Tag: Post Malone

Revealed: The Top Artists, Songs, Albums, Podcasts, and Audiobooks of 2024

December 4, 2024

Spotify Wrapped is all about celebrating the fans, artists, authors, podcasters, and creators who made 2024 the record-breaking, culture-making, fandom-shaking year it was. And this year, we’re celebrating this cultural moment that’s driven by the passion of hundreds of millions of fans around the world.

Wrapped has continued to command a global spotlight as artists, genres, and trends break into new spaces like never before. This includes:

In the world of podcasts, we have seen the growth of incredible fandoms across sports, comedy, and true crime in 2024. In fact, more than half a billion people have listened to a podcast on Spotify since we entered the space in 2019. And with more than 300,000 video podcasts soaring on Spotify in markets where they’re available, we saw fans enjoy the diversified way they consume content more than ever this year.

It’s also been a year since we launched Audiobooks in Premium (now available in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), and we’ve seen both new releases and back-catalog titles from notable authors garner new audiences across every genre on Spotify. To mark this big milestone, we’re thrilled to release our Global Top Audiobooks of the Year list for the first time ever, led by 2024’s buzziest author, Sarah J. Maas, and her A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

But there’s so much more that happened over the course of the year. Keep reading to discover the artists, songs, albums, and podcasts that topped our lists in 2024, and find out how they compare to your personalized Wrapped experience.  

The top global artist of 2024

With more than 26.6 billion streams globally, Taylor Swift is Spotify’s 2024 Global Top Artist. 

To celebrate Taylor’s monumental achievement, fans will see a first-ever special badge on her Spotify artist profile. Swifties from around the globe can be on the lookout for a special surprise to celebrate their fandom soon!

Most-Streamed Artists Globally in 2024

  1. Taylor Swift
  2. The Weeknd
  3. Bad Bunny
  4. Drake
  5. Billie Eilish
  6. Travis Scott
  7. Peso Pluma
  8. Kanye West
  9. Ariana Grande 
  10. Feid 

Most-Streamed Songs Globally

  1. “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter
  2. “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone
  3. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish
  4. “Gata Only” by FloyyMenor, Cris Mj 
  5. “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims 
  6. “End of Beginning” by Djo
  7. “Too Sweet” by Hozier
  8. “One Of The Girls (with JENNIE, Lily Rose Depp)” by The Weeknd 
  9. “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift
  10. “Die With A Smile” by Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga

Most-Streamed Albums Globally

  1. THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY by Taylor Swift 
  2. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish 
  3. Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter 
  4. MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO by Karol G
  5. eternal sunshine by Ariana Grande 
  6. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift
  7. SOS by SZA
  8. Lover by Taylor Swift 
  9. Fireworks & Rollerblades by Benson Boone
  10. Starboy by The Weeknd 

Top Podcasts Globally

  1. The Joe Rogan Experience
  2. Call Her Daddy
  3. Huberman Lab
  4. This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
  5. The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
  6. Serial Killers
  7. Relatos de la Noche
  8. Crime Junkie
  9. Café Com Deus Pai | Podcast oficial
  10. El Podcast de Marian Rojas Estapé

Top Audiobooks in Premium Globally

  1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 
  2. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
  3. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
  4. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 
  5. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover 
  6. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene 
  7. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas 
  8. A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One by George R. R. Martin
  9. Icebreaker: A Novel by Hannah Grace 
  10. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Most-Viral Songs Globally

  1. “Die With A Smile” by Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga
  2. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish
  3. “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone
  4. “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims 
  5. “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan
  6. “Too Sweet” by Hozier
  7. “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” by Ariana Grande
  8. “End of Beginning” by Djo
  9. “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter
  10. “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar

Spotify 2024 Wrapped U.S. Top Lists

U.S. Most-Streamed Artists

  1. Taylor Swift
  2. Drake
  3. Zach Bryan
  4. Morgan Wallen
  5. Kanye West
  6. Future
  7. Kendrick Lamar
  8. Travis Scott
  9. The Weeknd
  10. Metro Boomin

U.S. Most-Streamed Songs

  1. “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter
  2. “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
  3. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey 
  4. “I Had Some Help (feat. Morgan Wallen)” by Post Malone 
  5. “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” by Tommy Richman
  6. “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan
  7. “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone
  8. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish
  9. “I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves)” by Zach Bryan 
  10. “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan

U.S. Most-Streamed Albums

  1. THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY by Taylor Swift 
  2. One Thing At A Time by Morgan Wallen
  3. Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter 
  4. Stick Season by Noah Kahan
  5. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan 
  6. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish 
  7. SOS by SZA
  8. Dangerous: The Double Album by Morgan Wallen
  9. Zach Bryan by Zach Bryan 
  10. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift

U.S. Top Podcasts

  1. The Joe Rogan Experience
  2. Call Her Daddy
  3. This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
  4. Crime Junkie
  5. The Daily
  6. The Tucker Carlson Show
  7. Huberman Lab
  8. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
  9. Smosh Reads Reddit Stories
  10. Shawn Ryan Show

Top Most-Anticipated Podcast Launches in the U.S. 

