Folks over at Tidal might be peeved they didn’t think of this one. Coffee behemoth and beloved daily purveyor of caffeine, Starbucks, is teaming with Spotify for a multi-year partnership that will basically turn baristas into on-call DJs.
On Monday (May 18), Starbucks announced the “first-of-its-kind music ecosystem,” where all employees would be granted subscriptions to Spotify Premium to curate playlists from over 20 years worth of Starbucks picks for a jazzier in-store experience.
“For over 40 years, music has played a vital role in Starbucks Third Place experience – inspiring our partners and customers in unexpected ways that have helped to shape the global pop culture. And we are delighted and honored to bring Spotify directly to our customers,” said Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks, in the statement.
“Throughout its history, Starbucks has worked closely with the music industry, offering a variety of artists a platform for their work. By connecting Spotify’s world-class streaming platform into our world-class store and digital ecosystem, we are reinventing the way our millions of global customers discover music.”
Trueeeee.
The playlists will also be accessible via Starbucks Mobile App, which will gives indie artists a chance to shine, even after SBUX did away with selling CDs this past March. It will also allow customers to influence the in-store music selection. Bonus: Starbucks MSR members and Spotify users can earn “Stars For Currency” in the loyalty program by subscribing or upgrading to Spotify Premium, a win-win for coffee lovers who heart music and vice versa.
Photo Credit: Starbucks