Client
Services
Overview
Partnership Summary
We’ve been a long-term partner to Spotify’s global editorial team—building and evolving more than 30 playlist brands across 20+ markets.
Impact
40M+
Listeners across all 30 playlists
Testimonial
“We are extremely happy with the results of the Top México playlist redesign. From the first meeting, the studio team was very interested in understanding both the playlist and our culture. Despite the complexities of understanding Mexican popular culture, they conducted research based on the brief we provided and delivered amazing work that simultaneously feels appropriate for young audiences while balancing tradition, modernity, and Spotify's guidelines.”
Studio Herrström
- Erik Herrström
- Alexander Raffl
- Lukas Haider
- Martin Carlsson
- Matouš Marťák
- Marzena Płaszczyca
- Thomas Sturm
- Marcell Gulyas
- Julian Jakob
- Thomas Neulinger
- Dennis Johansson
- Yuriy Starikov
- Jon Marsh
- David Lewerentz
- Kara Griffin Cushman
- Kerstin Herrström
- Lindsey Skipworth
Spotify
- Shahin Haghjou
- David Karlsson
- Marta Vargas
- Loren Lee
- Michelle Pham
- Spotify Global Editorial Team across 20+ markets
Project Information
Spotify’s editorial playlists are cultural mainstays—curated touchpoints that guide millions of listeners. To stay meaningful, they need to feel deeply rooted in the communities they represent.
Since 2021, STUDIO HERRSTRÖM has been working with Spotify’s global editorial team to shape the brands behind its most influential playlists. This is an ongoing collaboration—one that continues to evolve with music culture. To date, we’ve developed more than 30 playlist brands across 20+ markets, each designed to resonate deeply with its audience while contributing to Spotify’s global voice.
We begin every project by immersing ourselves in the culture and context surrounding each playlist. Before we design, we listen. Through workshops and editorial team sessions, we align on goals and gain a clear understanding of the subcultures, sounds, and audience behaviors at play.
In Colombia, that meant exploring the breadth of local music styles and finding a way to reflect the country’s vibrant rhythm culture in a way that could travel globally. In Germany, it led to the launch of Modus Mio, now the leading hip-hop playlist in German-speaking markets. That identity debuted live at Splash! Festival—embedding the brand where it belonged: on stage and in front of fans.
Our creative process turns cultural insight into culturally relevant design. In Australia, we worked with the local team to shape a hand-drawn identity for the indie scene. Based on direct conversations with fans, we created over 40 custom illustrations that now anchor the playlist’s distinct visual language.
When designing Main Stage—Spotify’s electronic festival playlist—we leaned into the atmosphere of live music. The logo system was inspired by the look and feel of a festival wristband, instantly invoking the energy of standing in front of a massive stage.
Each brand is shaped by its audience, built in close collaboration with its editors, and designed to last. As playlists launch or evolve, we support the Spotify team with rollout tools, guidelines, and creative systems that are flexible, scalable, and locally relevant.
As Spotify continues to expand its editorial offering, we remain a close collaborator and partner—helping connect playlists to culture and listeners worldwide. So far, over 41 million listeners follow the brands we’ve helped shape.