  1. Mind the Game with LeBron James and JJ Redick
  2. Talk Tuah with Haliey Welch
  3. Drowning Creek
  4. Hysterical
  5. Murder in the Hollywood Hills
  6. Media Pressure
  7. Therapuss with Jake Shane
  8. Basically Unfiltered with Remi, Alisha, Zane and Heath
  9. The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast
  10. Clooless Podcast

U.S. Top Audiobooks in Premium

  1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 
  2. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
  3. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 
  4. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover 
  5. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene 
  6. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
  7. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas 
  8. Icebreaker: A Novel by Hannah Grace 
  9. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
  10. Funny Story by Emily Henry 

Explore your personalized 2024 Wrapped and learn more about this year’s campaign and experience on our 2024 Wrapped hub.

Check Out Our Updated Songs of Summer Predictions (Complete With Five New Wild Card Picks)

July 25, 2024

Last month, Spotify’s annual Songs of Summer predictions made their return, and fans have rallied around the anthems they can’t get enough of. Some have been working late (…’cuz they’re a singer), while plenty have been feeling so Julia. Meanwhile, others have been looking for someone to match their freak. 

Now, for the first time ever, we’re giving you a midsummer update that reveals the top 15 songs from our original list, along with five new “wild card” songs. These updated predictions reflect our final contenders for the Song of Summer as we approach the end of the season.

Backed by Spotify data and cultural buzz, and hand-picked by our global team of editors, our wild cards were either released after we made our initial predictions, or they’ve experienced a recent spike in global streams. Wild card track “360” by Charli xcx, for example, has experienced an 80% increase in U.S. streams in the past month, while streams of “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan have spiked 110% globally on Spotify. 

Spotify’s updated Songs of Summer list 

(Listed alphabetically by artist first name; wild card picks in italics) 

Over the last year, we’ve seen increased popularity of dance and Afro house globally, and summer is the perfect time for these songs to cross over into the mainstream.

“‘Move’ has been an undeniable hit this summer and an obvious choice for our editors as one of our wild card additions,” said Luisa Kristen, Senior Editor, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at Spotify. “The song features the perfect recipe of beautiful Afro house production, earwormy melody, and pop lyricism—sounds that tend to thrive with listeners in warmer weather globally.”

Luisa also noted that in the last few weeks, the song has charted all around the world across many parts of Europe, the U.K., and the U.S. It drove record streams for the German group globally on its release day and was recently added to Today’s Top Hits—a monumental achievement for German artists and the Afro house genre overall. 

“Stumblin’ In,” which was released in November 2023, is also a strong example of how a song can have an extensive lifespan, cross borders, and experience a cultural resurgence during different moments of the year. It highlights the power of Spotify—our editors have tested it in various playlists, and since its release, it has grown and reached new listeners around the world. 

Tinashe’s “Nasty” also surged during the first two weeks of the Songs of Summer predictions reveal, both globally and in the U.S. Since then, the song has seen over a 110% increase in streams globally and in the U.S.

Celebrating 2024’s Songs of Summer

To continue the summer fun, we hosted our 2024 Songs of Summer event in Brooklyn this week, featuring electric performances from two of our contenders, Tinashe and Tommy Richman.

Today’s Top Hits’ New Social Media Accounts Give You More Ways To Discover the Very Best in Music

July 18, 2023

graphic collage of artists features on the todays top hits playlists

Today’s Top Hits is our biggest and most influential playlist, serving up the very best in music to fans and industry professionals alike. Updated weekly, the playlist features 50 songs that represent the hottest sounds in the world right now.

With more than 33 million followers, Today’s Top Hits is more than just a playlist. It has the power to catapult an artist’s career and shape the cultural landscape. And now, Today’s Top Hits will have a voice on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, giving fans more ways to celebrate the iconic songs and artists that soundtrack our lives.  

Since its inception, Today’s Top Hits has been streamed more than 34 billion times globally, with listeners having collectively spent over a billion hours listening to mainstays like Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, Khalid, Post Malone, and The Weeknd.

