Tag: Ed Sheeran

Spotify Reveals More Opportunities and Features for Creators During Stream On

March 8, 2023

Artists, songwriters, video and content creators, podcasters, and fans from all over the world joined Spotify for our second Stream On event today in Los Angeles. Alex Cooper, Bill Simmons, Ed Sheeran, Emma Chamberlain, Jennifer Lopez, GloRilla, Halsey, Joe Rogan, The Jonas Brothers, Karol G, Luke Combs, St. Vincent, Tash Sultana, and other luminaries mixed with Spotify team members to share announcements and inspiring stories, and take part in hands-on demos of new artists tools and creator resources coming to the platform. 

“Stream On is about all the ways we are bringing Spotify to life and letting creators at all stages of their careers know that we are open for business,” Spotify Founder and CEO Daniel Ek said. “We are focused on building the best home for them—a place where they can establish a career, thrive, and grow, and where the world can be inspired by their creativity. And that’s what we’ve been doing for almost 17 years: building, improving, and reimagining this home to better meet creator needs and help them chart new pathways to success.”

From new app functionality to a holistic one-stop shop for podcasting to more opportunities for artists to engage with their fans, Stream On further cements our commitment to the creative community.    

“As we look to the future, we are excited to expand that ambition to even more creators across new formats. We’re enabling more creativity, discovery, and personalization than ever before by providing the best resources, support, and interactivity,” Daniel said.

Helping fans discover creators and artists

We’ve unveiled one of the biggest evolutions since Spotify’s inception: a new, dynamic interface on mobile built for deeper discovery and more meaningful connections between artists and fans. 

With this new experience, we’re giving fans an even more active role in the audio discovery process, and giving creators even more space to share their work. Powered by advanced recommendations, new visual canvases, and a completely new and interactive design, the new interface is making discovering new audio easier than ever before and helping introduce users to their next favorite artist, podcast, or book. It’s all about closing the distance between creators and fans—and setting the stage for long-term, lasting connections that reach beyond viral success. 

The new Spotify will roll out in waves to our 500 million+ monthly active users beginning today. Here’s what to expect:

  • Music, podcast, and audiobook previews across Music, Podcasts & Shows, and Audiobooks feeds for listeners to sample before they play or save. We’re also bringing “shortcuts” to the top of listeners’ feeds—giving users easy access to some of their recent and favorite listens. 
  • New feeds for discovery on Search that will allow users to quickly and easily explore personalized, short Canvas clips from tracks across some of your favorite genres. Users can easily save the song to a playlist, follow the artist, or share it with friends, all from one place. Looking for something else? Explore related genres using the hashtag within the feed, all with the goal of making discovery even easier. 
    • We’re also bringing this feature to popular playlists like Discover Weekly, Release Radar, New Music Friday, and RapCaviar, inviting users to preview tracks on a playlist before diving in. 
  • Just like with music, we’re now serving Autoplay for Podcasts—when a podcast ends, another episode that fits the user’s tastes and is relevant will automatically start playing. 
  • More to love with our personalized AI DJ that transforms how listeners hear and discover the music they love. 
  • Smart Shuffle, the easiest way to breathe new life into custom curated playlists with just the tap of a button.

“Spotify recommendations drive close to half of all users’ streams. And when listeners decide to follow a creator, they listen to, on average, five times more of their music,” said Gustav Söderström, Spotify Co-President and Chief Product & Technology Officer. “That’s why discoveries on Spotify—unlike many other platforms—give creators so much more than just a fleeting moment of viral fame. Those meaningful, long-term connections are a key part of what makes Spotify a platform for professional and aspiring artists.”

Supporting artist success through streaming

We also unveiled our annual music royalties report, Loud & Clear. The 2023 update demonstrates that more and more artists are finding success than ever before: The number of artists generating $1M+, as well as those generating $10,000+, has more than doubled over the past five years. Additionally, we estimate that the 50,000th highest-earning artist on Spotify generated more than $50,000 across all recorded revenue sources. 

Loud & Clear also details how Spotify pays the vast majority of every dollar it generates for music—nearly 70%—back to the industry, and all-time Spotify payouts to music rights holders are approaching $40 billion.  

Enabling audience development for artists through new and enhanced tools

We’re always building up our suite of tools to help artists find the fans who’ll love their music most. Here are a few of the new features they will soon find in the Campaigns section of Spotify for Artists:

  • Marquee is a full-screen, sponsored recommendation of a new release that’s focused on reaching listeners who have shown interest in an artist’s music. On average, Marquee is 10 times more cost-effective at getting listeners to stream music on Spotify than ads are on the most popular social media platforms. 
  • Discovery Mode is a tool through which artists and their teams identify priority songs, and Spotify will add that signal to the algorithms that shape personalized listening sessions. Today, Discovery Mode is directly available within Spotify for Artists, and is accessible to a wider range of artists and their teams, including thousands of independently distributed artists and labels.
  • Showcase is a mobile card on our brand-new home feed that will introduce an artist’s music—whether a new release or catalog—to likely listeners. We’re just starting to test Showcase with artists and labels, and will make it more widely available in the near future.

