Spotify adds Venue Search and Follow, updates Live Events feed
Spotify Free and Premium users can now search for and follow venues within the app. Spotify’s Live Events feed also got a refresh with smarter recommendations and daily updates.
Spotify adds Venue Search and Follow
When a listener follows a venue on Spotify, it’s now saved to their Library alongside tailored suggestions for other venues they might enjoy. Once listeners find a concert they’re interested in, they tap through to the event’s official ticketing partner to complete their purchase.
This launch builds on March’s Concerts Near You rollout, which Spotify says has helped 3 million listeners find shows from 20,000 global venues.
Spotify’s live stats are dwarfed by Bandsintown‘s monthly 400 million recommendations and 20 million clicks to buy tickets. But following venues and finding concerts on Spotify means fans can discover shows wherever they are. Bandsintown helps facilitate this as it does with YouTube and others.
Independent Venues & Tour Artists Are Struggling
At a time when it’s harder than ever for artists and independent venues to turn a profit, these initiatives matter.
The recent NIVA State of Live study showed that the independent live sector generated $153.1 billion in total economic output and paid $51.7 billion in wages and benefits in 2024. But a whopping 64% of independent U.S. stages in 2024 were not profitable.
New state-specific reports bring those insights home. They show how live music shapes local economies across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Bruce Houghton