Going forward, Today’s Top Hits will use its new social media accounts to deliver incredible content from your favorite artists featured on the playlist. And if you want to stay up on the latest happenings sweeping the pop landscape, click the links below to follow @todaystophits on each platform:

Now that you’re following Today’s Top Hits on your favorite social platforms, check out the playlist to stream the biggest hits of the summer.

Get Ready for São Paulo’s The Town Music Festival With Exclusive Playlists

May 30, 2023

With under 100 days to go until The Town, São Paulo’s biggest music festival, we’re joining forces with the brand to launch The Town hub on Spotify and giving fans in Brazil access to exclusive playlists and special festival content.

The Town is the first Brazilian brand to have a dedicated playlist hub on Spotify, joining other global partners like Disney and Netflix.

“Fans will have a lot to celebrate on this special date for us, which is the 100 Days To Go milestone,” said Luis Justo, CEO of Rock World. “Through this partnership, they will have a great way to warm up for the iconic shows that the Cidade da Música will host while listening to exclusive playlists from The Town on Spotify. Together, we will deliver an innovative initiative, providing a complete experience for the festival audience.”

Available for both Free and Premium users, The Town hub lets fans get in the festival mood and warm up with exclusive playlists curated by Spotify’s editorial team. Inspired by the individual days and stages of the festival, the 11 playlists feature Bruno Mars, Post Malone, Maroon 5, Foo Fighters, Iggy Azalea, Pitty, The Chainsmokers, Criolo, Tasha & Tracie, Angelique Kidjo, Richard Bona, and GLOW featured artist LUDMILLA. 

“This partnership is of significant importance to Spotify as it allows us to dive into fans’ passion for music and vibrant festival culture,” added Manuela Ramalho, Head of Marketing at Spotify Brazil. “As the event approaches, people eagerly prepare, reliving unique memories and emotions through our platform. This partnership further reinforces our commitment to providing music fans with a complete experience, connecting them with the artists and the most memorable moments of festivals. We are excited to embark on this unforgettable musical journey together.”

Listeners in Brazil who want to discover The Town hub can simply click here or search “The Town” on Spotify. 

Listen to the hottest hits from the artists who will be performing at The Town in September.

Prepare-se para o The Town, o Festival de Música de São Paulo, com playlists exclusivas

May 30, 2023

Com menos de 100 dias para o The Town, o maior festival de música de São Paulo, estamos unindo forças para lançar o hub The Town no Spotify, oferecendo aos fãs a chance de acessar playlists exclusivas e conteúdo especial do festival.

The Town é a primeira marca brasileira a ter um hub de playlists dedicado no Spotify, junto a outros parceiros globais como Disney e Netflix.

“Os fãs terão muito o que comemorar nessa data especial para nós que é o Faltam 100 Dias”, disse Luis Justo, CEO da Rock World. “Por meio dessa parceria, eles terão uma ótima maneira de se aquecerem para os shows icônicos que a Cidade da Música vai receber enquanto escutam as playlists exclusivas do The Town no Spotify. Juntos, vamos entregar uma iniciativa inovadora proporcionando uma experiência completa para o público do festival.”

Disponível para usuários Free e Premium, o hub The Town permite aos fãs entrarem no clima do festival e se prepararem com playlists exclusivas criadas pela equipe editorial do Spotify. Inspiradas nos dias e nos palcos individuais do festival, as onze playlists contam com Bruno Mars, Post Malone, Maroon 5, Foo Fighters, Iggy Azalea, Pitty, The Chainsmokers, Criolo, Tasha & Tracie, Angelique Kidjo, Richard Bona, e a artista GLOW em destaque, LUDMILLA.

“Essa parceria é de extrema importância para o Spotify, pois nos permite mergulhar de cabeça na paixão dos fãs pela música e na vibrante cultura dos festivais. À medida que o evento se aproxima, as pessoas se preparam com entusiasmo, revivendo memórias e emoções únicas por meio da nossa plataforma. Essa parceria reforça ainda mais nosso compromisso em proporcionar aos fãs de música uma experiência completa, conectando-os aos artistas e aos momentos mais marcantes dos festivais. Estamos ansiosos para embarcar nessa jornada musical inesquecível juntos”, completa Manuela Ramalho, Head de Marketing no Spotify no Brasil.

Qualquer pessoa que queira descobrir o Hub The Town pode clicar aqui ou pesquisar por “The Town” no Spotify.

How Spotify Blend Creates a Connection Between Fans, Friends, and Artists

May 24, 2023

Whether you’re an artist, a listener, or a bit of both, there’s one thing that has been true since time immemorial: Music should be shared. If you’re grabbing the AUX on a car trip with friends or making a playlist for that special someone, there’s just a certain connection that comes with sharing in the genres and songs that have personal meaning to you.

