The Networked Fan Effect: Understanding Spotify’s Promotional Ecosystem through Participatory Media & Fan Theory

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A dark gray presentation slide. The title 'The Networked Fan Effect' is in large green text, with 'Fan Effect' outlined. The subtitle 'Understanding Spotify’s Promotional Ecosystem through Participatory Media & Fan Theory' is in white. Below this, 'Research Questions:' appears in magenta, followed by two questions in white: 'What participatory media strategies & fan engagement theories can be identified in the promotions and user experience of Spotify?' and 'How does the platform economy encourage media convergence & the development of product ecosystems?'. 'SIGNIFY 23' is in green at the bottom left, and 'Olivia Ingle' is in green at the bottom right. A circular headshot of a smiling young woman with brown hair, wearing a black blazer, is in the bottom right corner, framed by a blue arc. Magenta circular shapes decorate the top right.

The Networked Fan Effect: Understanding Spotify’s Promotional Ecosystem through Participatory Media & Fan Theory

Olivia Ingle

A young woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, fair skin, and light eyes smiles gently directly at the camera. She is wearing a black collared shirt unbuttoned over a white t-shirt, with a silver chain necklace visible. The background is solid white.

Biography

Olivia Ingle was born in Waterloo, Ontario & raised on the internet. Graduating with a major in Professional Communications and minoring in Communication Design, their studies have centred around the intersection of digital technology and popular culture. With previous work experience in marketing & design roles for the aerospace and radio industries, Olivia hopes to pursue further creative content and operations work in the music, film, or museum business.

Research Summary

The Networked Fan Effect is a research project focused on identifying the use of participatory media and fan theory strategies by Spotify in the development of their platform ecosystem. Content posted on Spotify’s Newsroom website from November 2022 – March 23 was categorized by topic and inductively coded for key themes of fandom and participatory media strategy identified through a theoretical framework, including transmedia, convergence, fan engagement, and fan affect. With 41% of all news items and 70% of product development news relating to these key themes, there is a clear trend towards building a product ecosystem that emphasizes the creation of highly shareable media content. Alongside additional research into Spotify’s tertiary product initiatives including Wrapped, Fans First, and For Artists, this project concludes that Spotify not only building itself as a streaming powerhouse, but as a multi-functional media ecosystem with lasting power in the broader media and popular culture industries.

Tags

Music, Culture, Media

Lightning Talk

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