Spotify has acquired the community-driven music database WhoSampled to power a new suite of music discovery tools. The move is designed to add a deep layer of musical context to the platform, giving more recognition to the creators behind the music.
- Business as usual, but better: While financial terms were not disclosed, WhoSampled will continue to operate as a standalone platform—but with some immediate perks for its community. The service will become ad-free, its mobile apps will be free downloads, and content moderation will speed up, according to a company statement.
- Connecting the dots: The acquisition's main purpose is to power Spotify’s upcoming SongDNA, an interactive tool for Premium listeners that maps out the web of connections between tracks. The move comes as Spotify also expands its song credits to give a fuller picture of who worked on a track, from producers and engineers to songwriters and featured artists.
- Seeing every contributor: The push is about giving credit where it's due. "Every song is a collaboration, and every contributor should be seen," said Jacqueline Ankner, Head of Songwriter & Publisher Partnerships at Spotify, in a statement reported by Billboard. "We’re giving fans a deeper look at the people and creative threads behind the music they love and giving creators the recognition they deserve."
Artists will get the first look at the new tools via the Spotify for Artists platform early next year before a public rollout. The acquisition shows Spotify is betting that enriching its massive catalog with explorable context can create a more engaging experience that goes beyond simply streaming tracks.
The WhoSampled deal is the latest in a series of strategic acquisitions for Spotify, which has previously bought up companies in podcasting, audiobooks, and AI to expand its platform beyond music. Meanwhile, the company's efforts to court creators come as it faces an artist exodus over CEO Daniel Ek's investments in a military defense tech firm.