When you're an emerging writer, the toughest thing is getting into the room, starts Aaron Buckingham, a lead on Spotify's Songwriter and Publishing Relations team. Maybe you have some friends from college or school that you wrote songs with, and maybe it grows to someone you form a band with. But to get into rooms with more established writers and on to artists' radars-that can take a lot of time.
The process is all too familiar-not just for Aaron, but for burgeoning songwriters looking for an opportunity to shine. Even when a new songwriter possesses undeniable talent, reaching that career breakthrough requires them to navigate an intricate path. And since part of Aaron's role at Spotify is to unlock opportunities for songwriters and publishers on and off our platform, he goes further than simply helping songwriters and producers get into the room. He and his team construct the room.
Spotify Sessions: A first taste of collaborative songwriting Spotify Sessions gives rising hitmakers a first taste of professional collaboration. Occasionally themed, always thoughtful, these sessions give songwriters the opportunity to connect with artists, producers, and engineers who are further along in their careers. With specific opportunities for R&B writers and women and non-binary creators, as well as songwriters in our RADAR Songwriters program, we're using the space to advance marginalized talent.
To date, Spotify has hosted dozens of writing sessions globally that have been attended by an array of the world's top songwriting and production talent, including Rodney Jerkins, Ink, Leland, Ilsey, Wayne Hector, Ricky Reed, Ina Wroldsen, and Kamille. The results are notable. Stream Dua Lipa's ethereal dance track Hallucinate or 21 Savage's Grammy-winning a lot and you're hearing the results of a Spotify Session.
Songwriters are the architects who have built the music industry that we all kind of exist in, Aaron explains to For the Record. I'm incredibly passionate about the process of songwriting, particularly by those who aren't necessarily performers themselves. I personally love how our writing sessions knock down some of the political walls and give people an amazing opportunity to create together, and come with no agenda attached.
Ines Dunn, a songwriter on the rise Click the image to hear from Ines
Once the writers get into the room, Aaron's next job is to understand how Spotify can best amplify their talent, starting by pairing them with fellow writers.
From the beginning, Spotify Sessions has set the stage for a few songwriters' first collaborative writing workshops. For Aaron, Ines Dunn stands out. I'd be listening to a new Mimi Webb song or Maisie Peters and look at the songwriter credits and be like, Ines Dunn? Is that the same student who came to our writing camp?' And it was!
In 2019, Spotify invited Ines and some of her classmates from the East London Academy of Music to a dance and electronic music writing session at our Noteable Songwriting Studios in London. There they tasted their first collaboration between artist, producer, and songwriter. Everyone wanted to work with Ines, remembers Aaron. She was an immediate star.
For Ines the experience was her first time workshopping with seasoned songwriters, and it was life-changing. Now she's a full-time songwriter with credits on Mimi's and Maise's recent albums, as well as on Griff's, METTE's, and Josie Mann's. And while songwriting has become part of Ines's everyday life, the process of coming together with others to write a song in settings like Spotify Sessions continues to be magical.
Songs are always such a landmark of the time and place and the people that you wrote something with, she tells For the Record. I have such strong attachments to the moments when I wrote those songs. As the days go by, you always forget what you did and how much time passed and the funny thing that happened. But I feel like songs really capture the Oh God, and I remember writing that thing in that moment and finding it the funniest thing in the whole world,' which is really nice because it kind of immortalizes those memories.
Supporting songwriters from moment to music After the sessions, there's more to do, including finding ways to showcase the work using the power of our platform.
Spotify is well positioned to really connect collaborators from around the world, Aaron says. Whether it's things like having the names and the credits viewable on platform, or with the introduction of Written By playlists and Songwriter Pages, we're giving anyone who's listening to music that ability to be able to click into the credits and see the complete discography of a songwriter's work straight away. That's great for fans because it gives them more context around the folks who have helped create the music, but also I think it's super beneficial for the writer in actually unlocking future collaborations.
Click the image to hear from Aaron
We've long supported behind-the-scenes moments of music creation through programs like Equalizer. In 2021, we created Noteable as a home for songwriters, producers, and publishers, with resources like Songwriter Pages, Written By playlists, the Songwriters Hub, educational video series, the Created by Women playlist, and much more available. And with five studios, we're also making in-person sessions even more accessible to creators in more locations around the world. Casa Spotify Medallo is the latest offering for Colombia-based songwriters to hone their craft together.
Similar to RADAR, our RADAR Songwriters program helps develop songwriters on the cusp of greatness. With marketing and editorial content, we've helped songwriters in Canada, Mexico, Am
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...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech
Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...
20/08/2026
Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club
Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...
20/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...
20/08/2026
Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026
Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R)
By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...
20/08/2026
How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays a student about to mix be...
20/08/2026
Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
When you're an emerging writer, the toughest thing is getting into the room, starts Aaron Buckingham, a lead on Spotify's Songwriter and Publishing Relations team. Maybe you have some friends from college or school that you wrote songs with, and maybe it grows to someone you form a band with. But to get into rooms with more established writers and on to artists' radars-that can take a lot of time. 
