
At Spotify, our commitment to the LGBTQIA community is year-round. Through GLOW, our global music program, we celebrate and amplify the contributions of queer creators-because when artists are free to be themselves, more voices are heard, more stories are told, and culture moves forward.
Since its launch in January 2023, GLOW has supported more than 130 ambassadors through marketing, editorial, and partnership opportunities. The program's playlists have generated 451 million streams and 106 million discoveries, helping connect artists with new fans around the world.
This Pride Month, GLOW Tapes return with playlists curated by more than 10 LGBTQIA personalities, with new takeovers dropping weekly in our GLOW hub. The hub serves as a dedicated space to highlight LGBTQIA voices across formats. On the podcast front, we've refreshed our two shelves-Queer Creators We Love and Spotlighting LGBTQIA Stories-with a selection of shows and episodes. For audiobook lovers, fans will find dedicated Pride curation in many regions, with shelves built around themes like Moving Memoirs, Queer Love, and Transport to New Realms (sci-fi/fantasy). The hub also includes new music video playlists like Pride Party Videos and Gay Music Video Night.
And this year, the celebrations extend offline with events across the globe. On June 6-7, GLOW will bring creators and listeners together with a dedicated space at the Tokyo Pride parade. Then, on June 24, GLOW will host LGBTQIA songwriters, producers, and artists for a summer social in London. And on July 31, a GLOW mixer at our Stockholm HQ will provide a space for connection and collaboration for emerging and established creators.
Meet our 2026 GLOW spotlight ambassadors To bring our annual Free to Be theme to life, GLOW has partnered with four artists whose work and stories are moving culture forward: Deb Never from the U.S., Honey Dijon from the U.K., Guitarricadelafuente from Spain, and Tove Styrke from Sweden.
These artists are featured on the refreshed GLOW global playlist, which they've co-curated with their favorite music by LGBTQIA artists and will feature rotating artwork throughout June. They'll also appear in social campaigns and on billboards in New York and Los Angeles.
Deb Never
Honey Dijon
Guitarricadelafuente
Tove Styrke
NEXT
So what does it mean to be truly free as a creator in 2026? Deb Never, Guitarricadelafuente, and Tove Styrke weigh in.
What does Free to Be mean to you right now? Deb Never: Being free to me means doing what you love, being who you are, and not letting anything or anyone else define you.
Guitarricadelafuente: Right now, being free means allowing yourself to evolve without having to apologize for it. To change, to feel deeply, to contradict yourself, and not always have all the answers.
Tove Styrke: To me, it means trusting your own instincts before outside expectations. I think there's a lot of pressure now to constantly explain yourself, brand yourself, or fit into categories that make other people comfortable. Freedom is staying connected to the weird, emotional, and intuitive parts of yourself anyway. It's about allowing yourself to evolve publicly without apologizing for it.
How does being free move culture forward? Deb Never: If artists weren't comfortable enough to push boundaries or experiment, I don't think anything would move forward. It's important to not be bound by anything, to be free and keep progressing.
Guitarricadelafuente: Culture evolves when people feel free enough to express themselves honestly. New ideas, aesthetics, identities, and ways of loving emerge when we stop fearing judgment and start showing ourselves as we truly are.
Tove Styrke: Culture moves forward when people dare to express something truthful before it's fully understood. A lot of the art, music, and ideas that end up changing people first seemed strange, emotional, or too different. When people feel free enough to create from an honest place instead of a strategic one, it gives others permission to do the same. That's usually where new movements begin.
The soundtrack to being seen We also asked each of our four spotlight ambassadors to share a song that makes them feel seen:
That's Us/Wild Combination by Arthur Russell
selected by Tove Styrke There's something deeply human and open-hearted about his music that makes me feel less alone. The song feels both fragile and euphoric at the same time, like it's embracing every contradiction in being a person. It reminds me that freedom doesn't always have to be loud or performative. Sometimes it's just allowing yourself to fully exist in all your complexity.
Miss Me Blind by Culture Club
selected by Honey Dijon
Hope There's Someone by ANOHNI and the Johnsons
selected by Guitarricadelafuente
If I Was Your Girlfriend by Prince
selected by Deb Never
From the studio to the stage, and in the quiet moments of creation, these LGBTQIA artists and many more are helping shape the future of music. GLOW is proud to be a platform that supports their work and shares their stories with the world.
Explore the GLOW hub and stream the global playlist on Spotify.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
09/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/09/2026
Wisycom is showcasing the latest additions to its ecosystem of professional RF technologies at IBC 2026 (Stand 8.D60). This includes its new MATF Wideband Anten...
09/09/2026
AMSTERDAM, IBC2026 VisualOn, Inc. and Cires21 today released an updated joint whitepaper at IBC 2026 demonstrating measurable, high-impact improvements in visu...
09/09/2026
Sony Electronics Introduces Its First Fisheye Zoom G Lens
Brie Clayton September 8, 2026
0 Comments
Compact, lightweight SEL814G Full-frame lens deliv...
09/09/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces DaVinci Resolve 21.1
Brie Clayton September 8, 2026
0 Comments
Major update adds AI assistant integration, expanded camera...
09/09/2026
Cuez Integrates AI into a Unified Broadcast Production Workflow
Brie Clayton September 8, 2026
0 Comments
Cuez announces the expansion of its cloud-ba...
