Netflix has held talks with Spotify about collaborating on music-focused projects as both streaming giants double down on new offerings amid fierce competition.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday (July 2), citing people close to the conversations, that the conversations centered on potential partnerships for a music awards show, a live concert series, celebrity interviews, as well as documentary projects with shorter turnarounds to remain relevant.
Netflix is also developing its own music-oriented content offerings, rebooting the classic talent show Star Search, and debuting a new show called Building the Band next week, according to the report. The competition, hosted by Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean, will see musicians auditioning for band positions without seeing potential teammates until rehearsals begin.
Brandon Riegg, Vice President of nonfiction series and sports at Netflix, told WSJ that the platform has found success with the dating show Love Is Blind, as well as Million Dollar Secret, its version of Survivor.
For its music competition show, Netflix has reportedly tapped Jeff Gaspin, former NBCUniversal executive who greenlit The Voice, to lead its unscripted music programming. Gaspin joined Netflix as VP of Unscripted Series.
Riegg told the WSJ that Netflix could make the finale for Building the Band live if there is a second season. However, Gaspin said: “We don’t want to do live for live’s sake… If we are going to do live, we should have a reason.”
Another music competition is also in the pipeline, slated for release in the coming months, the sources told WSJ.
The reported talks with Spotify reflect Netflix’s growing focus on live programming and expanding its content after raising subscription prices in the US for the first time in nearly a year-and-a-half in January.
Under its latest US pricing, Netflix increased the cost of its ad-free Standard plan, which allows for two simultaneous HD streams, by $2.50 per month, to $17.99 from $15.49. The Premium tier, meanwhile, now costs $24.99, up $2 from $22.99.
As MBW previously pointed out, Netflix’s latest price adjustment widened an already significant gap with Spotify, which raised its Premium subscription by $1 per month to $11.99 in June 2024.
Netflix’s expansion into music content comes as streaming services compete for subscribers. Netflix reported 301.6 million paid subscribers by the end of 2024, up 16% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, Spotify had 268 million paying users in Q1, also up by 12% from last year.
For Spotify, a potential partnership with Netflix comes as it experiments with video content. The Sweden-headquartered company initially announced the launch of music videos in beta back in March 2025, when it offered the service in 11 countries – the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Kenya. It later added Egypt to the list.
In October 2024, Spotify announced that it is expanding music video streaming to 85 new markets. The company recently launched exclusive K-pop performance videos available only to paying subscribers.
Music Business Worldwide
