Aug 18, 2023 12:30:00

It is reported that 'a podcast that plays white noise without speaking a word' is making a lot of money on Spotify

Spotify, a music streaming service, distributes not only music from artists around the world, but also

podcasts such as talk shows and news. Among the podcasts distributed on Spotify, there is also an episode of 'white noise' that continues to play only sound without speaking a word, and these white noise earn a large amount of revenue from advertising revenue. was reported to be there.

White Noise Podcasters Are Costing Spotify $38 Million a Year - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-08-17/white-noise-podcasters-are-costing-spotify-38-million-a-year

Spotify reportedly has a $38 million white noise problem - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/17/23836403/spotify-podcasts-white-noise-algorithmproblem

How These Spotify Podcasters Make Almost $20,000 A Month Without Saying A Word
https://www.slashgear.com/1369492/spotify-white-noise-podcasters/

White noise is gaining popularity as it is said to be effective in improving concentration and sleep. There are many channels to stream. At Spotify, algorithms recommend white noise and environmental sounds to users, and podcasters earn a large amount of advertising revenue.

According to an internal document viewed by overseas media Bloomberg, environmental sounds such as white noise are being listened to for 3 million hours per day as of January 2023. It is reported that some podcasters who post white noise to Spotify earn thousands of dollars (hundreds of thousands of yen) per month , and the majority of them are anonymous.

It seems that these white noises are not a very profitable genre for Spotify because there are few advertisements in the middle of one episode so as not to disturb the user's concentration and relaxation. Therefore, inside Spotify, it seems that there was also a plan to remove white noise from the talk feed and prohibit new uploads, while recommending more profitable podcasts to users.

It was estimated that Spotify's annual gross profit would increase by 35 million euros (about 5.5 billion yen) if this plan was implemented, but the plan was not implemented, according to a Spotify spokesperson. He said.

However, on the overseas bulletin board Reddit, there is also

a thread reporting that `` White noise episodes were arbitrarily deleted from Spotify '', and some users are wondering if Spotify is regulating white noise. I doubt it. One white noise podcaster told Bloomberg that he's lost two episodes of white noise in 2023 alone, costing him a lot of money.

In response to these questions, a Spotify spokesperson commented, ``We cannot talk about specific episodes.We run tests on a regular basis and are in contact with creators on a case-by-case basis.'' .

The music industry has also complained about the white noise delivered by music streaming services. Robert Kinkle, CEO of Warner Music Group, a major record company, said, ``It is impossible that Ed Sheeran's songs have exactly the same value as the sound of rain falling on the roof,'' and should review the revenue distribution. I am stating that.

'An Ed Sheeran stream is not worth the same as a stream of rain falling on a roof': Robert Kyncl says music streaming payout and pricing models must, and will, change - Music Business Worldwide
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ed-sheeran-stream-is-not-worth-the-same-as-a-stream-robert-kyncl-says-music-streaming-payout/