Spotify is one of the world’s leading music streaming services, with over 422 million monthly active users as of 2022. The company was founded in 2006 in Stockholm, Sweden and launched its streaming service in 2008. Since then, Spotify has grown tremendously and expanded globally, becoming a pioneer in music streaming.
Who was Spotify’s chief economist?
Will Page served as Spotify’s chief economist from 2012 to 2021. He was the first person to hold this position at Spotify. Prior to joining Spotify, Page worked at PRS for Music, a royalty collection society in the UK, where he served as chief economist. He has a PhD in economics from the University of Leeds.
As chief economist at Spotify, Page led Spotify’s research efforts and analytics teams. He was responsible for analyzing data and trends in the music industry and providing insights to help guide Spotify’s business strategy. Some of the key areas he focused on included:
- Understanding consumer behavior and demand for streaming music
- Studying the impacts of streaming on artists and the music industry
- Measuring the value generated by music streaming
- Exploring emerging technologies like virtual reality and how they could impact music consumption
Page regularly published reports and gave presentations detailing his findings. His work provided valuable perspectives on the growth of music streaming and its economic impacts.
What were some of Will Page’s key achievements and contributions at Spotify?
During his 9 years as chief economist at Spotify, Will Page made several notable contributions through his research and analytics work. Some of his major achievements include:
- Published over 50 articles and reports – Page authored dozens of in-depth reports and articles covering topics from streaming’s impacts on piracy to differences in music tastes by country.
- Created the ‘Streaming Economy’ program – This initiative measured streaming’s global economic value and impact on jobs and revenues.
- Developed streaming conversion ratios – Page created a metric to quantify streaming’s ability to convert pirates into paying customers.
- Launched ‘Fan Insights’ dashboard – Provided artists and labels data-driven insights into their fans’ demographics and listening habits.
- Pioneered ‘imprint’ analysis – His methodology identified the imprints and labels driving growth in streaming.
Through his diverse research portfolio, Page established himself as an authoritative voice on streaming and its impact on the music industry.
Why did Will Page leave Spotify?
In April 2021, Will Page announced he was leaving Spotify after nearly a decade as chief economist. Spotify did not give a specific reason for his departure. However, Page indicated he was moving on to pursue new projects and challenges.
In a statement, Page said: “My time at Spotify has been fun, fast and fulfilling. But after nearly nine years, it’s time to move on to new projects and challenges.”
Page added that Daniel Ek, Spotify’s CEO, had been supportive of him taking on new ventures. Some news reports speculated that Page’s departure may have been due to a desire to work on new challenges outside of Spotify.
In the years leading up to his exit, Page had already taken on some external roles in addition to his work at Spotify. For example, he served as a research fellow at the Creativity and Regulation in the Digital Age project at the Tel Aviv University Porter School of Management.
Page also continued to speak at music industry conferences and events as an independent expert even after leaving Spotify. Overall, his departure appeared to be an amicable one that allowed Page to pursue new endeavors after nearly a decade focusing on streaming economics at Spotify.
What has Will Page worked on since leaving Spotify?
Since departing Spotify in 2021, Will Page has continued researching, consulting, and speaking on topics related to streaming and the music industry. Some of his notable activities and projects have included:
- Writing articles for publications like the Harvard Business Review
- Advising companies within and outside the music industry
- Teaching as a professor at the RIMT University Chennai in India
- Hosting the economics podcast ‘Will Page on Economics’
- Publishing a book titled ‘Tarzan Economics’ in 2022 covering how data and technology are changing culture
- Delivering keynote speeches at industry conferences
Additionally, Page founded his own consultancy firm focused on economics, data, and policy issues in the music business and cultural sectors. Through the firm, he has taken on consulting roles advising companies ranging from TikTok to Dolby Laboratories.
Page has also continued to serve as a research fellow at Tel Aviv University’s Porter School of Management. Overall, he has remained actively involved in research and discussions shaping the future of the streaming landscape since leaving his chief economist role at Spotify.
Conclusion
Will Page was the inaugural chief economist at Spotify, serving in the role from 2012 to 2021. During his tenure, he made significant contributions by producing influential research and analysis on streaming’s growth and impacts. Page left Spotify in 2021 to pursue new projects and challenges, apparently on good terms. Since departing, he has continued researching and advising on music streaming economics and culture as an independent expert. Page built a formidable reputation as an authoritative voice on streaming during his time as Spotify’s chief economist.