Naver and Spotify have begun talks to expand their strategic partnership in the Korean market.
Naver said Chief Executive Choi Soo-yeon and Spotify Co-CEOs Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström, along with executives from both companies, met at Spotify's headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, from on the 25th to the 26th to discuss collaboration results and mid- to long-term cooperation.
At the meeting, the companies shared outcomes from collaboration through Naver Plus Membership and Naver Map navigation. Working-level staff from both sides also attended to broadly review collaboration possibilities across business development, marketing and content.
Since Nov. last year, the two companies have offered Spotify membership through Naver Plus Membership and have integrated Spotify audio content into Naver search and the Map app's navigation. They are particularly noting that collaboration effects are emerging quickly among younger users. According to Naver, as of Dec. last year, right after the Spotify partnership, new Naver Membership sign-ups by Generation Z increased 17% from the previous month.
The companies plan to expand the scope of collaboration to search, marketing and content overall. On the 19th, Spotify also adopted Naver's social login service, "Log in with Naver ID."
Alex Norström, Spotify's co-CEO, said, "Korea is an important market where the local creation ecosystem and global connectivity intersect actively," adding, "Collaboration with Naver will deliver meaningful value to both users and creators."
Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon said, "We will expand visible cooperation so domestic users can experience music and audio content in new ways."