/pärdē/

noun

a gathering of hosts and guests to have a collective experience of enjoyment and celebration, typically involving music. 

verb

to gather with others to experience collective enjoyment and celebration, typically with music.

We contribute to the vibe

Gigs and parties are as fun as the people who show up. We proactively contribute to the fun in our own unique way: we play, laugh, dance, sing, or just bring a good vibe. We look out for each other.

We respect the space and each other

Whether it’s a tiny bar or a mega-stadium, we’re always in someone’s home, and we deeply respect that it’s someone’s job to clean up after us, emotionally or physically. We aim to never cause harm, and if harm is caused, we ask how we can repair it. We know we’ve succeeded if, after we’re gone, a home is left better than we found it.

We give and get consent

We make sure everyone is comfortable with our words and actions by checking in before a hug, a dance, or anything else! Harassment is never okay, and it doesn’t have to be physical. We get that staring isn’t cool and we don’t take photos of anyone else without asking first. We always ask before touching anyone no matter what the reason is, even if it’s to assist them with mobility or accessibility devices. Remember that it’s always okay to change your mind about giving your consent.

We include and support each other 

It’s on all of us to help create a space of belonging, free from fear, judgment or any form of discrimination. Worried someone is experiencing unwelcome attention? Give them a thumbs up or another way out to move on from a conversation. See a guest who needs assistance or is in an unsafe situation? Ask any event staff member to point you to someone from Spotify you can talk to. 

We stay in control of our behavior

We reflect on how we want to engage with alcohol consumption before we make a choice about it. We stay aware of our body’s limits so that we always show up for the community as our best selves.

We work with good people

We hire and partner with fun, respectful, consentful, kind, inclusive people. We ask our partners to consider climate, diversity, and social impact when building their project teams and planning events with us. We understand that finding aligned partners can take time, but when it’s possible, we make that time and commit resources to working with people who share our values. 

We choose a place that’s for everyone 

We look for venues that share our values. This means we prioritize venues that are safe and accessible to people of every race, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, gender identity and size. Wherever possible, we choose a venue that is close to public transit, values environmental conservation and efficiency, is fully accessible, and has space for a designated sensory-friendly area, where people can take mental health breaks or receive crisis support. 

We partner with the community

We proactively find ways to bring the local community into our events. For example, we prioritize hiring diverse locally-owned vendors with climate and environment friendly practices, even if they cost a bit more, as long as the price is within our budget. We also look for community partners in building safety and inclusion: for example, we might work with a local organization to do an accessibility walkthrough and create a sensory-friendly wellness area.

We’re clear about who we are

We share our Party Code and expectations with our partners, and we ask for production and security teams to be briefed on implementation and accountability. It’s helpful for our Party Code guidelines to be visibly posted the day of an event, and in public communications ahead of time. Where possible, we provide options for event guests to share issues or concerns with Spotify staff in pre-event details and on posters.

We establish clear reporting guidance

For every event, we establish a clear process for how fans can report issues to event teams, and a plan for responding. Wherever possible, there is a Spotify point of contact who is prepared to lead responses to issues related to accessibility, safety and inclusion. If we entrust this reporting and response process to a venue or production partner, it’s because we understand and trust that venue or production partner’s system and staff, and they are aligned with our values.

We equip and prepare event teams 

We equip event teams with the skills and resources they need to effectively foster safety and inclusion by: 

• Relying on partners with deep expertise on the specific accessibility, safety and inclusion barriers faced by different communities to train our event production staff. 

• Planning adequate resources so that event teams avoid burnout and stay at their best

• Wherever possible, assigning one Spotifier to each event who is specifically focused on safety and inclusion from the planning stage, and to whom issues can be escalated the day of. If this isn’t possible, we still make sure that all Spotifiers attending an event know who they can go to if they witness harm or unsafe behavior.

We help guests make informed choices  

We understand that making the decision to attend an event can be hard for a lot of guests if they don’t have all the information. Whenever it is possible given the format of the event, we strive to publish as much helpful information as possible ahead of time. This can include information about event beginning/ending times, entrances/exits, venue layout, wheelchair access, bathrooms, food and beverage options, seating, parking, acoustic coverage, languages spoken by staff, recycling and sustainability practices or recommendations, among others. 

We’re thoughtful about the food and beverage experience

We recognize that music events can be alcohol-first and food options are typically not friendly to people who keep vegan, vegetarian, Kosher, Halal or have other types of dietary  restrictions -- and we try to break that tendency wherever possible. Even if we can’t offer the perfect choice to everyone, we put thought into how our events can be friendly to the planet, how to offer easy access to drinks other than alcohol, and how to provide alternatives to animal protein.

We know a good party does good. 

We consider climate, diversity and social impact throughout our planning. Where possible, we invest a bit more in order to achieve it. For example, 

• Have we considered representation and diversity in our talent line-up? Many genres of music historically exclude women, Black, Brown, Asian and Pacific Islander and Indigenous people, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ people, and/or religious minorities. Is there an opportunity to showcase new talent?

• Have we considered ways to meaningfully contribute to dismantling historic marginalization of certain people and communities within a local context? For example, event organizers in Australia often make time and space for an acknowledgement of country, to acknowledge indigenous people and the land the party is being hosted on.

• Have we considered representation and diversity in our guest list, on-site staff and vendors? (If we didn’t this time around, how can we build a diverse pipeline of talent/vendors for next time?)

• If we’re handing out swag, have we considered if it’s truly needed or if there’s a local vendor that can produce it sustainably?

• Have we looked for ways to donate or repurpose food waste, possibly partnering locally to make it happen?

It is meant to live, breathe and change

At their best, codes of conduct capture the results of profound reflections about a company’s mission and values. We believe that such reflection must occur on a regular basis and we are committed to revising and updating our Party Code as we gain insight and wisdom from applying it. We are also committed to fearless learning, which by definition requires looking closely at instances where we don’t live up to the principles in the code, in order to remain in a constant state of doing better. 

It is meant to be flexible and adaptable to different contexts

With our Party Code, Spotify aspires to codify an ambitious global vision for the culture of our live events that we understand must be flexibly implemented in different parts of the world. We know that individual countries and regions will offer different resources and opportunities, as well as have laws and regulations that interact with our code differently. We are committed to supporting market leads in a process of adapting the code as needed to achieve our global vision with sophisticated cultural competence.

Thanks to our global nonprofit advisers who provided critical feedback on the Spotify Party Code: 

• Alcohol and Drug Foundation

• The Ally Coalition 

• Calling All Crows

• Good Night Out 

• Global Citizen

• The League 

• MIM LATAM

• MIM Spain

• PLUS1 

• Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD)

• REVERB 

• TATVA

• To Write Love on Her Arms

Thanks to our partners Global & Collective for facilitating the co-creation of the Spotify Party Code.