Daniel Ek Shifts Role at Spotify, Names Co-CEOs to Lead Next Phase

Spotify has announced a large enactment displacement acceptable to instrumentality effect connected Jan. 1, 2026, with laminitis and CEO Daniel Ek transitioning to the relation of enforcement chairman, portion existent co-presidents Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström acceptable to go co-CEOs.

Both volition study to Ek and are expected to articulation Spotify’s committee of directors, pending shareholder approval.

This determination formalizes a enactment operation that has been successful signifier since 2023, Spotify said successful its announcement Tuesday (Sept. 30), with Söderström and Norström already starring strategical and operational efforts. As enforcement chairman, Ek volition absorption connected semipermanent strategy, superior allocation, and regulatory matters, adopting a European-style president relation that remains actively progressive successful institution direction.

Ek emphasized his assurance successful the caller leadership, noting successful the announcement that some Söderström and Norström person been instrumental successful Spotify’s maturation since its aboriginal days. “This alteration simply matches titles to however we already operate,” Ek said. “I’ll stay profoundly progressive successful shaping Spotify’s future.”

Woody Marshall, pb autarkic manager of Spotify’s board, expressed beardown enactment for the transition, citing the duo’s 15+ years of acquisition and their relation successful driving Spotify’s success. He besides praised Ek’s continued involvement, which ensures founder-led strategical guidance.

In a associated statement, the incoming co-CEOs said they are excited to pb Spotify into its adjacent chapter. “We bring antithetic experiences and perspectives to the CEO role, but stock a beardown bias to action,” they said. “With Daniel’s ongoing support, we’re acceptable to physique the astir invaluable acquisition successful audio streaming.”

Spotify volition big a unrecorded Q&A league connected September 30 to sermon the transition. The institution continues to pb the audio streaming industry, offering implicit 100 cardinal tracks, 7 cardinal podcast titles, and 350,000 audiobooks crossed 184 markets.

Ek besides shared a idiosyncratic connection with employees, acquired by Billboard, reflecting connected Spotify’s travel from a tiny startup successful Stockholm to a planetary level with astir 700 cardinal users. He described his caller relation arsenic his “next mission,” allowing him to absorption connected broader strategical initiatives portion remaining intimately connected to the company.

Read Ek’s Letter to Employees:

Team,

In the Spotify of today, each eyes (and ears) are connected us. There’s not overmuch we bash that goes unnoticed. But that wasn’t ever the case. In a tiny makeshift bureau connected Riddargatan successful Stockholm, a fewer of america acceptable retired to lick what felt similar an intolerable idea: to marque each opus disposable instantly, legally, successful a merchandise radical love.

Fast guardant astir 20 years, and that “impossible idea” has go a level utilized by astir three-quarters of a cardinal radical astir the globe. We’ve helped reshape an manufacture that is not lone increasing again but reaching caller heights.

I don’t often intermission to reflect—looking up has ever been my instinct. But I’m incredibly arrogant of what we’ve created together: a beloved idiosyncratic experience, a thriving business, and a squad that continues to rise the bar. A immense magnitude of recognition goes to Alex and Gustav, who person led with skill, vision, and conviction. They’ve proven themselves again and again, and I judge they’re acceptable for what’s next.

So, with afloat assurance successful Gustav and Alex, connected January 1, 2026, I volition determination to Executive Chairman, and they volition go our co-CEOs. They volition besides articulation our Board of Directors, pending shareholder approval.

I’ve ever thought astir roles arsenic missions. At Spotify, I’ve had astir 9 missions portion keeping the aforesaid title. In the aboriginal days, I assembled furnishings and negotiated our archetypal deals. I ran finance, led product, past sales, past marketing. I’ve held roles crossed astir teams here. This is simply my adjacent mission. My rubric changes—but my committedness and content successful what we’re gathering does not.

For astir of you, precise small volition change. Spotify has a beardown enactment squad and a coagulated program we’re executing against. What changes is my clip and focus. As Executive Chairman, I’ll walk much clip connected the agelong arc: strategy, superior allocation, regulatory efforts, and the calls that volition signifier the adjacent decade. Gustav and Alex volition proceed to study to me, and we’ll enactment intimately with our Board. This reflects a European Chairman setup—more hands...