Spotify Celebrates Women in Music: A Global Spotlight on Talent and Achievement
Spotify is dedicated to amplifying and celebrating the incredible contributions of all artists and creators worldwide. As part of that commitment, on March 6 we teamed up with Billboard to host the first-ever Women in Music Executive Honoree Reception, an intimate gathering in Los Angeles.
The evening served as a pre-celebration for the magazine’s annual Women in Music event on March 29, which recognizes top artists, creators, producers, and executives for their contributions to the industry.
Guests had a chance to network with some of this year’s Women in Music honorees and more female trailblazers. Spotify leaders—including Chief Public Affairs Officer Dustee Jenkins, Global Head of Editorial, Music Sulinna Ong, and Global Head of Music Go-to-Market Madeleine Bennett—shared their perspectives. EQUAL artist and DJ Empress Of provided the soundtrack for the night.
“It’s so exciting to partner with Billboard. This is the first time we’ve done this for the Women in Music event, so really thrilled to be here,” said Dustee. “I also want to note that for some time, Spotify has been funding a study with the USC Annenberg team to look at the data of women in the industry, because it’s very hard to change something if you don’t track it.”
“When you look at the data, you see progress and there are certainly some bright spots, but it shows us we still have a lot of work to do,” she continued. “And at the end of the day, it’s going to take us supporting each other. It’s going to take us fighting for each other. It’s going to take us cheering for each other in rooms that we’re not even in before we see the kind of progress that we’re looking for.”
EQUAL: Global reach, global impact
The event aligned with International Women’s Day on March 8. Spotify’s EQUAL Global Music Program, introduced in 2021, is at the forefront of our efforts to raise women’s voices in the music industry.
“This year, we’re expanding support to more EQUAL ambassadors through editorial, marketing, and partnerships, while doubling events worldwide—from educational sessions to songwriting camps, networking, and concerts,” said Bel Aztiria, Lead, Global Music Programs at Spotify. “It’s exciting to see this program not only unite women globally, but also reinforce local culture and networks. The past year has been incredible—women raising their voices, leaving a lasting mark in music, and breaking records. We believe in the power of music to shift culture, and EQUAL is committed to being a space for that.”
EQUAL by the numbers
Since launch, EQUAL has supported more than 1,200 ambassadors, and EQUAL artists have received 1.5 billion editorial streams within their first month of joining the program.
In total, our EQUAL hub has generated more than 12 million editorial streams across 330,000 listening hours. The hub contains our flagship EQUAL global playlist (featuring tracks from our ambassadors and women artists worldwide), as well as local playlists cocurated by ambassadors, a podcast shelf, an audiobook shelf (available in select markets), and more.
In 2024 alone, more than 30 million artist discoveries were made through EQUAL playlists. Here are a few more program highlights:
Artists who experienced the biggest boost in listeners in 2024 after EQUAL inclusion
- Paola & Chiara (Italy)
- GONEISBACK (South Korea)
- Baaba J (Ghana)
- 安溥 (Taiwan)
- So!YoON! (South Korea)
- Oumaima Taleb (Tunisia)
- Perrie (Egypt)
- Diana Burco (Colombia)
- Laura Weng (Slovakia)
- Julieta Laso (Argentina)
Most-streamed EQUAL global ambassadors (all-time) in 2024
In addition to on-platform support, EQUAL continues to amplify its mission in communities around the world.
EQUAL Day returns to Mexico
On March 14, Mexico’s EQUAL Day will return for its third consecutive year, bringing more than 1,000 women together in Mexico City—including artists, creators, partners, influencers, and for the first time, fans. From live performances to panels and workshops, the event will serve as the ultimate destination for women in audio to connect, learn, network, and collaborate.
Colombia’s empowerment anthem
Spotify is also proud to support women in music through our longest-running original recorded music franchise, Spotify Singles. In Colombia, this support shines through in “Rayo,” the first Colombian Spotify Single created entirely by women.
The track features Ana Sanz, a pop-rock singer-songwriter from Bogotá, Lil Keren, a Cali-based rapper, and Maria McCausland, a genre-bending singer-songwriter from Barranquilla. The trio was selected to create this Spotify Single with renowned music producer Natalia Bautista after participating in EQUAL’s 2024 Empowerment Day at Casa Spotify Bogotá.
The three emerging artists are also our EQUAL global ambassadors this March, in addition to Cazzu, a singer and rapper from Argentina.
“A career milestone I’m proud of is being able to live from music and achieve international recognition, despite coming from a place where such opportunities are limited—it is my greatest accomplishment,” said Cazzu. “It’s the legacy I want to leave for women from similar backgrounds.”
Ana Sanz, Lil Keren, and Maria McCausland
Cazzu
Women artists are earning from their art worldwide
Canada, South Korea, Sweden, and Argentina are among the top markets globally when it comes to the proportion of women among the top-earning artists. In Canada, for example, more than 40% of artists generating more than $1 million (US) on Spotify are either women artists or women performing in bands with men and women. And globally, 18% of all artists generating at least $1 million in 2024 on Spotify were women, an increase from 14% in 2017.
Check out Spotify’s EQUAL global playlist.
