Netflix’s Spotify series trailer is here: when does “The Playlist” premiere?

Netflix has released the trailer for its fictional Spotify series, and it looks to be exactly what you’d expect – for better or worse.

The preview clip portrays Spotify founder Daniel Ek (played by Vikings’ Edvin Endre) as a revolutionary who not only wants to create a legal alternative to piracy, but hopes to reshape the entire music industry. Unsurprisingly, the series pits Ek and crew against a host of enemies that include skeptical labels and wary politicians.

Spotify chief in the spotlight in new Netflix series

The six-episode miniseries premieres October 13. Veteran Netflix film director Per-Olav Sørensen helmed the project, while Christian Spurrier (Hunted) served as writer.

Whether or not “The Playlist” is to your liking, there are concerns that it could present a largely one-sided view of Spotify’s success. The trailer acknowledges concerns about Spotify’s pay-per-play business model, but characterizes them as minor annoyances – in this approach, artists are simply grateful that their concerts don’t end up on The Pirate Bay. There’s no talk of small or unpaid royalties in the trailer.

The tone isn’t surprising, though. Lately, there have been a slew of fictional movies and shows about tech companies, from Apple’s WeWork drama to Showtime’s Uber production. That doesn’t include earlier productions like The Social Network or Steve Jobs. While these titles don’t necessarily flatter their subjects, there’s a tendency to portray companies as game-changers that are ultimately beneficial – series don’t always face serious issues like struggling artists.

What’s more, while until now you could listen to music on Spotify, but also a plethora of podcasts about absolutely anything that interests you, the Swedish company is pulling another ace out of its sleeve and broadening its scope while introducing you to new horizons of knowledge. If you’re not necessarily tempted to pay for a subscription to listen to music and get information from the various shows available on the platform, you might be pleased to know that you’ll soon be able to buy audiobooks on Spotify.