That’s why in 2021, Spotify took that connection to the next level with Blend, our shared new social listening experience that combines the different tastes of friends and family, as well as fans and artists, into one. With Blend, you can create a personalized playlist that balances what you and your friends like to listen to, merging those music tastes to create something everyone can enjoy.

“Sharing music is a really vulnerable thing—but it also brings you closer together,” says Gianna Pisano, a product marketing manager at Spotify. “Those moments when you realize you and your friends have been listening to Stick Season by Noah Kahan on repeat, or have played boygenius’s new record for five days straight—Blend surfaces all of those insights, puts them together, and does all the work to make a playlist for you and your crew, updated daily. All you have to do is listen and explore.”

Connection in Collaboration

The creation of Blend came about via personalized features that were already in use on a smaller scale.

“Our personalization team was already working on a similar feature that we were excited about,” says Ian VanNest, a senior product designer. “Initially we had used it to connect mixes for listeners on Duo or Family accounts and that ended up being an instant hit. Eventually we decided that extending that functionality to everyone was the way to go.”

At launch, Blend allowed two users at a time to combine musical tastes. But the personalization team realized that more people would make for a merrier experience. So in March 2022, we expanded the number of people who can combine to 10, creating an even more powerful, collaborative tool that allowed even more people to feel connected to one another through their shared love for music.  

“Increasing the amount of listeners to make use of Blend was a natural next step,” says Maia Ezratty, an engineer who works on personalization at Spotify. “We don’t only connect over music with one person at a time. We listen to music with our families, go to concerts with our friends, and stream music at the office. I love creating a Blend with a group of friends when we’re together—right away, we have something that represents all of our music tastes that we can play while we hang out. And it’s a conversation starter!”

Beyond that, Blend has offered groups of listeners an opportunity to enjoy the music they have in common and celebrate the differences in musical taste on a granular level.

“Blend has a lot of perks to it, but by far the two best parts of creating a Blend with your friends are finding the artists you have in common and discovering artists that you didn’t know about,” says Ward Ronan, Spotify senior data scientist. “Music has always been a powerful way to bring people together, and Blend not only acknowledges that relationship, but actively helps it grow.

 

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Getting Closer to the Artists We Love

After fans responded enthusiastically to being able to Blend with groups, the personalization team started to think about how to evolve the playlist further. And in an age where it’s easier than ever for fans to connect with celebrities on a more personal level, the team found inspiration for their next innovation. The result was Blend’s new ability to let fans create a deeper bond with artists by combining their tastes.  

“We wanted to harness the power of Blend to create a bit of that same sense of connection between celebrities and fans,” explains Maia. “Music taste is so personal, and Blending with our favorite celebrities makes us feel like we’re getting to know them better by giving us a little window into theirs.”

In a few quick steps, fans can now Blend with artists like BTS to discover the songs that get the K-pop group dancing when they’re not onstage, find out which tracks they have in common with Megan Thee Stallion, and—most recently—see how much their overall taste aligns with that of Miley Cyrus. Find a full list of all available Blends here.

Blend has been incredibly popular with fans since it debuted in 2021. Recently, it’s grown significantly in popularity, and since June 2022, the number of Blends with artists has more than doubled. Of the artists fans can Blend with currently, BTS, Post Malone, BLACKPINK, Lizzo, and Stray Kids are the most popular as of May 2023.

Music has always been one of the most powerful ways for artists to share their lives and experiences, and for listeners to connect with one another and feel understood. And through Blend, fans have a magical way to connect with friends, loved ones, and even total strangers, in a shared moment of enjoyment. 

Want to compare your favorite anthems with Miley Cyrus’s? Click below and let Blend do the rest.

https://spotify.link/MileyBlend

Gwen Stefani Joined Spotify for Our 2021 Wrapped Party—and Shared What She Streamed This Year

December 15, 2021

Photo credit: DiPPLE/BRUISER PICTURES

Last night in LA, Spotify hosted A Totally Normal Party for 2021 featuring audio activations, Wrapped-themed merch, DJs mixing their sets, and a performance from the one and only Gwen Stefani. For the Record was lucky enough to grab Gwen backstage to ask a few questions around her busy year and Spotify Wrapped, and we even got her to share a message to the loyal fans who found the artist in their own Wrapped results.

You’ve had a standout year on Spotify, with a 36% increase in streams over 2020. What were some of the events and moments from this year you want to bring with you into 2022?