08/09/2026
Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced a multi-year agreement with A E...
08/09/2026
Spectra Logic today announced the availability of Media Insight, a new capabilit...
08/09/2026
Rogers Communications and Quebecor have announced a 12-year sublicensing agreement for French-language national NHL games beginning with the 2026-27 season. TVA...
08/09/2026
Skyline Communications and Bridge Technologies will demonstrate two integrations...
08/09/2026
Boland Communications will make the European debut of its 4K55HDR7SNB 55-inch super-narrow-bezel monitor at IBC2026 (Stand 12.C57, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-1...
08/09/2026
Ateme and Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) have announced a collaboration comb...
08/09/2026
Haivision has joined the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme as part of t...
08/09/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced price reductions on its PYXIS 6K and Cinema Camera 6K models, effective immediately through Blackmagic Design resellers worldwid...
08/09/2026
AI-Media will demonstrate its LEXI Suite at IBC2026 (Booth 5.C34, September 11-1...
08/09/2026
Bitmovin and Ad Insertion Platform (AIP) have announced the first live deploymen...
08/09/2026
Grass Valley will demonstrate story-centric media workflows at IBC2026 (Booth 9.A01, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14), connecting newsroom production, content ma...
08/09/2026
M2A Media and Ateme have announced a partnership integrating Ateme's video processing solutions into M2A Media's MediaToAnywhere platform for live sport...
08/09/2026
Ikegami will exhibit at IBC2026 (Stand 12.A31, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14), including a Day 1 introduction of new cameras in the UNICAM XE series. Additiona...
08/09/2026
Broadcast industry analysts will be gathering plenty of insights at the 2026 IBC Show this weekend in Amsterdam, but Caretta Research has offered up some though...
08/09/2026
SENSHI and DAZN have announced a global broadcast partnership that will bring SENSHI's live events free to viewers in more than 200 markets. The partnership...
08/09/2026
New architecture built with Evertz will bring 4K HDR to Monday Night Football, N...
08/09/2026
Built for rap producers, by rap producers
Sauceware Audio, the independent plug-in company founded by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob (Travis Scott, 21 Sava...
08/09/2026
Classic Sound Techniques design revived
Warm Audio's latest release delivers a meticulous recreation of the preamp circuitry employed by the Sound Techn...
08/09/2026
Latest soft synth inspired by the Memorymoog
XILS Lab have just launched a software instrument that draws its inspiration from Moog's iconic Memorymoog,...
08/09/2026
The Airport Chaplain takes off as SBS's biggest launch of 2026
8 September, 2026
Media releases
1.67 million viewers on National Total TV to date
Best...
08/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/09/2026
Mo-Sys, the world-leading developer of virtual production, camera robotics and image tracking technology, has completed a business restructuring, which has incl...
08/09/2026
New York, September 8, 2026 The TSAmediaHUB audiovisual contribution and distribution infrastructure developed by Telef nica's Audiovisual Services area re...
08/09/2026
Expanded Riyadh operation brings Asharq and Thmanyah services together on a resilient on-premises Pebble platform.
Pebble, the leading automation, content mana...
08/09/2026
Techex, a pioneering leader in live video workflows, will showcase its broadest software feature set to date at IBC 2026 (Stand 2.B45), extending its lead in so...
08/09/2026
Visitors to Grass Valley's booth at IBC2026 will be introduced to new Framelight X capabilities that connect content acquisition, management, editing and pu...
08/09/2026
BCNEXXT will showcase the latest evolution of Vipe at IBC2026 (Stand 2.B09), introducing a series of innovations designed to deliver higher-quality audience exp...
08/09/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Ad Insertion Platform (AIP), a leading innovator in advanced ad insertion technologies, to...
08/09/2026
Brainstorm, a leading manufacturer of real-time graphics and augmented and virtual production, is announcing a major package of enhancements to its Suite 7 soft...
08/09/2026
Big Blue Marble is supporting TDF, French infrastructure and network operator, broadcasting Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and radio services, as a techno...
08/09/2026
Agents work inside a single production environment, from incoming wire copy to a live studio show...
08/09/2026
Building on their strategic partnership, Ceeblue and Layercake make the unthinkable possible: scalable sub-second streaming over standard DRM, SSAI, and CDN wor...
08/09/2026
Brainstorm, a leading manufacturer of real-time graphics, augmented and virtual production, is completing the environment for fast-paced broadcast production wi...
08/09/2026
A SaaS portfolio built to work together, helping operators grow audiences, monetise smarter and run leaner, on their own terms
At IBC 2026 (stand 1.B49) Synam...
08/09/2026
Accedo, global provider of video streaming software and services, has been selected by PlayOn Sports, a national leader in high school sports technology, to exp...
08/09/2026
LiveU, the leader in live IP-video solutions, is enabling The Associated Press to take global newsgathering to the next stage with intelligent connectivity and ...
08/09/2026
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, today announced the latest evolution of it...
08/09/2026
Compact, power-efficient X Platform performance brings broadcast-grade reliability and ultra-low latency to space-constrained remote production (REMI) workflows...
08/09/2026
Zixi, the leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, and Kiloview, a leading provider of professional IP video encoding and decoding solutions, t...