Daniel Ek

Acquired is global. So it's amazing to see here in San Francisco that we got 6,000 people in one place, but I'm pretty sure you guys should take this on the road and we'll see if we can make it in other places too.

Acquired is global. So it's amazing to see here in San Francisco that we got 6,000 people in one place, but I'm pretty sure you guys should take this on the road and we'll see if we can make it in other places too.

Yeah. Could be, could be. Well, you know, it's maybe a timing question. You guys should be like the new rock stars that tour around. That would be the great thing to do. And, you know, it's... I want to really kind of maybe take the moment here and ask you guys how all of this happened.

Yeah. Could be, could be. Well, you know, it's maybe a timing question. You guys should be like the new rock stars that tour around. That would be the great thing to do. And, you know, it's... I want to really kind of maybe take the moment here and ask you guys how all of this happened.

And by way of context, just to put this in perspective, in 2019, when we got into podcasts, the world around podcast listening and Spotify, there was a few million people listening to this. And you mentioned this, but our goal was to sort of broaden

And by way of context, just to put this in perspective, in 2019, when we got into podcasts, the world around podcast listening and Spotify, there was a few million people listening to this. And you mentioned this, but our goal was to sort of broaden

this whole medium, and today there's over 150 million people listening to podcasts on Spotify, and obviously your show is a huge success, and something that attracts people to the medium because it's both pretty broad these days, but also very, very deep. What do you think contributed to that success?

this whole medium, and today there's over 150 million people listening to podcasts on Spotify, and obviously your show is a huge success, and something that attracts people to the medium because it's both pretty broad these days, but also very, very deep. What do you think contributed to that success?

So one of the things you obviously have done is, you know, added video to the format. And this is my plug of hopefully getting you guys to finally add video to Spotify as well. But what do you think is next for the show when it comes to that? Like, what do you see the big innovation of Acquired will be in the future?

So one of the things you obviously have done is, you know, added video to the format. And this is my plug of hopefully getting you guys to finally add video to Spotify as well. But what do you think is next for the show when it comes to that? Like, what do you see the big innovation of Acquired will be in the future?

Well, I mean, I think it starts with your audience, right, and knowing your audience. So, like, for instance, we launched audiobooks about a year ago, but the sort of untold story about that audiobooks launch is what happened in Germany is all the record companies started uploading audiobooks to the service. So they started hacking the system for all these other things.

Well, I mean, I think it starts with your audience, right, and knowing your audience. So, like, for instance, we launched audiobooks about a year ago, but the sort of untold story about that audiobooks launch is what happened in Germany is all the record companies started uploading audiobooks to the service. So they started hacking the system for all these other things.

And when they ran out of that, they actually started uploading podcasts. So podcasts turned out to be the easier medium for us to start with, but eventually we added sort of audio books too. So I think most amazing things tend to start with people kind of suggesting things or maybe even doing things.

And when they ran out of that, they actually started uploading podcasts. So podcasts turned out to be the easier medium for us to start with, but eventually we added sort of audio books too. So I think most amazing things tend to start with people kind of suggesting things or maybe even doing things.

So it'd be interesting to kind of like figure out what people are doing in and around Acquired already. And that will probably be your sort of adjacency.

So it'd be interesting to kind of like figure out what people are doing in and around Acquired already. And that will probably be your sort of adjacency.

Yeah, I mean, look, I don't know, to be honest. I think this is probably the biggest thing that surprised me is that the world just keeps evolving constantly. So you talked about video and on Spotify, it's been a huge growth thing. I would have said to you as well, people probably mostly, why would you want to watch any video?

Yeah, I mean, look, I don't know, to be honest. I think this is probably the biggest thing that surprised me is that the world just keeps evolving constantly. So you talked about video and on Spotify, it's been a huge growth thing. I would have said to you as well, people probably mostly, why would you want to watch any video?

But I think younger consumers, especially, they don't know what the difference is. They just want to feel closer presence to the person. And, I mean, we saw it already with the bloopers, right? It's like, this is fun, what you guys are doing, and people have a relationship to you guys too, hence why so many people are showing up here tonight.

But I think younger consumers, especially, they don't know what the difference is. They just want to feel closer presence to the person. And, I mean, we saw it already with the bloopers, right? It's like, this is fun, what you guys are doing, and people have a relationship to you guys too, hence why so many people are showing up here tonight.