Since its launch in 2017, Spotify’s editorial playlist ‘In The K-Indie’ has introduced global listeners to the vibrant world of Korean indie music. The new name, Indie Korea, aims to better highlight the unique sound and appeal of Korean indie music to international music fans.
The redesign of Indie Korea was led by Kijo Kim, a chief designer of the indie label BGBG Record and founder of the design studio Kijoside. Kim is renowned for his collaborations with many of Korea's leading indie artists, including Kiha & The Faces and Broccoli,you too?.
To mark this milestone, Spotify shared key streaming data related to the Indie Korea playlist. With over 470,000 followers worldwide , Indie Korea has featured more than 4,300 Korean indie tracks and over 1,600 Korean indie artists in the past seven years . The playlist's monthly streams have surged by nearly 150% since its launch . The most popular regions in January to July this year were the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, and Vietnam.
The playlist has notably served as a gateway for global audiences to discover Korean indie music, with over 2.3 million new music discoveries made through the playlist in 2023 alone.
"We're thrilled to introduce Indie Korea, our flagship Korean indie playlist, to bring Korean indie music to global music fans," said Jungjoo Park, Spotify’s Head of Music, South Korea. "Spotify will continue to support diverse Korean indie artists and share their music with a wider audience."
Meanwhile, Spotify collaborated with The Volunteers and 10CM for the Indie Korea playlist takeover, allowing artists to curate a portion of the playlist. Currently, listeners can explore special videos from Korea's leading indie artists, including Chang Kiha, JANNABI, and LEE SEUNG YOON, as well as designer Kijo Kim, through the playlist clips.