We also shared more details on the next revenue line we’ll enable to help artists grow: merchandise and live events.

  • New Concert and Merch Discovery tools will help make sure concertgoers never miss another show. Listeners will begin to see merch offers and concert listings in far more places across the app. If a show catches a fan’s eye, they can tap a new “interested” button to save the listing to their own calendar in the Live Events Feed. Users can adjust their location and browse concerts worldwide, all personalized to their taste. 
  • Spotify is also expanding its Fans First program to include more artists, ensuring top listeners receive emails and notifications that give them special access to concert pre-sales and merch exclusives.

And we unveiled new features and product expansions that allow more artists to express themselves in new ways and build buzz among fans. These include:

  • Spotify Clips, which lets artists add 30-second videos to their artist profiles and album pages so fans can go deeper into their stories while they’re listening; and
  • Countdown Pages, which provide dedicated space on an artist’s profile and Spotify’s Home feed for fans to pre-save albums, see exclusive videos, pre-order merch, preview tracklists, and watch the timer count down to a new release. 

Reintroducing Spotify for Podcasters as our one-stop shop for creators

Podcast creators joined our executives onstage to showcase the reimagined Spotify for Podcasters. The site now brings together the best of Spotify’s podcast creator tools into a one-stop shop to create, manage, grow, and monetize podcast content, including: 

  • Broader availability of Spotify-unique features like video podcasting, interactive episodes using Q&A and Polls, subscriptions, and robust analytics
  • Podcast previews, Podcast Chapters, Spotify Labs, and a new space for educational podcasting content
  • Megaphone, Spotify’s hosting solution for enterprise publishers, will be integrated into Spotify for Podcasters in the future. Netflix and Australia’s Schwartz Media were just signed on as two of the latest publishers.

We also looked back at the growth of the Spotify Audience Network (SPAN), our audio-first marketplace that connects podcast publishers and independent creators with advertisers, including monthly payouts to opted-in publishers. 

  • Since we launched SPAN in 2021, it has grown by nearly 50%. Advertiser participation has since increased by 500%.  
  • The number of independent and enterprise podcasters taking part in SPAN has grown eightfold in the last two years, with NPR being the latest publisher to join the network.
  • We’re partnering with Patreon, which will enable creators to expand their creative business through direct payments from fans, and allow fans to listen to their Patreon content on Spotify.

Announcing new and expanded Spotify Originals and exclusives

Spotify Original and exclusive podcasts saw much success in 2022, with Case 63, The Joe Rogan Experience, and Call Her Daddy taking the top spots of the Wrapped top global podcasts. And now that Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain is exclusively on our platform, Spotify has four of the top five biggest hits worldwide. 

We’re expanding our catalog with new shows, including The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark. This latest title follows the Batman Unburied series and its characters in a brand-new story led by Phantom 4 and filmmaker, novelist, and comic book writer David S. Goyer. 

We’re also introducing more video podcasts, with Forbidden Fruits with Julia Fox and Niki Takesh returning for a second season and an exclusive video podcast edition of the show. Drew Afualo’s podcast, The Comment Section, is also coming to Spotify exclusively starting April 5. 

We’ve also entered into an exclusive video partnership with Markiplier to produce exclusive video episodes of Distractible and Go! My Favorite Sports Team for Spotify beginning today. And with innovative partnerships on the way from Collab, Creative Juice, Get Engaged Media, Golden Child, and Karat to bring their creators’ videos to Spotify, as well as limited video series exclusively available on Spotify from Mindset Mentor, we’re looking forward to introducing millions of new listeners to video podcasts. 

Welcoming creators and artists “home” to Spotify

Immediately following the presentation, we opened the doors of our campus in Los Angeles’ Arts District to creators for our “Play On” event to demo new products, hold workshops with top industry creators, and share insider knowledge on how best to use Spotify from the people who helped develop the tools at the company. To close out the activities, we’ll be hosting an all-female showcase to celebrate International Women’s Day. 

“Today, there are more than 10 million creators on Spotify, with over half a billion listeners across 184 countries and markets,” Daniel noted. “Think about the massive potential that represents for creators. No matter where you are on your own creative journey within music, podcasts, or audiobooks. The potential to reach half a billion people. And that reach is about to become more powerful with what we’ve introduced today.”

