Spotify will add 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence to playlists and podcasts as part of the music industry’s Blackout Tuesday collective action.
His name was George Floyd.
Spotify announced it will join the Blackout Tuesday collective action by adding an 8 minute and 46-second moment of silence to playlist and podcasts across its platform to honor George Floyd.
The length of the moment of silence is equal to the amount of time a Minneapolis Police officer pinned George Floyd down by the neck with his knee, resulting in George Floyd’s death and sparking protests in US cities across the country.
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Spotify joins other companies from the music industry in what is called Blackout Tuesday, a day dedicated to protesting police violence and racism. Alongside Spotify, many record labels are participating following a call from Atlanta Records marketing chief Jamila Thomas and former Atlantic employee Brianna Agyemang. ViacomCBS will also organize an 8 minutes and 46 seconds blackout across its network and cable channels starting 5PM ET on Monday.
“June 2nd is Black Out Tuesday, a day of collective disconnect from work meant to help people reflect and come together in support of the Black community. On this day — and every day — Spotify will support our employees, friends, partners, artists, and creators in the fight against racism, injustice, and inequity,” the company writes in a blog post. “We are using the power of our platform to stand with Black creators, amplify their voices, and accelerate meaningful conversation and long-needed change. As a result, you’ll notice some changes on Spotify starting at 12:01 AM on Tuesday.”
Spotify will also pause all of its social media and replace all profile images with a blacked-out image. The company also pledges to promote black artists and podcasters more prominently with specially curated playlists. Spotify will also match all financial donations made by its employees to organizations fighting racism and injustice.