Co-Founder & CEO at Belong
Nick Holmsten
Founder and operator at the intersection of culture, technology, and product. Founder of Tunigo (acquired by Spotify), and former Global Head of Music at Spotify, where I spent seven years helping scale the platform globally—shaping playlists and discovery into core product infrastructure and working with many of the world’s biggest artists and labels.
Questions & Answers
What problem or opportunity inspired you to start your company, and how has your vision evolved since then?
Working at scale inside Spotify made one thing clear: fans are the most powerful force in culture—yet they’re invisible in the systems built around them. I saw the opportunity to turn fandom into identity, and identity into economic value. That insight evolved into Belong—building the financial infrastructure of fandom, where participation, not just consumption, creates real-world value.
Can you share a distinctive achievement or highlight from your career?
Founding Tunigo and leading its acquisition by Spotify, where it became the foundation for Spotify’s playlist ecosystem. As the Global Head of Music, I helped define and scale global discovery—working closely with artists, songwriters, and labels, and playing a role in breaking some of today’s biggest global stars—while turning playlists into a core growth and engagement engine.
What sets you apart from others in your industry?
I’ve helped build one of the most important platforms in music—and saw exactly where the system breaks. During my time at Spotify, we scaled from 6 million to over 160 million subscribers, expanding global access and shaping how music is discovered. Most people optimize within existing models. I’m focused on building the missing layer. At Spotify, we scaled access and discovery. At Belong, we’re redefining how value flows in culture.
