Spotify Makes Major Move, Acquires WhoSampled

Spotify has acquired  WhoSampled, the go-to online database for tracking song samples, remixes, and covers in a bold move to deepen music discovery and shine a light on the creative threads behind the songs we love.

Since its founding in 2008, WhoSampled has built a massive catalog: over 1.2 million songs, more than 622,000 samples, and countless covers. Rather than folding it into its platform, Spotify says WhoSampled will continue to operate as a standalone brand, but with fresh support to improve user experience.

On the Spotify side, the acquisition powers a new feature called SongDNA, which will let users explore how tracks are related by sampling, covers, or collaborators — directly from the Spotify app.  Alongside that, Spotify is expanding its song credits: instead of just listing the main performers, it will now show all contributors — producers, engineers, session musicians, and more.

Users of WhoSampled are already seeing benefits: the iOS app is now free, in-app subscriptions are being removed on both iOS and Android, and the platform is going ad-free soon. Moderation for new user submissions will also be faster, thanks to Spotify’s backing.

This deal underscores Spotify’s strategy to go beyond just streaming, it’s building tools that let listeners dig into music history, context, and creative lineage. For fans who love to trace samples from modern hits back to their roots, SongDNA could be a game-changer.