Tag: artists

Glastonbury 2025 Is Calling: Discover Your Next Favorite Artist With Our Personalized Experience

June 20, 2025

In just a few days, the pilgrimage to Worthy Farm begins. Glastonbury, the legendary green-field gathering of music lovers, is nearly upon us. Get ready for a weekend packed with epic performances, unforgettable moments, and—if you’ve prayed to the weather gods—no mud.

This year Spotify is back for a second time, bringing the power of personalization and discovery to your Glastonbury 2025 festivities. After a successful partnership last year, we’re leveling up the fun with even more ways to connect with the music and artists you love.

Discover the performers that vibe with your taste

With our personalized in-app experience on mobile, you can see exactly how well your music taste aligns with the Glastonbury lineup, find out which artists you’ve been listening to the most, and discover new favorites you’re bound to love with a playlist crafted just for you.

 

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And for those who’ll be on the ground in Glastonbury, we’re once again teaming up with Vodafone on the Official Glastonbury App. Just link your Spotify account within the app and we’ll whip up a curated lineup of recommendations based on your listening habits, highlighting artists you already love and introducing you to potential new obsessions. It’s like having your own personal music guru guiding you through the festival.

Dive into our revamped Glastonbury hub and official playlist

The Glastonbury 2025 hub on Spotify is your one-stop shop for all things Glastonbury. Browse individual stage lineups, discover hidden gems, and explore a handpicked selection of Glastonbury-related podcasts and audiobooks. It’s the perfect way to get hyped for the festival and keep the vibes going long after the last note has faded.

Your official personalized Glastonbury 2025 playlist, found in the Glastonbury hub, takes cues from your listening habits to offer a musical experience catered to you. 

“We’re delighted to once again partner with Glastonbury to bring Spotify’s hugely popular personalization and discovery tools to support the world’s greatest celebration of music,” said Marc Hazan, Vice President Global Marketing and Partnerships for Spotify. “We hope the sharecards, the Glastonbury hub on Spotify, and the personalized lineups via the app will help fans feel an even deeper connection to the artists they love before, during, and after their time at Worthy Farm.”

For the Record caught up with Spotify Senior Music Editor Shannon Carragher to get the inside scoop on the Glastonbury 2025 playlist, the in-app experience, and the performances she’s most excited for. 

What makes the perfect Glastonbury playlist?

Variety, familiarity, and curiosity. That’s what we set out to capture in the official Glastonbury 2025 playlist. The festival is packed with everything from underground DJs spinning at Stonebridge Bar and Shangri La, to brand-new artists playing smaller stages, to massive headline acts, so we wanted the playlist to reflect that same range.

The official Glastonbury 2025 playlist is also tailored to you. The sequencing of the songs selected by our editors are shaped around your listening habits, so the artists you already love will shine through, while also introducing you to others playing the festival who might just become new favorites.

How does the in-app integration with Spotify enhance the fan experience at the festival?

It’s all about making the experience better for fans. In the Glastonbury app, you can connect your Spotify account to get personalized lineup recommendations based on your listening habits. You’ll see your top 10 artists from the lineup, along with a broader selection when you tap Discover More, helping you uncover acts you’re likely to love.

Once you’ve found someone that interests you, you can head to their artist page in the app to check out their most popular tracks, with a direct link to listen on Spotify. It’s a seamless way to explore the lineup, discover new favorites, and get even more excited for the festival.

Who are you most excited to see perform at Glastonbury this year?

 

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If I had to pick a few, CMAT’s debut on the Pyramid Stage is right up there. It’s going to be a career-defining moment and, honestly, so much fun to watch. Then there’s Sunday: Turnstile into Wolf Alice into The Maccabees. That’s the dream. An explosive set of Baltimore hardcore finally hitting Worthy Farm, followed by a transcendent and ethereal performance from North London’s finest, and then the reunion I’ve been waiting almost a decade for from South London legends. I’ll probably be sobbing through all of it.

For all things Glastonbury 2025, check out this year’s hub and your very own personalized playlist.

