History of Spotify

1. History: When was the company founded, and by whom? How has it evolved over the years?
Pay particular attention to the company’s recent history—especially the last ten years: To what extent has it
evolved over that period of time?
2. Ownership: Is the company independently owned or part of a larger corporation or conglomerate? If the
latter, who owns them? If they are independent, are they privately owned or publically (which is to say that the
public can buy shares of the company on the stock market).
3. Business Model(s) and Functions: What media industry is the company associated with? What is the
company’s essential business model? That is, what are the basic functions that it engages in, and what is the
range of activities that it is engaged in? To what extent have these evolved over the course of time?
4. Roles and Careers: What range of employees and careers does the company support?
5. Links to Technology and Response to the Digital Era: Since the term “media” itself refers to technologies of
communication, media companies are by definition technology oriented. What technologies have traditionally
been associated with the company and its activities? In what ways are digital technologies affecting them?
6. In what ways has the emergence of the digital era affected the company and its practices and business
models? What challenges has it presented? What opportunities does it seem to have influenced?
For ideas to help generate questions in this area, consult the handout on the comparison of the Industrial
Information Economy (traditional media industries) to the Networked Information Economy and the themes
associated with each. To what extent does your research into the company reflect the shift from the industrial to
networked information economies? What empirical evidence of this shift can you discuss?
You might also consult our readings on Google and the lessons that Jeff Jarvis discusses. To what extent does
your company appear to be learning such lessons?