Brisbane start-up We Are Hunted has struck a partnership deal with online music giant Spotify that will see its technology rolled out on a global basis.
Spotify, which is set to launch in Australia early next year, recommends music to users based on their existing preferences. It has already enjoyed success in the US and Europe.
Spotify has chosen 10 partners to work with on its new App Finder service, including US music bible Rolling Stone.
However, We Are Hunted is the only Australian business to be included on Spotify’s new platform.
The company, which was founded in 2008, provides the top 99 tracks being talked about, blogged, shared and reviewed online each day.
Aimed at helping people discover new music, We Are Hunted will be used by Spotify to offer its customers a way to access new artists, rather than just established bands.
Richard Slatter, co-founder of We Are Hunted, tells StartupSmart that the platform, which launched yesterday, provides a good fit between the two businesses.
“We can help Spotify’s functionality and allow them to focus on what they do well,” he says.
“Spotify has 15 million tracks on it, so the question is, what do you play? Invariably, people choose music they already know.”
“If you like Snow Patrol, for example, it’s easy to say that you’ll also like Coldplay. You probably already listen to them. But out technology tells you who the next Bob Dylan is, if you’re a Dylan fan. You have to keep people excited by new things, which isn’t easy to do.”
“There is no financial deal with Spotify. We just want to get people participating. We’ve already seen a rise in traffic to our site.”
This article first appeared on StartupSmart
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
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