RADAR Italia Celebrates 5 Years of Success With a New Class of Rising Stars

June 18, 2025

Since popping up in 2020, RADAR Italia has not only supported emerging artists but also reflected the cultural and musical richness of Italy. Over the past five years, it has spotlighted more than 40 rising talents, helping them grow and often gain international recognition. In turn, these diverse voices have made Italy’s music scene more inclusive, representative, and attuned to a new generation of fans with their unique sounds.

“This anniversary is a chance to celebrate the achievements of the many artists who have been part of the program. For five years, RADAR Italia has been a reference point for emerging talent, offering not just visibility but also concrete tools to grow and carve out a space in music,” said Melanie Parejo, Head of Music for South and Eastern Europe at Spotify. “But our commitment goes beyond selection: We support them at every stage of their journey, helping build authentic connections with audiences and explore new creative opportunities. RADAR is a bridge between artists and the millions of listeners looking for new voices and stories to discover.”

RADAR Italia has served as a launchpad for many artists, with the likes of BLANCO, Mara Sattei, Tony Boy, ARIETE, and Rhove representing some of the most influential voices in Italian music today.

On average, our featured RADAR Italia artists experience over a 100% increase in streams and an almost 200% increase in listeners within a year of joining the program. That includes BigMama, who went from 11,000 monthly listeners before joining RADAR Italia in 2021 to over 800,000 listeners by the time she took the stage at Sanremo in 2024. 

“Being part of Spotify RADAR was a milestone in my career, and I hope it will be the same for the young artists selected this year,” said BigMama. “Most importantly, the collaboration with Spotify doesn’t end when the program does—it continues over time, because when you become part of RADAR, you’re part of a family forever.”

Celebrating five years with RADAR Italia’s Class of 2025

To mark the fifth anniversary of RADAR Italia, Casa Spotify hosted a special event to both reflect on the program’s achievements and present the artists featured in the 2025 edition: Marte, Carla Hero, Emma Nolde, Glocky, Sayf, and camoufly.

Spotify’s Heart & Soul Initiative Brings Mental Health Support to Artists and Creators Worldwide

June 12, 2025

In 2018, Spotify launched Heart & Soul, a mental health initiative developed to provide support and promote deep knowledge about emotional well-being.

As conversations around mental health take center stage in the music industry, Spotify is deepening its commitment to artist well-being through our Heart & Soul, Mental Health for Creators initiative. In partnership with leading nonprofits, this global effort aims to provide meaningful support, challenge cultural norms, and ensure that artists, songwriters, and their teams can access the help they need—when they need it.

“Heart & Soul is our commitment to the creators behind the music. Artists and songwriters face immense pressure, and their mental health can’t be an afterthought,” said Lauren Siegal Wurgaft, Head of Social Impact, Spotify. “Supporting creators’ well-being is essential to sustaining a vibrant music ecosystem. By working closely with trusted partners like Backline, we’re not just offering resources, we’re helping drive lasting change in how the industry approaches mental health.”

Here’s how we’re putting that promise into action:

Financial Support

Spotify is providing direct financial support to help expand the impact of the following organizations: Backline (including Chappell Roan’s WE GOT YOU! fund), MusiCares, Music Health Alliance, Music Minds Matter, and Noah Kahan’s The Busyhead Project.

Expanding Access to Care

Together with Backline and Music Minds Matter, Spotify is funding grants to enable one-to-one therapy for current and upcoming EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR ambassadors in the U.S. and U.K. Artist ambassadors from these programs will be given grants through partners that directly cover the cost of therapy that they can use themselves or gift to other artists in their bands or members of their teams.

Backline x Spotify: Supporting Artists Worldwide

We’re making mental health care easier to find and faster to access for creators. Spotify is proud to partner with Backline on the launch of their new global resource hub, an international, multilingual database featuring trusted music industry and mental health support resources and crisis lines from around the world. 

