Great news for artists on Spotify: the music sharing platform announced on April 27 that it acquired CrowdAlbum in hopes of helping the smaller artists expand their network and reach more listeners, as well as earn from their music.

If you are unaware of what CrowdAlbum does, it is basically a visual collection of an artist's performances- that is, video clips and photos of concerts and other gigs-that also give them a chance to connect with those who appreciate their music.

"The CrowdAlbum acquisition is the latest way Spotify is investing in helping artists find and engage their audiences on and off Spotify, especially around the ever important business of touring," Vice President for Products Charlie Hellman explained.

Basically, what Spotify wants to achieve is creating stronger connections between artists and fans through its platform, which is actually a good marketing strategy, especially for up and coming artists who do not have deep pockets for flashy marketing yet.

CrowdAlbum has been assigned to form part of the Spotify team which is responsible for "Spotify Fan Insights," a tool that allows Spotify artists to communicate with their listeners and learn about their fan base, and "Concerts," a tool which notifies fans when their favorite musicians have a gig or two in the area.

It only shows how much Spotify values its artists to go through such lengths but, hey, it is worth it if it could get new and incredible music to people who may have an interest in them and, with luck, to the whole world as a mainstream artist.

That or Spotify is getting really desperate since it faces stiff competition with the other music applications and platforms available nowadays.

Then again, perhaps it would be best for Spotify if it strengthens its security weaknesses first so it does not lose its current users, especially the ones whose accounts were hacked.

Photo: Sorosh Tavakoli | Flickr