BetterHelp Joins Spotify's Fresh Finds Forward to Support Emerging Artists' Mental Health

When our friends at Spotify announced Fresh Finds Forward, they introduced the program as the next chapter for a discovery engine that has spent more than a decade connecting listeners with independent musicians. 

We at BetterHelp were honored to be named a partner in that announcement. Joining Fresh Finds Forward felt natural to us, because the work Spotify has done to surface new talents, and the work we do every day to support mental health, rest on a shared belief: people create their best when they feel supported. 

This partnership builds on work we've already been doing together. Earlier this year, BetterHelp powered Spotify's Mental Health & Songwriter Summit in Nashville, bringing nearly 200 members of the songwriting community together for a day of conversation, resources, and support. 

Fresh Finds Forward is a natural next step, extending that commitment to thousands of emerging artists year-round.

A playlist placement can feel like a door opening, and we want to help artists walk through it with steady footing. We see this partnership as a chance to meet artists at the exact moment their careers begin to accelerate, when the right support can shape everything that follows. 

The weight we don't always see 

Every breakout moment has a person behind it, carrying pressure that most careers never demand. A widely reported survey of independent musicians found that 73 percent had experienced symptoms of mental illness, with anxiety and depression named most often. 

That figure rose to 80 percent among artists aged 18 to 25, the very group most likely to be chasing a first big moment. Financial instability, loneliness, and fear of failure ranked among the strongest contributing factors, and the constant comparison invited by social platforms only adds to the strain. 

We pay close attention to numbers like these because they describe the people Fresh Finds Forward is built to lift. The same research revealed that fewer than 40 percent of those musicians had sought professional help, and many leaned on alcohol or other substances instead. "It's time to put the state of our artists' mental health on the agenda," Record Union chief executive Johan Svanberg said in a statement reported by Billboard. Closing the distance between how many artists struggle and how few reach out is exactly what we hope to help with. 

Recognition as a start, not a finish 

We have learned that getting discovered and building a stable career are two very different things. Many independent artists self-fund their touring, work with small teams or none at all,

and piece together what they need wherever they can find it. Touring can cost more than an early-career act earns, and some turn down opening slots they simply cannot afford. Recognition creates momentum, yet it rarely arrives with the scaffolding needed to carry that momentum over months and years. 

This is where we believe mental health support belongs, as part of the foundation rather than an afterthought. Spotify clearly sees it the same way, which is why Fresh Finds Forward pairs visibility with real resources. 

An artist who can work through the anxiety of a first headline tour, or the isolation of long stretches on the road, is better equipped to keep creating. Standing alongside Spotify in that effort is a role our whole team takes to heart. 

What Fresh Finds Forward Brings Together 

Spotify designed Fresh Finds Forward to give emerging independent artists around the world the resources, community, and support to turn early momentum into long-term growth.

The program includes benefits such as studio access, digital tools, in-person and virtual events, and mental health resources, all designed to support artists at a critical point in their careers.

We admire how thoughtfully that community layer is built, since loneliness sits near the top of what young musicians describe as their heaviest burdens. 

Mental health is where we come in. Fresh Finds Forward includes a range of mental health and wellness resources for participating artists, and BetterHelp is a key part of that. As part of the partnership Spotify announced, participating artists can receive six months of therapy through the BetterHelp platform at no cost during that period, giving them a steady place to talk through the demands of a creative life. 

We are grateful that Spotify chose to include mental health support as a core part of the program, sending a message to every artist in the program that their wellbeing matters as much as their next release. 

How we fit into an artist's life 

Few careers are as unpredictable as music, and we have built our service with that reality in mind. Rehearsals, studio sessions, and tour dates rarely follow a nine-to-five rhythm, which makes a standing weekly appointment at a clinic hard to keep. 

Our members can meet a licensed therapist through video, phone, live chat, or messaging, choosing whichever format fits the day in front of them. Someone uneasy about opening up face to face might begin with written messages or a phone call, then move to video once the relationship feels solid. 

That flexibility carries real weight for someone living out of a suitcase. An artist can keep the same relationship with the same therapist from a green room in one city and a hotel room in the next, and can send a message between sessions when a hard night needs somewhere to land. 

Cost is another common barrier, since traditional therapy can run well beyond what an emerging artist earns. Our subscription pricing at BetterHelp generally falls between $70 and $100 per week, and the Fresh Finds Forward offer removes that cost entirely for participants. 

Subscription pricing is based on factors such as your location, referral source, preferences, therapist availability and any applicable discounts or promotions that might apply.

The care behind the commitment 

We know that accessibility only matters if the care truly helps. Research comparing video-based and in-person therapy has found the two roughly comparable for reducing symptoms of depression, which reassures us that meeting a therapist through a screen does not mean settling for less. Artists who have never tried counseling may feel a real hesitation, and we hope that finding helps ease it. 

We are proud of what the BetterHelp community has built together. Our 2024 platform outcomes reflect a service that has reached more than five million people across over 100 countries through a network of more than 30,000 licensed therapists. 

Reported results show that 72 percent of clients experienced a reduction in symptoms within their first 12 weeks, and 40 percent of new members that year were trying therapy for the first time in their lives. 

Live sessions earned an average rating of 4.9 out of 5, and 82 percent of clients said they would recommend their therapist. That first-time figure means a great deal to us, because so many musicians have never had a manageable path into care. 

Meeting artists where they are 

Normalizing help is often the hardest part, and we think Spotify has modeled it beautifully. When a program with this visibility includes therapy and other mental health resources alongside studio time, tools, and community, it tells a rising artist that reaching out is a strength rather than a shortcoming. 

That message can matter as much as the service itself, especially for younger musicians who report the highest levels of strain and the greatest hesitation to ask. 

We also want to be honest about where our support fits. Online therapy is not the right choice for every situation, and anyone facing a mental health emergency or needing urgent, in-person care is better served by local crisis services and immediate help.

The everyday pressures of building a music career are a different matter, and steady, reachable care can make a real difference. Everyone at BetterHelp is glad to stand with Spotify and the artists of Fresh Finds Forward as they turn early promise into something that lasts.