“Backline is honored to serve as a steward of Spotify’s investment into the creative community,” said Hilary Gleason, Cofounder and Executive Director, Backline. “Bringing our work to scale is a meaningful way to uplift the well-being of artists all around the world. This collaboration is taking these invaluable mental health and wellness resources beyond borders. Music knows no bounds, and now people who make music happen have access to care and a compassionate community. Our work together will help ensure that artists have the resources, support, and stability they need to thrive both personally and professionally.” 

To provide more personalized pathways to care, Backline has also launched global@backline.care, a dedicated concierge email service that provides one-on-one support to help individuals navigate local care options and mental health systems in their countries.

Bringing Wellness on the Road

We’re partnering with Backline and The Busyhead Project to meet artists where they are—in studios and backstage at major festivals like All Things Go NYC—through on-site wellness activations, self-care kits, and guided workshops designed to bring calm to the chaos.

Delivering Everyday Tools for Mental Health 

Through our new Heart & Soul, Mental Health for Creators hub on Spotify, creators can access curated playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks specifically designed to support their well-being.

Spotlighting Stories That Support Creators

Across Spotify for Artists and Spotify Songwriting, we’ll spotlight real mental health stories from the creative community and offer resources, reflections, and tools that resonate.

Holding Space for Songwriters

We’re creating spaces for connection and conversation around mental health in songwriting—through intimate dinners and studio residencies that bring songwriters together around mental health themes.

“The mental health challenges artists face are real and the current support systems often fall short,” said Monica Herrera Damashek, Head of Artist and Label Partnerships, Spotify. “It’s on all of us in the industry to respond with action. Spotify is expanding its Heart & Soul for Creators initiative by helping Backline scale its Mental Health & Wellness Global Resource hub internationally for the first time and by offering one-to-one therapy access to EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR ambassadors in the U.S. and U.K. This is only one step, and we’ll continue to build a more supported environment for the artists who shape culture every day.”

Spotify’s Heart & Soul initiative represents a significant step forward in our enduring commitment to artists and creators. By providing direct financial support, expanding access to vital care, and integrating wellness into the everyday lives of musicians, we aim to foster an industry where mental health is prioritized, understood, and supported. This is an ongoing journey, and we are committed to working collaboratively to create a more sustainable and compassionate ecosystem for the individuals who bring the world’s music to life.

ENHYPEN and Spotify Unleash ‘DESIRE’ With Immersive Pop-up Experiences in Seoul, Tokyo, and Jakarta

June 11, 2025

Spotify and ENHYPEN are inviting fans to step inside the world of DESIRE : UNLEASH with MAISON ENHYPEN—a multisensory pop-up experience celebrating the K-Pop group’s sixth mini album. From Seoul to Tokyo and soon Jakarta, ENGENEs can envelop themselves in the album’s core themes: passion, romance, and transformation.

Within MAISON ENHYPEN, fans will find thoughtfully designed interactive zones inspired by tracks from DESIRE : UNLEASH, offering a chance to experience the energy and emotion of the music firsthand.

The pop-up also features displays of ENHYPEN’s festival performance outfits and props, hidden Easter eggs revealing glimpses of each member’s personal Spotify playlists, and exclusive merchandise—including postcards with handwritten messages from the members.

Members JUNGWON, HEESEUNG, JAY, JAKE, SUNGHOON, SUNOO, and NI-KI recently stopped by the Seoul pop-up to experience MAISON ENHYPEN for themselves and host a special press conference. During the event, the group shared insights into their new mini album and how they’re bringing fans into their creative world through the MAISON ENHYPEN experience.

“Our lead single ‘Bad Desire (With or Without You)’ expresses an overpowering desire to turn you into a vampire,” explained SUNOO. “It’s a pop song with a sleek, chic mood. One of the key lines is, ‘A heaven without you must be like hell, but hell where I embrace you must be like heaven.’ Beyond the paradoxical lyrics, the song also reflects our own emotions, our desire to stay connected with ENGENEs.”

Added member HEESEUNG: “We’ve been collaborating with Spotify on a variety of projects. So it’s such an honor and joy to be working with Spotify again for MAISON ENHYPEN in celebration of the release of DESIRE : UNLEASH. I hope many ENGENES enjoy the event!”