Some of my favorite musical moments of last year was being able to put out new music. I released “Slow Clap (with Saweetie)” at the beginning of the year. I also got to go back to Vegas to do my “Just A Girl” residency. What a blessing it has been to be able to do those shows—I never thought I’d have a residency in Vegas! This year, I’ve also been back in the studio and writing a lot, so in 2022 I’m looking forward to releasing new music. 

Photo credit: DiPPLE/BRUISER PICTURES

As an iconic artist with a long history, how do you use tools like 2021 Wrapped for Artists and Spotify for Artists to help you stay engaged with longtime and new fans? 

I love seeing where people are listening from, what they’re listening to, and how they’re finding me—it’s always changing and amazing to see. Like the fact that I can see how many people in the world are listening to my music right now? That’s awesome.

Who were some of the artists you listened to on repeat this year? How about playlists and podcasts?

This year, I married my best friend, Blake Shelton. He wrote a song for me when we got married, “We Can Reach the Stars.” So I’ve been listening to a lot of country music. I also love Post Malone. 

My most listened-to playlist of 2021 was probably New Music Friday. When I’m working out, I use that time to find new music that I like. 

Over the last few years, my favorite daily podcast has been Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope podcast. I’m all about physical exercise for my mental health and spiritual exercise for my heart.

Photo credit: DiPPLE/BRUISER PICTURES

As a part of No Doubt, you gave the world several girl-power anthems that still resonate today. Are you seeing the same type of female empowerment happening in lyrics now? 

There are going to be certain artists that are always honest and truthful no matter what gender they are. Those are the types of songs that really speak to people. When I wrote songs, I wasn’t consciously trying to influence anyone to be empowered because of my gender. I was just speaking my truth and what I saw and felt. There was no agenda and there was no plan. There are always going to be artists that are genuinely speaking from their hearts, and I definitely see some of those artists out there today.

What do you want to say to everyone who had you on their 2021 Spotify Wrapped?

Thank you for listening to my music all these years. I would not be me without you. 

Stream Gwen Stefani’s latest EP, Just A Girl, below.

Elevate Your GIF Game With GIPHY and Spotify’s New Music Feature

July 22, 2021

After searching GIPHY, an online database that contains billions of GIFs, stickers, and more, you’ve found it. You’ve spotted the perfect GIF. Now, it’s time to share it in your group chat so your friends can get a feel for your reaction—no words necessary.  

No matter how you pronounce it, GIFs are the ultimate visual metaphor. And now, thanks to a partnership with Spotify and GIPHY, music can be part of the equation. We’re teaming up with GIPHY to enable new Spotify-linked artist GIFs. When users click the GIF on the verified GIPHY artists’ pages, they’ll be taken directly to the featured artist’s Spotify page for a listening session. 

Artists Doja Cat, The Weeknd, Post Malone, Nicki Minaj, The Kid LAROI, and Conan Gray have already kicked off the integration, with more to come.

Users around the globe can find the feature on verified GIPHY artist pages and they can be experienced through both GIPHY’s web and mobile platform. Here’s how it works:

  1. Search for artists’ GIFs on their official GIPHY channel via GIPHY.com or GIPHY’s mobile apps
  2. Once on the artist’s official GIPHY channel, click on the GIF you’d like to use
  3. Tap the “Listen on Spotify” button on any participating GIF
  4. Users will be taken directly to the artist’s Spotify page, where they can listen and discover even more music from artists they love

Ready to give it a try? Check out Doja Cat’s, The Weeknd’s, Post Malone’s, Nicki Minaj’s, The Kid LAROI’s, and Conan Gray’s verified GIPHY pages to see the integration in action.

3 Major Streaming Trends from Spotify’s First Year in India

February 27, 2020

It’s been exactly 12 months since Spotify launched in India, and my, how we’ve grown. There are now more than 6,400 Indian creators using Spotify for Artists, our platform that lets artists and their teams see who’s listening to their music and take control of their artist profile. Listeners from over 2,300 cities are tuning into more than 350 curated playlists in India—like New Music Hindi and Punjabi 101—and that’s up from 120 at launch. In honor of this anniversary, we dove into some of the trends and themes around a year’s worth of Spotify streaming in India. Here’s what we saw:

1. A lot of love for local artists

Spotify listeners in India have streamed over 130 artists each in the past year. Overall, we found that the top five most-streamed in the country are from India. Topping the list are three beloved Bollywood singers: Arijit Singh, Tanishk Bagchi, and Neha Kakkar. The age group of 35 to 44-year-olds stream Indian artists at a higher rate than any other.

