‘The [Blank] Effect’ is a social-first franchise that demonstrates the profound impact that viral cultural moments have on audio discovery across the globe.
Using on-platform Spotify streaming and search data, ‘The [Blank] Effect’ looks at streaming numbers, search queries, and playlists created in response to songs and artists who are just breaking through or who have had a newfound, viral resurgence directly tied to a trend or cultural moment.
From cultural moments like the SWEAT Tour and the popularity of the Babygirl soundtrack to the streaming spikes after the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, ‘The [Blank] Effect’ celebrates—and contextualizes—the biggest music news, trends, and moments through user behavior and on-platform data.
‘The [Blank] Effect’ was created to provide a real-time, data-driven response to trending moments in music, solidifying Spotify News’s position as a culturally relevant and uniquely insightful platform. By reacting quickly to events like viral trends, film soundtracks, blockbuster tours, sports moments, or seasonal phenomena, the franchise delivers timely and engaging stories that resonate with audiences globally.
Plan of Action:
The ethos of ‘The [Blank] Effect’ is agility—leveraging Spotify’s on-platform data to contextualize cultural moments and illustrate their impact on music discovery. Each iteration begins with identifying a compelling trend or moment that has triggered a surge in streams, searches, or playlist creation. We collaborate closely with Spotify’s Editorial and Data teams to uncover insights that shape the story, ensuring it appeals to both longtime fans and newer audiences.
To maximize reach and engagement, content creation is tailored for platform-specific formats across LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. This combination of visuals and narrative captures the cultural relevance and impact of each moment while maintaining the franchise’s distinct tone.
Execution:
Challenges and Solutions
Our first iteration of ‘The [Blank] Effect]’—’The Country Effect’—published in June 2024; since then, the franchise has featured 23 total installments. From movie soundtracks like The Deadpool x Wolverine Effect to tracking streams based on timely trends and cultural moments such as The Demure Effect, the series both anticipates and reacts to the biggest moments in audio and music news.
The franchise has seen impressive success, with performance metrics consistently growing. Each post has garnered an average of nearly 16,000 engagements and approximately 400K views.
‘The [Blank] Effect' connects fans by spotlighting users’ shared listening behavior in response to a cultural moment, fostering connections across genres and the globe. By connecting a trending song, artist, or genre of music to tangible data, we’re able to tell stories through a Spotify-specific lens that’s both entertaining and educational.
