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NY Times shows off mobile prowess with Spotify subscription

The New York Times is continuing its steamrolling strategy of catering to a wide range of demographics, especially millennials, by offering a dual subscription for Spotify on top of its news, made possible through mobile. 

New subscribers to NY Times will also get a subscription to Spotify for $5 a week. Users will be able to view all content on all devices, as well as stream music without needing cell service or Wi-Fi, a move that caters to younger demographics. 

?At The Times we are not only dedicated to helping our readers understand the rapidly changing world around them, but also to helping them live better lives,? said Meredith Kopit Levien, executive vice president and chief revenue officer at The New York Times Company.

Subscription innovation 
News publications are in constant turmoil in the current climate, with print almost disappearing and more competition popping up everyday. But NY Times has been able to ride the new wave of media by developing a fine-tuned digital strategy that has been innovating the way we consume news. 

The partnership with Spotify is another way to usher in the new, digital-focused consumer. With so many subscription services available, tying some together can make a huge impact on potential members. 


Users can sign up on any device and log into their Spotify to connect their subscription. A Spotify subscription means users can play any song on its database at any time on any device in high definition. 

Subscribers can also save music to be played even without a cell connection or Wi-Fi. For the NY Times, users will have access to all its content and mobile applications, without any advertisements. 


NY Times strategy
The Spotify promotion comes on the heels of other NY Times? innovations. The media brand just joined publications such as The Economist and The Wall Street Journal in dedicating a portion of its newsroom to Snapchat Discover, a move which comes as newspapers increasingly pivot towards millennials.

The Discover presence is the latest chapter in a dedicated pivot to mobile for The Times, which is looking to grow its millennial readership through evolving their media strategy with the cohort (see more). 

A subscription to NY Times will now go a long way, now that the publication has such a wide range of digital properties. The publication is showing no signs of slowing down in its commitment to bringing fact-based journalism to mobile with the debut of a new daily audio series, which is supported by a subscription text service. 

The Daily premiered on Feb. 1 on nytimes.com and the Times mobile apps, or users can subscribe on the podcast app of their choice. The show is hosted by established Times correspondent Michael Barbaro, who also shares context, analysis and thoughts on some of every day's pivotal moments with Times readers via the SMS program (see more). 

?News and music have gone hand-in-hand since the early days of radio, and because personalization and curation are central to what both The Times and Spotify do so well, we created an experience for Times readers that gives them access to all the news and all the music that they want in one premier subscription,? Ms. Kopit Levien said.