Spotify & National Independent Venue Association Announce Partnership

Spotify and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) announced a year-long partnership. The joint initiative is aimed at providing additional support to independent live music spaces across the United States.

Through the agreement, Spotify will amplify independent music venues via its Live Events Feed and individual venue pages, which will display the NIVA “Certified Live Independent” seal for participating sites.

“Independent stages are where every artist gets their start and where nearly 200 million fans a year experience the joy of music, comedy, and performance,” NIVA Executive Director Stephen Parker said. “NIVA’s Certified Live Independent is a seal that shows the sacrifices and ingenuity that goes into keeping their venue or festival independent. We’re grateful that Spotify is elevating that seal and independent stages on their platform to allow millions of fans to experience the magic of these spaces.”

NIVA will also choose an independent booker to spotlight through Spotify’s soon-to-launch Independent Booker Spotlight playlist series. Rolled out monthly, the independent booker curated playlists mark the first editorial partnership of its kind for Spotify’s live music team.

“Independent venues are the heartbeat of live music,” said Rene Volker, Spotify senior director, live music. “They’re where artists take risks, build devoted communities, and where fans discover what they’ll love for the rest of their lives. This partnership with NIVA is about making sure Spotify’s platform, editorial, and product capabilities are working in direct service of that ecosystem. We’re here for the long game.”

NIVA will host its fifth annual conference in Minneapolis on June 7 – 10.