Globally streamed hits are also very popular in India. The most-streamed international artist in India is Post Malone, who was also Spotify’s most-streamed global artist in 2019; BTS and Taylor Swift are popular with Indian listeners as well. The most-streamed track in India over the past year is the global smash “Señorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, followed by Arijit Singh and Mithoon’s “Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage” and Sachet Tandon and Parampara Thakur’s “Bekhayali” (both from the soundtrack to the popular Indian film “Kabir Singh”).

2. Music sets the mood

Love songs are a major part of Indian culture, which is why Spotify’s Bollywood Mush playlist is one of the top-streamed playlists among users. Interestingly, listeners in the eastern part of the country—West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Assam, Bihar, and Sikkim—have streamed the playlist the most (it seems love rises in the east!).

What’s more, during Diwali, India’s biggest religious celebration, the holiday’s themed playlists—which lean heavily on songs about love and partying—got major traction on the festival’s peak day on October 27, 2019, with plays increasing by almost 4,400%.

 3. Pressing play on podcasts and pop

India has fired up its podcast lineup, launching its first three Spotify original podcasts in December 2019. 22 Yarns With Gaurav Kapur, Bhaskar Bose, and Love Aaj Kal with Aastha & Ankit were each produced in India to cater to an Indian audience. These podcasts, which are all about pop culture, including cricket, fiction thriller storytelling, and relationship advice, respectively, also made it to the top five on the original podcast charts. 

The top three music genres streamed across India are pop, filmi (music from popular Indian movies) and hip-hop. K-Pop also has a growing fan base: Spotify’s most-followed K-Pop playlist, K-Pop Daebak, is a popular choice for Indian listeners. And India is in the top 22% of K-Pop listening in all of Spotify’s markets globally, based on streaming from the past 90 days. 

From the top-streamed artists to the most popular podcasts in India, see how listening stacks up since we launched in February 2019.

Download the infographic here.

For the uninitiated, be sure to stream Spotify’s Top Hits Hindi playlist. 

Spotify’s Biggest Playlist, Today’s Top Hits, Celebrates 25 Million Followers

December 16, 2019

It’s been streamed more than 20 billion times. Over 70 featured artists have received 100+ million plays. And now, Spotify’s biggest playlist, Today’s Top Hits, can add “over 25 million followers” to its name. To put this in perspective: If Today’s Top Hits was an artist, it would be the third most streamed of all time (after Drake and Ed Sheeran).

Since 2014, Spotify’s team of curators have analyzed our streaming data, as well as music culture and trends, to populate the playlist. Each week, it features updated songs from artists around the world. Today’s Top Hits spans a variety of genres — from pop and Latin, to hip-hop and indie — giving listeners an opportunity to enjoy the music they already know and love, while also discovering new tracks.

Today’s Top Hits not only reflects the music culture of the zeitgeist, but also shapes it.  The playlist has helped kickstart the careers of many artists, including: Arizona Zervas, Tones and I, and Ant Saunders, whose respective singles “Roxanne,” “Dance Monkey,” and “Yellow Hearts,” have been some of the most recent staples. More than just serving as a platform of discovery for emerging talent, Today’s Top Hits has also amplified songs by established artists such as Post Malone, Selena Gomez, Khalid, Halsey, The Chainsmokers, and Camila Cabello.

We couldn’t be more excited about this incredible milestone—thanks to the 25 million fans and followers for listening. A few other people wanted to say thank you . . . (shout-out to Niall Horan, Julia Michaels, Lewis Capaldi, Marshmello, and Lauv).

See for yourself what Today’s Top Hits is all about.

The Top Songs, Artists, Playlists, and Podcasts of 2019—and the Last Decade

December 3, 2019

As 2019 draws to a close, so too does a stellar year of streaming on Spotify. You may be reflecting back on the past 12 months, thinking about your own music discoveries and the songs you repeated over, and over, and over. (You’ll be able to check them out on your personal Wrapped cards later this week). We’re doing the same—but for the entire world.

We dove into the newcomers, showstoppers, and top performers who united the globe with music and podcasts this year. And ahead of the brand-new decade, we also looked back on the last 10 years in music to reveal who dominated global listening.

So, what did the world listen to in 2019?

This year, Post Malone claimed the spot of most-streamed artist with over 6.5 billion streams from fans around the globe. It’s the rapper-singer-songwriter’s first time topping Spotify’s Wrapped list, and he did it just 12 weeks after dropping his album Hollywood’s Bleeding (which also happens to be the second most-streamed album globally this year). His collaboration with Swae Lee on “Sunflower” from Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse rounded out the top three most-streamed songs of the year, which gives the artist a spot in each of our three major music categories (top artists, top songs, and top albums).