Spotify Ushers in a New Era of Moroccan Pop With 6 Artists Influencing the Scene

June 10, 2025

A new generation of artists is redefining Morocco’s pop music scene, blending their deep-rooted heritage with contemporary influences to create sounds that are both authentic and globally relevant. These are the voices of POPSTARS*, a fresh and energetic rebrand of Spotify’s Top Maghreb Pop playlist, designed to amplify Moroccan pop around the world.

This new campaign features exclusive interviews with six artists who are shaping Moroccan pop in strikingly different ways: Manal, Zouhair Bahaoui, Nouaman Belaiachi, DYSTINCT, Douaa Lahyaoui, and RYM. Hit play on the video below to hear from these rising stars:

“It was really important for us to connect with the pop audience and create a space where listeners from all over the world can experience the best of Moroccan pop,” said Mehdi Zim, Spotify’s Senior Editor for the Maghreb. “Our goal is to support today’s Moroccan pop artists and make sure the playlist keeps evolving—telling the story of a genre that’s growing, changing, and going global.”

Manal is known for her hyper-stylized visuals and feminist edge, weaving traditional motifs into futuristic soundscapes, while Zouhair Bahaoui and Nouaman Belaiachi each ground their sound in unmistakably Moroccan local textures. DYSTINCT, who grew up in Belgium, is making music in Darija (Moroccan Arabic), aiming to position Moroccan pop on the global stage alongside Afrobeats and Latin pop. Douaa Lahyaoui and RYM, meanwhile, are carving out new narratives—penning vulnerable lyrics, fusing genres, and giving voice to a new kind of Moroccan pop star.

GLOW With Pride: Amplifying LGBTQIA+ Voices on Spotify

June 6, 2025

Spotify is dedicated to lifting up the voices and contributions of all artists, creators, and authors. This Pride Month and beyond, we’re also taking a moment to showcase the continued growth and impact of GLOW, our global music platform that amplifies LGBTQIA+ creators and celebrates their contributions to music and culture year-round.

GLOW’s ongoing global impact

Available in more than 50 countries, the GLOW hub is a key destination for fans looking to discover and celebrate LGBTQIA+ sounds.

Since launching in January 2023, the program has also supported more than 100 GLOW ambassadors with marketing, editorial, and partnership opportunities in their home countries and beyond. These artists have been featured across our GLOW playlists, appeared in GLOW billboard ads in cities like New York, London, and Bangkok, and shared their stories across our global and local social channels. Additionally, GLOW playlists have racked up more than 371 million streams and enabled more than 86 million discoveries.

LGBTQIA+ artists who GLOW

Our GLOW hub serves as a dedicated space to highlight offerings from LGBTQIA+ voices, with curated selections and monthly campaigns supporting spotlight artists. We’ve collaborated with artists at various stages in their careers, from Trixie Mattel (U.S.) to LUDMILLA (Brazil) and MOONGA K. (South Africa) to Jean Seizure (Singapore).

We’ve refreshed our flagship GLOW playlist with tracks from LGBTQIA+ artists, and this June, we’re highlighting six exceptional GLOW spotlight artists from around the world: Esteman (Colombia), RUSLANA (Spain), Hakushi Hasegawa (Japan), ALIE BLACKCOBRA (Thailand), Craig Lucas (South Africa), and Sophie and the Giants (U.K.), representing a range of genres and perspectives and showcasing the breadth of talent within the community.

How Spotify Continues To Supercharge Brazil’s Music Industry

May 28, 2025

Brazil’s music industry is in the midst of a historic transformation—and Spotify continues to help illuminate the path. Our most recent Loud & Clear report, which offers a transparent and data-rich snapshot of the streaming economy’s powerful role in fueling the music industry’s record-breaking growth, shows that Spotify paid out over $10 billion to the music industry—more than any single company ever has in one year—while contributing to a global subscriber base that now exceeds 500 million. 

But how does that translate to Brazil, where Spotify has been streaming since 2014?

