Entertainment
Introducing AUX, Spotify’s First-of-Its-Kind Music Consultancy for Brands
With AUX, we’ll use our deep expertise to counsel brands about how best to use music to enrich their campaigns and connect them with emerging artists to help them reach new audiences. (File photo: Alexander Shatov/Unsplash)
With a music editorial team and recommendations that have created the most vibrant streaming ecosystem in the industry, Spotify is where more than 600 million fans around the world come to listen to their favorite artists. As a result, we believe there’s an opportunity for brands to connect with Spotify listeners through unique, music-driven campaigns. So we’re thrilled to announce AUX, Spotify’s in-house music advisory agency for brands.
With AUX, we’ll use our deep expertise to counsel brands about how best to use music to enrich their campaigns and connect them with emerging artists to help them reach new audiences.
“Spotify is always looking for ways to leverage our music ecosystem to deepen the connections between artists, brands, and fans,” said Jeremy Erlich, VP, Head of Music Content at Spotify. “AUX is a natural step for us to help brands strengthen their music strategy and better connect with new audiences through our expert insights and observations from our music team, tailored to meet brands’ needs.”
Marketing veteran Jean-François Pathy, who has been instrumental in AUX’s formation, serves as its Global Head. In addition to providing bespoke services for each individual project and helping brands create one-of-a-kind marketing initiatives, Jean-François and AUX will also work with artists to help them bring their music to life in new and compelling ways.
Case in point: AUX’s first partner, Coca-Cola. For the company’s new Coke Studio campaign, AUX connected the beverage giant with Peggy Gou, the Berlin-based producer-DJ-vocalist who struck gold last summer with her single “(It Goes Like) Nanana.” The brand and artist have built a long-term partnership that will span live concerts and events, social media content, a branded playlist, and on-platform promotional support.
“We are proud to be an early partner to AUX, which integrates Spotify’s expertise to enable authentic connections with music fans worldwide,” said Joshua Burke, Global Head of Music & Culture Marketing at The Coca-Cola Company. “This is a natural progression of our long-standing partnership with Spotify and marks a key milestone for our commitment to artists and the music community. We are excited to launch Coke Studio at Spotify LA, which will provide recording support for emerging artists and a platform to promote their music.”
For the Record spoke to Jean-François to hear more about AUX, the partnership with Coca-Cola, and what the agency is ultimately setting out to achieve.
How would you describe the relationship between marketing and music? Why is it so important for a brand to develop its music strategy?
Music has a unique ability to evoke emotions and create a profound connection with listeners and consumers. In a world where cutting through the noise via traditional advertising methods is becoming harder, using the influence and relevance of music culture makes sense. Music is arguably the most influential part of culture, as it’s embedded in nearly every corner of our society. Simply put, a distinctive music strategy creates an authentic relationship that sets a brand apart from its competitors.
How will AUX help brands strengthen their marketing efforts, and what kind of opportunities will this create for artists?
Spotify is a cultural hub with global impact and true local authenticity in over 180 markets. We can draw upon years of experience, connections, and insights to navigate fast-evolving trends. With AUX, our brand partners can now benefit from our blend of industry knowledge, global reach, creativity, and insight-driven precision to build authentic and multifaceted marketing strategies. Ultimately, this is about connection. AUX will connect brands to artists and their fandoms powered by the intel of Spotify’s connected platform.
For artists, AUX gives them the opportunity to live off their art. We’re here to champion artists and curate deep, meaningful collaborations, and we aim to play an active role in making their careers more successful and sustainable with the support of our brand partners. Spotify AUX will broaden the opportunities available to artists, offering them a platform for creative expression, financial support, and strategic partnerships that go beyond traditional industry avenues.
Coca-Cola is AUX’s first partner, and Peggy Gou is one of the first faces of the Coke Studio campaign. Can you tell us a little about how the campaign and the relationship between Spotify, Coca-Cola and Peggy came to life?
The Coca-Cola Company is known for its connection to music and culture, so it was a natural fit for Spotify AUX. We’re grateful to be working with an iconic brand that’s committing big to music and artists.
New collaborations and exclusive initiatives are central to Coke Studio, so we’re thrilled to play an active role in taking this program to the next level. We jointly identified artists with a strong creative drive as well as an appetite for collaboration, and Peggy Gou felt like an obvious choice. We’re working closely with Peggy and her team on a number of cool activations and we’ll have more to unveil in the coming weeks.
What kind of impact do you hope AUX will have on the music industry as a whole?
Sound surrounds us, and brands must think about music as a core pillar of their marketing strategy. But culture is fast-changing these days and not easy to navigate—we want to make this easier for brands. Spotify plays an active role in shaping music culture on a global scale. We have paved the way for how audiences interact with music, and now we can bring brands, marketers, and creators on that journey with us.
Our vision is to go beyond the conventional limits of brand partnerships. AUX isn’t just about placing brands alongside music; it’s about reshaping the way brands and music interact.
