Spotify Acquires WhoSampled: Expanding Music Data Capabilities

Spotify Acquires Music Sampling Database WhoSampled

Spotify has completed the acquisition of WhoSampled, a community-maintained database dedicated to tracking music samples, as was revealed on Wednesday. This news was also included in Spotify’s blog post detailing new features related to song crediting.

Details of the Acquisition

The financial terms of the deal have not been made public. However, Spotify has confirmed to TechCrunch that the acquisition encompasses both the WhoSampled team and its comprehensive database. Available data from PitchBook and LinkedIn indicates the company had a relatively small team of approximately 10 employees.

WhoSampled: A Deep Dive into Music Origins

Established in 2008 and based in London, WhoSampled provides a vast repository of information concerning songs, samples, covers, remixes, and the artists involved. The platform currently catalogs over 1.2 million songs and nearly 622,000 samples, according to its official website.

This extensive data is now being utilized to enhance Spotify’s functionalities, notably powering the forthcoming music discovery feature, SongDNA, which was also unveiled on Wednesday.

Prior Collaboration

Spotify’s familiarity with WhoSampled dates back to 2016, when the two companies initially collaborated. This partnership allowed Spotify users to integrate their playlists and saved tracks directly within the WhoSampled application.

Future of WhoSampled

In a statement released by WhoSampled regarding the acquisition, the company affirmed that its platform and branding will be preserved following the deal's finalization. Furthermore, they anticipate implementing user-facing improvements as they integrate into Spotify’s broader operations.

These anticipated enhancements include faster moderation times for user submissions, the removal of display advertisements from the site in the coming weeks, and the availability of their mobile applications as free downloads with complimentary subscriptions.

Shared Vision

The WhoSampled team expressed their enthusiasm, stating, “Our discussions with Spotify revealed a shared conviction in the significance of musical context and a common goal of enabling listeners to explore the music they enjoy on a deeper level.”

They further added, “Spotify has demonstrated a genuine dedication to our mission, and we are confident that we have found the ideal organization to steward WhoSampled’s future.”