Starbucks launches music platform with Spotify

spotify logo

Starbucks said it has joined forces with music-streaming service Spotify to deliver a “first-of-its-kind music experience” to customers.

Staring Tuesday, Starbucks app users will be able to identify and save songs they hear in Starbucks locations, as well as access Spotify playlists curated by the chain, Starbucks said.

“Music has played a pivotal role in our stores for over 40 years and we have been at the forefront of how to integrate it into a retail environment,” Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said in a statement. “Today is the next era in that experience. We are merging the physical and digital, providing new access points for Spotify as they continue to grow globally, placing more control into our customers’ hands and giving artists the world’s largest stage for them to share their talent.”

Starbucks announced a partnership with Spotify mid-last year but did not provide many details on the “next generation music ecosystem” the pair would develop. The service will be available in 7,500 company-owned locations across the U.S., Starbucks said.

The coffee giant has been sweetening its app with a number of recent perks, including a free New York Times newsfeed for My Starbucks Rewards members. 

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Despite their complaints, customers keep flocking to Chipotle

The Bottom Line: The chain continued to be a juggernaut last quarter, with strong sales and traffic growth, despite frequent social media complaints about shrinkflation or other challenges.

Operations

Hitting resistance elsewhere, ghost kitchens and virtual concepts find a happy home in family dining

Reality Check: Old-guard chains are finding the alternative operations to be persistently effective side hustles.

Financing

The Tijuana Flats bankruptcy highlights the dangers of menu miscues

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain’s problems following new menu debuts in 2021 and 2022 show that adding new items isn’t always the right idea.

Trending

More from our partners