This episode dissects Spotify's current business model, highlighting the disconnect between its growing ad-supported user base and its ad revenue, a critical concern for any platform reliant on advertising. It explores the future growth potential of podcast advertising and the viability of new revenue streams like ticketing in partnership with Live Nation. Operators can gain insights into diversified monetization strategies and the challenges of balancing user growth with advertising efficacy on large platforms.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three biggest questions surrounding Spotify right now: Why is there a disconnect between Spotify’s ad-supported revenue and its ad-supported users? Will podcast advertising provide another wave of growth? Can Spotify generate meaningful supplementary revenue from its new “Reserved” ticketing service in partnership with Live Nation? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Editor Daniel Konstantinovic. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Get more insights like these with our free, industry-leading newsletters covering advertising, marketing, and commerce. Sign up at emarketer.com/newsletters Purchase tickets and register for EMARKETER's The Future of Digital 2026 Summit here: https://www.emarketer.com/events/summit/2026-future-of-digital/?utm_source=events_page Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.comFor more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com For a transcript of this episode click here: https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-advertising-disconnect-ai-covers-remixes-3-big-questions-spotify-behind-numbers © 2026 EMARKETER Awin is the all-in-one platform for smarter partner marketing. With award-winning technology, expert support and a global network of 1 million partners, Awin helps brands discover, manage and scale high-performing partnerships that drive measurable growth. Learn more.