In 2024 alone, Brazilian artists generated over BRL 1.6 billion in royalties from Spotify—an incredible 31% jump from the previous year, and more than double their 2021 earnings. This growth outpaces the entire Brazilian music market, the ninth largest in the world, showing how Spotify is fueling real momentum for local creators. Even more impressive: Over 60% of the royalties generated in Brazil stayed local, and Brazilian rights-holders also made up 84% of the country’s Daily Top 50 tracks.

“Royalties generated on Spotify for Brazilian artists are rising faster than Brazil’s music market as a whole. Our Loud & Clear report lays those gains out in black and white, while Spotify for Artists lets every creator see their own performance in real time. Together, that transparency gives musicians the confidence to turn momentum into the next single, a bigger tour, or an ambitious new project,” says Carolina Alzuguir, Head of Music at Spotify Brazil.

Impact that reaches far beyond hits and charts

The success of Brazilian music and artists comes, in part, from strong, consistent engagement with fans—proving that long-term growth beats fleeting virality. Spotify’s freemium model, with its ad-supported and Premium tiers, has helped convert casual listeners into lifelong fans in a country where piracy once dominated. 

The results speak for themselves: More than 25 million hours of Brazilian music are streamed within the country and across the globe every day, and over 815 million user playlists feature Brazilian artists. Music in Portuguese is booming too, with royalties from these tracks growing 20% year over year, and more than doubling since 2021.

Partners in progress 

Tools like Spotify for Artists and Loud & Clear equip creators with the insights they need to succeed. Brazilian music is now more global, diverse, and influential than ever. For example, female Brazilian artists—like MC STER, Anitta, and Bibi Babydoll—are making historic gains, with their international streams rising 51% in 2024 alone. Meanwhile, nearly 11.8 billion first-time discoveries of Brazilian artists took place this year, a year-over-year increase of 19%, connecting these artists with fans around the world—from Mexico and the U.S. to Germany and Spain.

By closing historical gaps and amplifying underrepresented voices, Spotify is building a more inclusive and equitable global music economy—where any artist, anywhere, can thrive on their own terms.

“Before the paycheck, there’s discovery. Last year, Brazilian songs sparked billions of first-time listens and showed up in hundreds of millions of playlists on Spotify. Artists watch that rise live in Spotify for Artists, greet new listeners right away, and turn first plays into loyal fans. That feedback loop transforms curiosity into community, and community is what powers a career,” said Carolina.

Want to dive deeper into how Spotify is reshaping Brazil’s music industry? Explore more stories, stats, and artist milestones on our Brasil 10Anos feature, which celebrates our tenth anniversary in the country.

Como o Spotify continua impulsionando a indústria musical brasileira

May 28, 2025

A indústria musical do Brasil está passando por uma transformação histórica — e o Spotify segue iluminando esse caminho. A versão mais recente do relatório Loud & Clear, oferece um panorama transparente e rico em dados sobre o papel fundamental do streaming no crescimento recorde da indústria da música, e mostra que o Spotify pagou mais de $10 bilhões à indústria musical global — mais do que qualquer outra empresa em um único ano —, ao mesmo tempo em que contribuiu para uma base de usuários global que já ultrapassa os 500 milhões. 

Mas como isso se aplica ao Brasil, onde o Spotify está presente desde 2014?

Só em 2024, artistas brasileiros geraram mais de R$1.6 bilhão em royalties por meio do Spotify — um aumento impressionante de 31% em relação ao ano anterior, e mais que o dobro do que foi registrado em 2021. Esse avanço supera o crescimento do próprio mercado fonográfico brasileiro, hoje o nono maior do mundo em receita, e comprova que o Spotify está gerando um impacto real para os artistas locais. Mais impressionante ainda: mais de 60% dos royalties gerados no país permaneceram aqui, e artistas brasileiros ocuparam 84% do Top 50 diário do Spotify Brasil.

