Spotify Teases ‘Super Premium’ Subscription Tier, Uninterrupted Video Podcasts After Impressive Earnings Report

Spotify can do no wrong in 2024, it seems, after delivering a particularly impressive Q3 earnings report.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Spotify saw an increase both in terms of active monthly users (up 11% year-over-year to 640 million) as well as paid subscribers (up 12% to 252 million). Meanwhile, total revenue climbed a significant 19% to reach €4 billion (about $4.2 billion) and operating revenue ticked upward to €454 million (around $480 million), the latter being the result of lower operating and marketing costs in tandem with a healthy gross margin.

As CEO Daniel Ek said during the Nov. 13 earnings call, Spotify is now on track to its first full year of profitability. What’s next on the horizon for the company?

Super Premium Subscription Tier Could Mean Improved Audio Quality, Early Access to New Music

As TechCrunch reported, the earnings call — and company statements preceding it — indicated a bit of movement toward an additional “super premium” tier being introduced by Spotify.

While previous statements made by Ek suggested that this higher-priced tier would weigh in at around the $17-$18 mark in terms of monthly cost, on the most recent earnings call, the Spotify CEO was a bit ambiguous in his reply when asked about the “super premium” product offering.

“Some of those things [particulars related to a premium subscription] are proximity to artists. Some of those things are, of course, better sound quality and a bunch of other things. I can’t get into specifics but I think I’ve left enough breadcrumbs for you guys to get excited by,” Ek said.

Uninterrupted Video Podcasts, Spotify for Creators Announced

During a presentation delivered live from Spotify’s Los Angeles campus, Ek outlined some of the company’s latest moves. Among these, according to the Spotify blog: a rebranding of Spotify for Podcasters to Spotify for Creators, as well as news that Spotify Premium subscribers would now have ad-free access to video content put out by their favorite podcasters and artists.

“Spotify Premium has long set the standard for listening on any device,” Ek said. “By delivering a best-in-class video offering uninterrupted by ad breaks, combined with Spotify’s flexibility and ubiquity, we can provide an experience for your audience that is superior to any platform. And by giving you, the creators, another path to monetization beyond ads, we’re freeing you up to spend more time doing what you love: creating.”

The newly rebranded Spotify for Creators took aim at an increasing appetite for video content among Spotify subscribers. Speaking to this trend, Maya Prohovnik, Spotify’s vice president of podcast product, addressed the company’s aims.

“We’ve updated the branding of our podcast creator platform from Spotify for Podcasters to Spotify for Creators because it better captures the expansiveness of whom we support today: It’s a platform for both audio and video creators to grow, monetize, and manage content on Spotify,” Prohovnik said, per a separate Spotify blog post.

Prohovnik also indicated that more than 250 million users had watched at least one podcast via Spotify, and that nearly two-thirds of users preferred podcasts offering a video option — unquestionably impressive figures, and likely a primary driver toward the company’s increased focus on related services.

Allowing creators to monetize their own content uploaded to the service could provide Spotify with a low-cost, low-effort revenue stream as more individuals enter the market.

In conjunction with the also-announced Spotify Partner Program, smaller creators would be able to avail of two different monetization options: premium video revenue and ads.