Netflix has announced the untitled scripted series about Spotify, which it describes as ‘the Swedish start-up that shook the entire music industry.’
The limited series is inspired by the tell-all book Spotify Untold by authors Sven Carlsson and Jonas Leijonhufvud – both business reporters at Swedish Dagens Industri – and will be produced by Yellow Bird UK (which optioned the screen rights in August), a Banijay Group company and the production company behind the upcoming Netflix series Young Wallander.
Per-Olav Sørensen (Quicksand, Home for Christmas and Nobel) will be directing and Berna Levin (Young Wallander, Hidden and The Girl in the Spider’s Web) will serve as executive producer.
The series centers around a young Daniel Ek, and his partner Martin Lorentzon.
“It is a story about how hard convictions, unrelenting will, access and big dreams can help small players challenge the status quo by evolving the way we can all listen to music,” says the press release announcing the series.
The Swedish and English language series will be developed and produced by Yellow Bird UK, with Berna Levin serving as executive producer and Luke Franklin as producer.
“We are really excited about bringing this success story to life and we look forward to continuing our great collaboration with director Per-Olav Sørensen and the team at Yellow Bird UK.”
Tesha Crawford, Netflix
Tesha Crawford, Director of International Originals Northern Europe at Netflix, said: “The founding tale of Spotify is a great example of how a local story can have a global impact.
“We are really excited about bringing this success story to life and we look forward to continuing our great collaboration with director Per-Olav Sørensen and the team at Yellow Bird UK.”
“The story of how a small band of Swedish tech industry insiders transformed music – how we listen to it and how it’s made – is truly a tale for our time.
Berna Levin, Yellow Bird
Berna Levin, Executive Producer, Yellow Bird, added: “I’m thrilled to be making this timely and entertaining series for Netflix.
“The story of how a small band of Swedish tech industry insiders transformed music – how we listen to it and how it’s made – is truly a tale for our time.
“Not only is this a story about the way all our lives have changed in the last decade, it’s about the battle for cultural and financial influence in a globalised, digitised world.”
“It is an ongoing fairytale in modern history about how Swedish wiz kids changed the music industry forever. The story is truly exciting and challenging.”
Per-Olav Sørensen
Per-Olav Sørensen added: “I am excited to bring the story of Sweden based Spotify to life on the screen.
“It is an ongoing fairytale in modern history about how Swedish wiz kids changed the music industry forever. The story is truly exciting and challenging.
“Challenging because the Spotify story has not ended yet – it is still running with high speed and will probably change while we work on the project. I am also happy to continue my cooperation with Netflix.
“The completely different projects we have done together so far really challenges me as a director, and I am looking forward to walk on yet an exciting path with Netflix.”Music Business Worldwide
