• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Retail

Starbucks Teams Up With Spotify To Bolster Mobile App

Phil Wahba
By
Phil Wahba
Phil Wahba
Senior Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
Phil Wahba
By
Phil Wahba
Phil Wahba
Senior Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 19, 2016, 7:17 AM ET
Spotify plans to go public without selling new shares.
Photo credit: Getty Images

Starbucks Coffee (SBUX) has lined up a new partner to bolster its industry-leading mobile app.

The coffee giant on Tuesday announced the launch of a new digital music offering with streaming music service Spotify. The companies are joining forces to allow users of the Starbucks Mobile App to instantly identify music playing in a Starbucks store, and save such songs to a playlist on Spotify and have access to that music anywhere.

The service will be available at 7,500 Starbucks company-operated stores in the U.S., 10 million Starbucks loyalty members, and U.S. Spotify users.

For Starbucks, the move allows it to bolster its reputation for innovation. And for Spotify, the partnership could introduce the service to millions more potential subscribers.

“Music has played a pivotal role in our stores for over 40 years and we have been at the forefront of how to integrate it into a retail environment,” said Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in a statement. “We are merging the physical and digital, providing new access points for Spotify as they continue to grow globally”

The new Starbucks music platform is available to both Apple (AAPL) iPhone and (GOOG) Android users within Starbucks Mobile App.

Users will also be able to view recently played songs and, save songs to a personal playlist on Spotify, among other features.

Starbucks mobile app is an industry leader, allowing among other benefits the coffee company to accept mobile orders before a customers comes. Analysts estimate some 20% of orders are placed via Starbucks’ app. As of November, Starbucks had 10 million active loyalty members in the United States, up 28% from a year earlier.
About the Author
Phil Wahba
By Phil WahbaSenior Writer
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Phil Wahba is a senior writer at Fortune primarily focused on leadership coverage, with a prior focus on retail.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Zohran
PoliticsElections
Political communication scholar on how Zohran Mamdani hacked ‘slacktivism’ to appear on your phone, on your street and in your mind
By Stuart Soroka and The ConversationDecember 10, 2025
52 minutes ago
A sign showing the US-Canada border in front of a bunch of dead, barren trees in winter
Politicstourism
Exclusive: U.S. businesses are getting throttled by the drop in tourism from Canada: ‘I can count the number of Canadian visitors on one hand’
By Dave SmithDecember 10, 2025
3 hours ago
AsiaCoupang
Coupang CEO resigns over historic South Korean data breach
By Yoolim Lee and BloombergDecember 10, 2025
7 hours ago
Man in dark jacket sitting on a chair
AIBrainstorm AI
Amazon’s new Alexa aims to detangle household chaos, like who fed the dog and the name of that restaurant everyone wanted to try
By Amanda GerutDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
Paul Singer
Investingactivist investing
Pepsi to cut product offering nearly 20% in deal with $4 billion activist Elliott
By Dee-Ann Durbin and The Associated PressDecember 8, 2025
2 days ago
Bambas
LawSocial Media
22-year-old Australian TikToker raises $1.7 million for 88-year-old Michigan grocer after chance encounter weeks earlier
By Ed White and The Associated PressDecember 6, 2025
4 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Fodder for a recession’: Top economist Mark Zandi warns about so many Americans ‘already living on the financial edge’ in a K-shaped economy 
By Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
When David Ellison was 13, his billionaire father Larry bought him a plane. He competed in air shows before leaving it to become a Hollywood executive
By Dave SmithDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Banking
Jamie Dimon taps Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and Ford CEO Jim Farley to advise JPMorgan's $1.5 trillion national security initiative
By Nino PaoliDecember 9, 2025
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
14 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The 'forever layoffs' era hits a recession trigger as corporates sack 1.1 million workers through November
By Nick Lichtenberg and Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Even the man behind ChatGPT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is worried about the ‘rate of change that’s happening in the world right now’ thanks to AI
By Preston ForeDecember 9, 2025
23 hours ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.