The second-most-streamed artist of the year is 17-year-old singer-songwriter and first time Grammy nominee Billie Eilish, who by now, definitely deserves that crown. In this year alone, she dropped her album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? and surpassed 6 billion streams. The album has proven to be the top-streamed release of 2019, marking a milestone—Billie is the first female artist to have her album top the Wrapped most-streamed album category. Her dark staccato hit “bad guy” also ranks as the second-most-streamed song of the year.

Finally, Ariana Grande released her immensely popular album thank u, next in February, propelling her to number three on Spotify’s list of most-streamed-artists globally. Her song “7 rings” was also in the top five most streamed this year, giving Ariana a strong two years in the top 10 of Spotify’s Wrapped list. Listeners also showed Taylor Swift lots of love, making her the year’s third top-streamed female artist after her album Lover generated popular tracks like “ME!” and “You Need to Calm Down.”

When it comes to the most-streamed female artist of the decade, Ariana once again takes the cake. Only tears of joy left to cry for this one. (And the top male artist? Last year’s Scorpion king, Drake.)

The year’s top song comes from the duo that took the Northern Hemisphere’s summer by storm: “Señorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello saw more than 1 billion streams. After “Señorita,” “bad guy,” “Sunflower,” and “7 rings,” the year’s fifth-most-streamed track came from Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. They took their horse all the way to the front with “Old Town Road – Remix.”   

This year was a big one for podcast growth on Spotify. There are now more than 500,000 podcast titles available, and our podcast audience has grown by more than 50% since the start of the year. We’ve also seen a 39% increase in podcast hours consumed by listeners quarter over quarter. People are clearly loving podcasts, tuning in the most to Spotify Original The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory and Mal, followed by My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark and Germany’s Gemischtes Hack. The most-streamed podcast genre of 2019 was comedy, showing that laughter is truly universal.  

Take a look at some of the world’s top songs, artists, genres, and trends:

Can’t get enough of the chart toppers? Check out our lists of the top artists, songs, albums, groups, podcasts, and more below—and don’t forget to tune in later this week to the Wrapped microsite to see your personal favorites and receive a playlist based on your tastes. Plus, we’ve also created the ultimate Playlist of the Decade: the biggest songs of the past 10 years according to fan streaming.

So without further ado …

Spotify’s Global Top Lists 2019:

Most-Streamed Artists

  1. Post Malone
  2. Billie Eilish
  3. Ariana Grande
  4. Ed Sheeran
  5. Bad Bunny

 Most-Streamed Female Artists

  1. Billie Eilish
  2. Ariana Grande
  3. Taylor Swift
  4. Camila Cabello
  5. Halsey

Most-Streamed Male Artists

  1. Post Malone
  2. Ed Sheeran
  3. Bad Bunny
  4. Khalid
  5. J Balvin

Most-Streamed Tracks 

  1. “Señorita” – Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes
  2. “bad guy” – Billie Eilish
  3. “Sunflower” – Post Malone, Swae Lee
  4. “7 Rings” – Ariana Grande
  5. “Old Town Road – Remix” – Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus

Most-Streamed Albums 

  1. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish
  2. Hollywood’s Bleeding – Post Malone
  3. thank u, next – Ariana Grande
  4. No.6 Collaborations Project – Ed Sheeran
  5. Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes

Most-Streamed Podcasts

  1. The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal
  2. My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
  3. Gemischtes Hack
  4. Fest & Flauschig
  5. The Misfits Podcast

Most-Streamed Spotify Original Podcasts

  1. The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal
  2. Gemischtes Hack
  3. Fest & Flauschig
  4. Serial Killers
  5. Herrengedeck – Der Podcast

“A Decade Wrapped” Spotify’s Top Lists 2010–2019

Most-Streamed Artists of the Decade (Global)

  1. Drake
  2. Ed Sheeran
  3. Post Malone
  4. Ariana Grande
  5. Eminem

Most-Streamed Female Artists of the Decade (Global)

  1. Ariana Grande
  2. Rihanna
  3. Taylor Swift
  4. Sia
  5. Beyoncé

Most-Streamed Male Artists of the Decade (Global)

  1. Drake
  2. Ed Sheeran
  3. Post Malone
  4. Eminem
  5. The Weeknd

Most-Streamed Tracks of the Decade (Global)

  1. “Shape of You” – Ed Sheeran
  2. “One Dance”  – Drake, Kyla, WizKid
  3. “rockstar (feat. 21 Savage)” – 21 Savage, Post Malone
  4. “Closer” – Halsey, The Chainsmokers
  5. “Thinking out Loud” – Ed Sheeran

Click here to download the infographic.

