I remember the first time I walked into a Starbucks. It was 1996 in Bellingham, WA and when I entered my ears immediately picked up Lee Michaels singing, "It's been forty days since I don't know when, I just saw her with my best friend…" I liked the coffee — although it was a lot stronger than what I was used to getting at shops back east — but I liked the music even more, you know what I mean?
Today, music continues to play an important role in the Starbucks' experience. It may become even more prominent with the announcement the coffee chain is partnering with Spotify to link the 10 million members of its loyalty program with the streaming music service. The plan, according to a Starbucks press release, is for the two companies to create a "music ecosystem."
Starbucks' associates and customers will be largely responsible for what plays in the chain's stores. The company's 150,000 U.S. employees will each receive a free Spotify Premium membership (nice work perk) and will be able to use tools on the streaming music service's app to influence the music that plays in stores. My Starbucks Rewards members will also be able to access the playlists through the chain's app or the Spotify service.
Photo: Starbucks
Spotify users will also have an opportunity to earn "Stars as Currency" as part of the Starbucks program. There will be a dedicated section on Spotify that features both new playlists from Starbucks as well as the most popular music at the chain over the past 20 years.
"Given the evolution of the music industry and the proliferation of streaming technology, it was natural that we would partner with Spotify in offering our customers a new way to engage with their favorite music," said Kevin Johnson, president and coo of Starbucks, in a statement. "Starbucks' ability to innovate with partners such as Spotify, creating new ways and platforms to engage with our customers, will afford us unprecedented interconnectivity across all of our capabilities, and provide new access points for Spotify as they continue to grow globally."
- Starbucks and Spotify to Connect Music Streaming Service into World-Class Store and Digital Platform - Starbucks Coffee Company
- Do You Know What I Mean - Lee Michaels/Google Play
- Starbucks teams with Spotify to let customers influence in-store playlists - USA Today
- Spotify Is Turning Starbucks Baristas Into Coffee Shop DJS - Wired
- Starbucks Teams Up With Spotify After Abandoning Compact Discs - Bloomberg