offering a unique listening experience and a personal relationship with its consumers. Spotify Wrapped has become a viral trend, keeping music lovers coming back every year. By focusing on the individual’s experience rather than simply music streaming, Spotify has managed to take over the sector by a significant margin. Spotify's investment in cutting-edge technologies and its commitment to personalization and localization bode well for the platform's future success.