“Os royalties gerados no Spotify por artistas brasileiros estão crescendo mais rápido do que o mercado musical brasileiro. Nosso relatório Loud & Clear apresenta esses ganhos de forma clara e direta, enquanto o Spotify for Artists permite que cada criador acompanhe seu próprio desempenho em tempo real. Essa transparência dá aos músicos a confiança para transformar esse impulso no próximo single, em uma turnê maior ou em um novo projeto ambicioso”, afirma Carolina Alzuguir, Head de Música do Spotify Brasil.

Impacto que vai além dos charts

O sucesso da música e dos artistas brasileiros vem, em grande parte, do engajamento contínuo com os fãs — mostrando que sustentar uma conexão é mais valioso do que viralizações passageiras. O modelo freemium do Spotify, com planos com e sem anúncios, ajudou a converter ouvintes casuais em fãs fiéis em um país que já foi dominado pela pirataria.

Os resultados falam por si: são mais de 25 milhões de horas de música brasileira ouvidas por dia, dentro e fora do país, e mais de 815 milhões de playlists de usuários com faixas de artistas do Brasil. A música em português também está em alta, com royalties dessas faixas crescendo 20% ano a ano — e mais do que dobrando desde 2021.

Parceria para o progresso

Ferramentas como o Spotify for Artists e o próprio Loud & Clear ajudam os criadores com os insights de que precisam para avançar. Hoje, a música brasileira está mais global, diversa e influente do que nunca. Artistas brasileiras como MC STER, Anitta e Bibi Babydoll, por exemplo, estão batendo recordes, com aumento de 51% nos streams internacionais só em 2024. E mais: quase 11,8 bilhões de descobertas de artistas brasileiros aconteceram este ano — um crescimento de 19% em relação a 2023 — conectando esses talentos a ouvintes em lugares como México, EUA, Alemanha e Espanha.

Ao reduzir lacunas históricas e amplificar vozes sub-representadas, o Spotify está ajudando a construir uma economia musical mais inclusiva e justa — onde qualquer artista, em qualquer lugar, pode crescer com autonomia.

“Antes do pagamento, vem a descoberta. No ano passado, músicas brasileiras geraram bilhões de primeiras reproduções e apareceram em centenas de milhões de playlists no Spotify. Os artistas acompanham esse crescimento em tempo real pelo Spotify for Artists, dão boas-vindas aos novos ouvintes imediatamente e transformam a primeira escuta em fãs fieis. Esse ciclo de retorno transforma curiosidade em comunidade — e é a comunidade que impulsiona uma carreira”, conclui Carolina.

Quer explorar mais sobre como o Spotify está transformando a música no Brasil? Acesse nosso especial Brasil 10 Anos, que celebra uma década de Spotify no país, e confira histórias, dados e marcos de artistas

Songs of Summer 2025: Spotify’s Global Editors Predicts the Anthems That Will Soundtrack the Season

May 20, 2025

It’s officially summer on Spotify and, once again, our team of best-in-class global music editors is revealing Spotify’s Songs of Summer 2025 predictions for the Northern Hemisphere. 

With a proven track record of predicting the summer’s biggest songs, Spotify’s editorial team blends cultural expertise, editorial instinct, and streaming data to curate our annual Songs of Summer list—cementing Spotify as the ultimate destination for summer listening.

This summer’s hottest tracks capture many musical movements across regions and styles, and the 30 initial picks from our editors represent a little bit of everything. 

2025 GLOBAL SONGS OF SUMMER PREDICTIONS

Listed alphabetically by artist first name 

The biggest trends shaping this year’s Songs of Summer

As these hits promise to heat up the summer, our editors are seeing a number of trends unfold, including:

Our editors will be watching (and listening) all summer long as new music drops, unexpected hits take off, and the listening landscape evolves—so, be on the lookout for updates to our list here and across Spotify News social channels.  

Listen to all our editors’ picks in the 2025 Songs of Summer playlist:

On Our $10 Billion Milestone and a Decade of Getting the World to Value Music

January 28, 2025

In 2014, the music industry reached a low point when global recorded music revenues hit $13 billion. Spotify’s annual contribution at the time was around $1 billion, with around 15 million paying subscribers. 

