Spotify has acquired the sample-sourcing website WhoSampled. The streaming service announced that it’s rolling out a new feature called SongDNA, which will aggregate and centralize samples and covers of songs based on the WhoSampled database. According to a statement from WhoSampled, the site will continue to operate “as a standalone platform and brand.”
As of today (November 19), Spotify is also expanding its song credits feature to include all personnel who worked on a given song. The platform first introduced song credits in 2018—a year after Tidal began publicly displaying song and album credits—but previously only listed topline performers, songwriters, and producers.
“Every song is a collaboration, and every contributor should be seen,” said Jacqueline Ankner, Head of Songwriter & Publisher Partnerships at Spotify. “With expanded Song Credits, SongDNA, and About the song, we’re giving fans a deeper look at the people and creative threads behind the music they love and giving creators the recognition they deserve. It’s another step in Spotify’s work to champion the people, connections, and stories that bring every track to life.”
Recent months have seen an exodus of artists from Spotify, with many citing the military investments made by CEO Daniel Ek through his venture capital fund Prima Materia. (Since 2021, Prima Materia has been investing in Helsing, a defense company that sells AI-using software to inform military decisions.) Among the acts to pull their music from the platform are Massive Attack, Angel Deradoorian, Hotline TNT, Young Widows, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, WU LYF, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Xiu Xiu, and Deerhoof.