From Tony Bennett to Tyla Yaweh, Here Are the Artists 18- to 24-Year-Olds are Discovering

May 20, 2019

In the soundtrack of your life, every day probably sounds just a little bit different. The weather, your workout, your mood—anything can inspire a song that brings out your best dance moves, has you reaching for tissues, or something in between. On Spotify, not only is there music you already know and love for every moment, but there’s also a world full of new artists, songs, and genres to explore. Just ask any 18- to 24-year-old Spotify user: This important audience has a unique and somewhat unexpected taste for discovery.

In fact, listeners in that age group in particular have no boundaries when it comes to the artists they stream for the first time. We looked back at the musicians they played over the past 60 days and found that they’re as drawn to the “latest and greatest” as they are to “oldies but goodies.” They’re discovering the artists their parents and grandparents listened to, like Gladys Knight and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, as well as playing the jams their own peers—like Normani and Nora en Pure—are creating. They have their fingers on the pulse of pop culture and are simultaneously interested in learning about the bands that inspired them.

Below are 10 artists, both emerging and established, that 18- to 24-year-old listeners have streamed for the first time over the past six months. Get to know them for yourself:

THE EMERGING

Kina

2018 saw the introduction of Italian electronic production duo Kina. Pasquale Renella and Giuseppe Garotti create downbeat-electronic lo-fi music with a lot of heart. They site XXXTENTACION, Shallou, Madeon, and Porter Robinson as being their greatest musical influences.

ITZY

This burgeoning South Korean all-female K-pop group is the latest to be formed by JYP Entertainment. They’re considered monster rookies, meaning they’ve found significant early success. Case in point: ITZY set a new record for the most-viewed K-pop debut music video on YouTube and won their first music award just nine days after dropping their single “DALLA DALLA.”

Au/Ra

If you like Billie Eilish, you should check out Au/Ra—another teenage singer-songwriter making waves in the music world. Born in Ibiza, Spain, and raised in Antigua by her parents (including her father, German producer Torsten Stenzel), Au/Ra found a love for music and writing at an early age. Her single “Panic Room” was featured on Norwegian DJ Alan Walker’s “Darkside.” Look out for the multilingual singer-songwriter on her first tour.

Cuco

If Spanglish lyrics combined with a meme-influenced sense of humor is your jam, check out Cuco. The LA-based Mexican-American producer, singer, and self-taught multi-instrumentalist creates a music all his own that combines pop, jazz, and hip-hop. Recently, he’s made his voice known in more ways than one by headlining a benefit concert series for immigrant families.

Tyla Yaweh

The singer, rapper, and songwriter originally from Orlando, Florida, has toured with XXXTENTACION and Post Malone. Now he’s making a name for himself on stages at SXSW and on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show. “I’m living an ultimate high,” he says. “I went from being homeless to traveling the globe with rock stars, being able to connect with and spread positive vibes to so many different people.”

THE ESTABLISHED

Billie Holiday

Arguably among the most influential jazz singers of the 20th century, Billie Holiday is usually uttered in the same breath as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Along with her vocal power, she could alter lyric phrasings and tempo in manners that can be traced all the way through to today’s pop music.

Tony Bennett

Hit machine Tony Bennett is still singing and recording at 92 years of age, and even in recent years has been attracting contemporary collaborators such as Lady Gaga. His soulful voice first attracted attention in the 1950s. He came roaring back in the ’80s and ’90s by connecting with young audiences, culminating in an MTV Unplugged appearance in 1994. He hasn’t slowed down on performing or collaborating since.

Grateful Dead

Deadhead or not, you can’t help but be mesmerized by Grateful Dead—be it their lengthy jams, poetic lyrics, or eclectic sound. The band was a true product of ’60’s counterculture, combining elements of rock, folk, country, bluegrass, reggae, and space rock. Adored by baby boomers Gen X’ers, and now a new generation, The Dead is anything but.

Selena

The gone but not forgotten Queen of Tejano music paved her way in an overwhelmingly male-dominated genre to become one of the most celebrated Latin artists of all time. Her reach spans fashion, cosmetics, television and film. Texas even celebrates her birthday, April 16, as “Selena Day,” keeping her music and energy alive year after year.

LL Cool J

No one straddles the lines of hip-hop and R&B quite like LL Cool J. He’s a man of firsts—one of the first hip-hop artists to find mainstream success, and the first rapper to receive Kennedy Center Honors. He started rapping at age nine, recorded his first demos at 16, and released his first record before turning 20. And through it all, he’s kept his cool.

And there’s plenty more where that came from. Stream our playlist of the artists 18- to 24-year-olds are discovering from around the world and across the years.