In 2024, Spotify alone paid out a record $10 billion to the music industry—totaling nearly $60 billion since our founding. 

For a lot of people, those numbers might go in one ear and out the other. And they’d perhaps ask why Spotify keeps shouting about it.

It’s because the system we’ve built together is working, and where we are now is only the beginning. Today, there are more than 500 million paying listeners across all music streaming services. A world with 1 billion paying listeners is a realistic goal we should collectively set.

Growing the Pie

There’s a vibrant marketplace of streaming services for different types of consumers, each doing its part to normalize the behavior of paying for music streaming. It’s been a collective effort. But there are a few things specific to Spotify that make it not only the most popular subscription streaming service but also the highest paying. 

  1. Retention is priority number one, and retention is driven by personalization, curation, and product innovation. Fans like the recommendations, the expert editorial curation, and surprise-and-delight moments like AI DJ, daylist, and Wrapped, as well as the access to non-music content. They keep coming back, discovering more new artists, and retaining their subscriptions.
  2. We offer an ad-supported free tier, while some services don’t. Beyond the ad dollars this generates, more than 60% of Premium subscribers were once free tier users. Bringing in users who don’t expect to pay for music, and deepening their engagement, means they’re more inclined to become subscribers in the future.
  3. We’re available in more markets and at local price points, meeting people where they are. A decade ago, there was a widely held view that you couldn’t monetize certain markets. But the journey of getting the world to pay for music means making long-term investments. Today, we’re seeing tremendous growth across markets like India, Brazil, Mexico, and Nigeria. These are places where our investments are paying off.

That’s our blueprint and it’s working. 

Growing Careers Beyond the Superstars

I recently read a data point from economist Will Page that said more music is released in a single day than there was in the entirety of 1989. In the pre-streaming era, you were either in the club or not. If you didn’t have a label deal or the means to distribute your music worldwide, you weren’t one of the few thousand artists on shelves at a record store or one of the 40 in rotation on a radio station. 

Now, you can record something today and have it on Spotify tomorrow. Everyone’s invited. Even better, payments to the music industry have shifted from a concentrated few at the top to an increasingly diverse and growing ecosystem of artists finding success. 

Case in point, we estimate that, in 2014, around 10,000 artists generated at least $10,000 per year on Spotify. Today, well over 10,000 artists generate over $100,000 per year from Spotify alone. That’s a beautiful thing.

Think about this: Last year’s IFPI report indicated that Spotify contributes roughly a third of global recorded streaming revenue. But a recent comprehensive study of independent labels and distributors from MIDiA Research showed that Spotify represents more than half of indies’ streaming revenue. What this indicates is that Spotify’s model is uniquely enabling more room for more artists to find success and ultimately sustain a career in music, demonstrating real change across the music business.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Without a doubt, this has been a decade of unparalleled transformation. The global value of music copyright today sits at $45.5 billion. A decade on from its low point, how many other industries have experienced this kind of revival? 

Our goal is to help artists get their work in front of existing and future fans, continue to innovate on their behalf, and deliver it in a way that inspires people to pay for it. Onboarding people to paid streaming is precisely what has increased our payouts—tenfold—over the past decade. 

Reaching 1 billion paid subscribers across all streaming services will be a collaborative effort, requiring innovation, strategic partnerships, and a continued focus on delivering exceptional value to music fans worldwide. It’s a goal we’re confident we can achieve together.

– David Kaefer,

VP, Music Business, Spotify

Take Your Spotify Playlists to the Next Level With Custom Cover Art

October 22, 2024

At Spotify, we know our users like to flex their creativity. We’ve seen this come to life across the more than 8 billion playlists listeners have created to soundtrack their musical moods, milestones, and every moment in between. Now we’re giving music fans the power to design and customize their own playlist cover art so their playlists can always look as good as they sound.

Rolling out in beta on the Spotify mobile app today, the new feature offers both Free and Premium users the ability to create their own cover art with unique images, colors and text effects, graphic elements, and more, allowing them to make their music playlists more unique and personalized than ever before.

