What turns a free trial user into a paying customer?
For Ola Sars, founder and CEO of Soundtrack, the answer is all about behavior. In this episode, we break down how his team uses product-led growth (PLG) and product-qualified leads (PQLs) to drive conversions.
You'll hear how playing 100 tracks became a key signal for purchase intent, the tactics Soundtrack deploys to help self-serve customers experience value fast, and what it takes to scale a SaaS business in a market ruled by consumer giants.
If you're building a PLG motion or trying to convert lookie-loos into cash customers, listen in.
RUNTIME 45:20 EPISODE BREAKDOWN(3:11) “ It's 20 years now I've been trying to make a living here in the intersection of audio, music and technology.”
(5:22) How Ola became a member of Beats’ founding team.
(9:37) Why he returned to Stockholm to build Soundtrack instead of remaining stateside.
(13:38) When Ola started to learn about product-led growth.
(15:38) “ It's a $40-50 billion market on an annual basis. And we're kind of the only company going after that market right now.”
(18:54) “ We had this approach that everything had to be done self-serve.”
(20:33) Creating a framework to ID and leverage product-qualfied leads (PQLs).
(26:06) What role will AI play in music distribution and production?
(28:23) The gaps Ola sees in today’s music technology marketplace.
(32:04) Why AI-generated music “ doesn't make any sense.”
(35:03) Ola reflects on several cultural shifts that have made it “much easier now” to build in Europe.
(38:12) Stockholm’s entrepreneurs are “kind of hybrid Americans in a way how we think about business.”
(42:08) The biggest myth Americans believe about starting up in Europe.
(44:09) If you were interviewing for a job with an early-stage startup, what’s one question you’d have to ask the CEO before you could accept an offer?
LINKS- Ola Sars
- Soundtrack
- B2B music streaming service Soundtrack Your Brand raises $15 million, Tech.eu
- What is “lagom?”, Study in Sweden
- The English term "mid" matches the Swedish term "bland, mellan,” tok-pisin.com
📥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7249143254363856897/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fundbuildscale/
Thanks for listening!
– Walter.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com