Hajra Naz
Spotify has acquired WhoSampled, the community-run music database, the company announced Wednesday. The news was shared in Spotify’s blog post highlighting new song credits features.
The deal’s financial terms were not disclosed. Spotify confirmed that the acquisition includes both the WhoSampled team and its database. The London-based platform had around 10 employees, according to PitchBook and LinkedIn.
Founded in 2008, WhoSampled tracks songs, samples, covers, remixes, and artists. Its database now contains over 1.2 million songs and nearly 622,000 samples. This data is powering Spotify’s new music discovery features, including the AI-driven tool SongDNA, also announced Wednesday.
Spotify and WhoSampled have a history. They first partnered in 2016 to let WhoSampled users access Spotify playlists and saved tracks within the app.
WhoSampled confirmed that its stand-alone platform and brand will continue after the acquisition. Users can expect faster moderation for submissions, the removal of display ads in the coming weeks, and free mobile app downloads with free subscriptions.
Read More: Spotify’s Latest Policies Target AI Abuse and Promote Greater Transparency
“Through discussions with Spotify, we realized we share a strong belief in musical context and helping listeners explore songs deeply,” said the WhoSampled team. “Spotify has shown commitment to our mission, and we couldn’t have found a better home for WhoSampled.”
This acquisition positions Spotify to strengthen music AI, song analytics, and recommendation engines, while improving user experience across playlists, sampling discovery, and music credits.
FAQs
What is WhoSampled?
WhoSampled is a music database tracking songs, samples, covers, remixes, and artist connections, launched in 2008.
Why did Spotify acquire WhoSampled?
Spotify aims to enhance music discovery, song analytics, AI recommendations, and user engagement.
Will WhoSampled remain a separate platform?
Yes. The platform and brand will continue, with improvements like faster submissions, fewer ads, and free apps.
How big is the WhoSampled database?
It tracks over 1.2 million songs and nearly 622,000 samples worldwide.
What new Spotify features will use WhoSampled data?
Spotify will use it for SongDNA, improved song credits, music discovery tools, and AI-driven playlist recommendations.
