Petra Hansson’s Journey To Being Spotify’s Legal Counsel Is Portrayed In “The Playlist”
“The Playlist” stands out as a program offering viewers a multi-faceted watching experience. One particularly captivating storyline revolves around Petra Hansson (Gizem Erdogan), who played a pivotal role in securing agreements for Spotify.
As a high-ranking executive and legal figure at Spotify, Petra dedicated almost a decade to the music streaming service. Her extensive experience proved instrumental in guiding the company to various significant milestones.
As shown in The Playlist, nothing is known about Petra Hansson prior to her partnership with Spotify.
In Episode 3 of the Netflix miniseries, “The Legal,” Petra Hansson is introduced as an emerging lawyer in a prominent Scandinavian law firm. In reality, she was a highly regarded professional at Mannheimer Swartling, the largest firm in the Swedish legal market.
A year before Spotify’s launch, Hansson, a sought-after talent, joined them as legal counsel and agent. Representing the budding streaming service in negotiations with major music labels and corporations, as depicted in “The Playlist,” Hansson, in collaboration with Niklas Ivarsson, contributed significantly to Spotify’s early development.
Facing the temptation to make Spotify a free service for all, creator Daniel Ek, with Hansson’s insight, recognized potential pitfalls. She devised a strategy that ensured long-term viability, ultimately leading to the creation of the ad-free concept we now know as Spotify Premium, elegantly portrayed in “The Playlist.”
Hansson played a vital role in Spotify’s global success, engaging with legal experts to facilitate its expansion into the United States. In 2009, she negotiated an agreement with then-CEO of Warner Music Group, Edgar Bronfman Jr., enabling Spotify to feature Warner’s entire music collection in Europe.
What happened to Petra Hansson?
“The Playlist” covers Petra Hansson’s journey up to the inception of Spotify. Her association with the company, however, evolved, encompassing roles from General Counsel to Head of Business Affairs.
The decade-long relationship between Hansson and Spotify concluded in 2017. Following her departure, she assumed roles as an adviser and investor for various companies and non-profits.
In February 2019, Hansson and Spotify’s former Global Head of Licensing, Niklas Ivarsson, joined the advisory board of Tracklib, a Stockholm-based sample licensing business. Tracklib CEO Pär Almqvist commended her contributions in assisting the firm with legal and commercial challenges in 2020.
Since then, Petra Hansson has maintained a private life, and details about her post-Tracklib endeavors remain unknown. While her exact location is unclear, it is believed she resides in Sweden’s Greater Stockholm Metropolitan Area. Notably, she is not active on any social media networks.