Creating cover art on Spotify

All you need is a mobile device to access and use this feature. Whether you’re on iOS or Android, head to the Spotify mobile app (make sure it’s up to date) and select a playlist that you personally created or create a new one.

  • Tap the three-dot menu on the playlist page and then select “Create cover art” within the menu options.
  • From there, you can upload an original photo of your own and add or update a variety of elements, including:
  • Once complete, your playlist will be updated with your new cover art, and you can share your creation directly with friends or on social media platforms.

Pro tip: You can only save one custom cover art per playlist at a time, and each new cover you create will override the previous one for that specific playlist. If you’d like to create multiple covers for a playlist, make a copy of the playlist first. The easiest way to do that is to open the playlist you wish to copy, tap the three-dot menu, select “Add to other playlist,” and then tap “New playlist” to create your copy.

With the feature currently available in beta to users in English in 65 markets, we’re excited for fans to personalize their music playlists like never before. We’ll keep innovating and expanding the tool, so stay tuned for what’s to come.

Get inspired by the experts

As part of the launch, we’ve partnered with music artists, visual creators, and artists behind some of the world’s most iconic album art to empower listeners to unlock a new level of creativity and individuality. Each used the new feature to create unique cover art for one of their playlists on Spotify.

Music artists include Clairo, Jamie xx, and Arlo Parks. On the visual creator front, we’ve tapped Pablo Rochat, Jesse Nyberg, Vita Kari, and Elliot Ulm. Finally, our album artwork experts include creative director Imogene Strauss; Adrian Hernandez, the creator of Ugly Primo and designer of Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny; and Cey Adams, who has designed albums and logos for The Notorious B.I.G., Beastie Boys, and JAY-Z.

Four Must-Use Spotify Features That Bring You Closer to Your Favorite Artists

September 12, 2024

We know that when fans fall in love with an artist, they can’t get enough. So when you want to connect with your favorites on a deeper level, Spotify is your go-to destination. Fans and artists interact in many different ways, especially when they’re crossing languages, borders, and cultures. Whether you’re looking to show your support IRL or hear directly from your favorite artists, here are some ways you can strengthen your relationships with the artists you love on Spotify: Listening Parties, Countdown Pages, the Live Events feed, and Clips from your artists. 

Listening Parties

Listening Parties are the live audio experience where you’ll join your favorite artists and other top fans to celebrate their new music releases. In the party you can hear behind-the-scenes artist stories, chat in real time with other fans, and listen to the music you love with the artist who made it.

This year, we’ve hosted listening parties with artists including Peso Pluma, Bleachers, Gracie Abrams, and SEVENTEEN, and there are more to come.

Listening Parties are available to Premium subscribers in the U.S., ID, MX, and CA.

Countdown Pages

Countdown Pages are the place to be when you’re eagerly waiting for your favorite artists to release new music. With Countdown Pages, fans can presave an artist’s music, preview the tracklist, watch Clips, and get their hands on must-have merch via the artist profile, Now Playing view, Search, and Home.

After you presave an album, you’ll receive a push notification on release day so that you know it’s been added to Your Library. No more missing new music!

Countdown Pages are available to Free and Premium subscribers in all Spotify markets.

Live Events feed

Our Live Events feed makes concert discovery seamless, tailored, and fun, so you never miss a show when artists you love are in town. Not only can you find concert listings based on your location and top artists, but you can also browse upcoming concerts in other cities and countries—all personalized to your taste.

Live Events Feed is available to Free and Premium subscribers in all Spotify markets.

Clips from artists

Watching Clips from artists you care about is the best way to dive deeper into their worlds. These short vertical videos let you discover unreleased tracks, hear the story behind a new song, view live performances, and so much more. All Clips are tagged to tracks so that you can easily follow, save, and stream music right from the video. You can watch Clips on Home, the Now Playing view, Countdown Pages, release pages, and more, making it easier for you to find them and create an even deeper connection with artists. 

Artists’ Clips are available to Free and Premium subscribers in 78 markets.