Spotify Rolls Out Personalized Pet Playlists, Debuts My Dog’s Favourite Podcast

Spotify has gone to the dogs (and apparently, to the hamsters, as well). The audio-streaming platform this week rolled out personalized pet playlists, as well as My Dog’s Favourite Podcast. Pet Playlists enable Spotify users to create algorithmically curated playlists based on both their tastes and their pets’ character attributes. Spotify said each playlist is made up of about 30 tracks, adding that energetic dogs may hear upbeat tracks, while shy cats may listen to songs with slower tempos. [kickout id="1"] [kickout id="2"] My Dog’s Favourite Podcast was created to keep dogs company when they are left home alone, and it features a mix of soothing music, speech directed at dogs and original sounds to provide comfort and alleviate stress. It was developed in partnership with animal experts. Spotify said its research found that 53% of dog owners in the U.K. leave their dogs at home alone for between one and five hours per day, so the podcast is split into two five-hour blocks. My Dog’s Favourite Podcast is produced by Listen Entertainment, and Spotify said the first hour of each block is narrated by actors Ralph Ineson and Jessica Raine, and it is made up of dog-directed praise, stories, affirmation messages and reassurance, to help dogs relax as their owners leave. It is then followed up by 10 hours of relaxing original music produced by a team led by composer Daniel Knight, along with original ambient sounds, such as parks light rain, and wind rustling in trees. Spotify also shared some of its findings from its study of pet owners in the U.K.: The most popular sounds reported by owners to soothe their pets are family conversation (39%), noise from favorite television programs (36%) and music (34%). 76% of respondents believe their pets love listening to music, and 42% said their pets have favorite types of music. Pop led the way at 11%, followed by classical (10%), country (3%) and rock (3%). One out of four pet owners play music for their pets while they are away from home. 26% have witnessed their pets dancing to music. One out of 10 said their pets enjoy listening to their favorite podcasts with them. 60% have witnessed their dogs taking notice of famous voices, including those of David Attenborough, Holly Willoughby, Queen Elizabeth II and Stephen Fry. Spotify teamed up with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on the debut of the two features, and RSPCA dog welfare expert Samantha Gaines said in a release, “Like Spotify, our own surveys of dog owners have shown that many dogs are routinely left by themselves on a daily basis and, sadly, many dogs find this difficult. In 2019, we launched our #Dogkind campaign, which aimed to help owners better understand their dog’s behavior and how best to treat their dog if they struggle alone. While nothing can ever replace the company and presence of a dog’s two-legged friend, research is increasingly showing the effect of music on dog behavior. The type of music a dog listens to is important, and research has shown that some music can help dogs relax, while other types may have a less beneficial effect, so it’s really great that Spotify curated and produced music with dogs in mind. This is why we are supporting Spotify’s My Dog’s Favourite Podcast, which is specifically designed to help dogs relax and be calm when their owner is away.” Spotify head of consumer marketing for the U.K. and Ireland Olga Puzanova added, “Humans love music for so many reasons, including the comfort and companionship it can provide when you need it most, and now we know that pet-owners appreciate their pets’ music fandom. Spotify’s research shows that 74% of pet owners in the U.K. play music for their pets, 76% believe their pets like music and most pet owners think music can help pets relieve stress, boost their happiness and keep them company.” CREDITS: Spotify Brand and Creative: Alex Bodman, vice president, global executive creative director Dan Brill, group creative director Noel Yeo, creative director/film director Rasmus Wangelin, global brand design director Ellen Pai, design director Belinda Lopez, director, integrated production Lauren Keller, executive producer Zack Grant, senior integrated producer/film director Lauren King, business affairs lead Alexandra Tanguay, vp, global Brand Lauren Solomon, head of global brand team Payman Kassaie, global brand lead, markets Prapti Pandey, global brand manager Zach Pentel, global director, brand strategy Nathan Doiev, creative strategy lead Legal: Sarah Henderson, senior legal counsel Ali Zeren, legal counsel Claudia Stauss, senior paralegal U.S. Consumer Marketing: June Sauveget, global head of consumer marketing Kaleb Ruel, U.S. marketing lead Kate Cohen, senior marketing manager, U.S. consumer marketing Dayna Tran, associate marketing manager, U.S. consumer marketing Chris Hill, North America social community manager Kate Griffin, U.S. and Canada media lead manager PR: C.J. Stanley, director, public relations and communications Charlotte Lederman, global editorial lead, owned channels Sydney Berger, manager, PR and communications Product: Gandalf Hernandez, machine learning engineering manager II, platform Alya Fetyani, data curator, personalization Johannes Vuorensola, global API specialist, free Shows & Editorial: Sammy Malave, editor, music culture and editorial Production Partners: Website: Stink Studios Kara Masai, executive producer Lauren Saunders, senior producer P.J. Ahlberg, executive director of technology Ben Priddy, technical director Qiuyi Wu, creative technologist Long Vu, senior art director Liz Wells, senior user experience designer Animation: Production Company: Le Cube Directed by Santiago Oddis Fernanda Soma, executive Producer Luana Guareschi, producer Film Production: Production Company: SLMBR PRTY Films Directed by Zack Grant and Noel Yeo Sarah Donnenberg, executive producer/partner Leah Donnenberg, executive producer/partner Kirstin Vanskiver, head of production/partner Sloane Skala, line producer Ashley Connor, director of photography Ashley Fenton, production Ddsigner Editorial & Finishing: EXILE Edit Christopher Fetsch, editor Sasha Hirschfeld, executive producer LauRenn Reed, senior producer Adam Greenberg, flame artist Color Correct: CO3 Colorist, Tim Masick Audio Post Production: Heard City Sound designer and audio engineer: Evan Mangiamele Music Supervision: Squeak E. Clean Studios Licensed Music: Dog: “You & Me,” by Durand Jones & The Indication Hamster: “Sway,” by Ceraadi