Watch the 10-minute recap of the entire event below.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

The discussion above contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking. For example, the words “will,” “expect,” “potential,” and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and management’s belief about future events and trends, and are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which may adversely affect our business and results of operations, including, but not limited to, our ability to attract and retain users and monetize our products and services; competition; risks associated with our international operations and growth; risks associated with our new products or services and our emphasis on long-term over short-term results; our ability to predict, recommend, and play content that our users enjoy; our ability to maintain the integrity of our technology structure and systems or the security of confidential information; and other risks as set forth in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

RADAR Global Is Back With the Reggaeton Sounds of Spain’s Quevedo

June 28, 2022

photo of quevedo

Since its launch in 2020, RADAR has served as Spotify’s marquee program for emerging artists around the world, helping to support and propel artists onto the global music stage. And now, RADAR Global is back with our latest featured artist, the up-and-coming reggaeton star Quevedo.

Hailing from Gran Canaria, Spain, the 21-year-old singer burst onto the scene in 2020 with his single “En Reformas.” His sound—a mix of hip-hop and Latin rhythms inspired by his upbringing in the Canary Islands—resonated with fans across the world, and he has since reached over 9.7M monthly listeners on Spotify. His single “Cayó la noche (Remix)” was a breakthrough hit, transforming Quevedo from an underground artist into the spotlight – reaching #1 on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Spain Chart. Quevedo has also popped up on numerous Spotify charts, reaching #19 on Viral 50 ⁠— Global and #2 on Viral 50 ⁠— Spain.

“Quevedo’s growth has been breathtaking to watch in this very short period of time, and we love how it stems from a wonderful mix of talent, intuition, and breadth of musical influences,” said Melanie Parejo, Head of Music, Southern Europe at Spotify. “We’re thrilled that Quevedo is part of the new slate of RADAR artists and truly proud that he has been chosen to be in our RADAR Global artist program.”

Quevedo’s momentum has only continued in 2022; he’s racked up millions of streams with his singles “Respuesta Cero” and “Nonstop” and collaborated with the Argentinian hitmaker Duki on “Si Quieren Frontear.” But Quevedo really took the next step in his career this past May when he landed a spot on the remix of “2step” by Ed Sheeran. 

Now, we’re thrilled to continue our support of Quevedo with his newly minted role as a featured global RADAR artist. Not only will he be featured on the RADAR Global playlist, but also in a short mini-documentary in partnership with Spotify. The mini-doc, which takes place in his hometown, gives fans a glimpse into his roots and musical journey. As a RADAR artist, Quevedo worked with Spotify on a custom photoshoot in the Canary Islands, establishing a new set of bespoke images that will be used throughout the duration of the campaign, across marketing materials, including a Times Square billboard in New York City. Quevedo will also receive promotion around key music releases, a feature in Spotify’s RADAR recurring Rolling Stone Series, and an opportunity to participate in Fans First opportunities including ticket presales and merchandise offers throughout the duration of the partnership.   

“I couldn’t be happier to be the new Spotify RADAR artist,” Quevedo told For the Record. “It means so much to be able to share my music with new fans all over the world and I want to thank everyone who made this possible. From Gran Canaria to the world.”

Quevedo has accomplished a lot in a relatively short period of time, but stay tuned because he’s just getting started. And to discover more about the next wave of artists primed for stardom around the world, be sure to keep an eye on Spotify’s RADAR Global program in the future.

Check out the latest music from Quevedo and start streaming his latest single, “Nonstop,” below.

 

Spotify Reports Fourth Quarter 2021 Earnings

February 2, 2022

Today, Spotify announced our fourth quarter 2021 financial performance. Click here to review the full earnings release, and take a look at the highlights below:

Interested in hearing more? You can listen to the webcast Q&A on the IR site here. 

Click below to check out a sizzle reel of audio trailers from a few of our recent original and exclusive podcasts. 

What the World Streamed Most in 2021

December 1, 2021

If 2020 was the year that flipped the world on its head, 2021 was the year that we got used to seeing things upside down. With “normal” thrown out the window, people around the world started to embrace the unknown—and in doing so, championed all of the things that make each of us unique. 

Spotify’s 2021 Wrapped celebrates this idea—the millions of weird and wonderful ways to listen and live in a world that continues to keep us on our toes. Today, we unveil the top artists, albums, songs, podcasts, and more that defined how more than 381 million people around the world listened and discovered audio during a year that turned “unprecedented” into, well, precedented.  

As usual, Wrapped helps us reflect on the large role audio played in the lives of our listeners—and how our favorite creators soundtracked the world around us. 

The top artists, songs, and albums globally

For the second year in a row, Puerto Rican Reggaeton star Bad Bunny takes the title of most-streamed artist in the world on Spotify. And what’s more: He’s received over 9.1 billion streams without releasing a new album this year. He is swiftly followed by singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, whose Red (Taylor’s Version) gave old and new fans alike a reason to relive the artist’s early groundbreaking work. Rounding up 2021’s top three is BTS. The globally beloved k-pop group had a standout year thanks to their single “Butter.” Canadian hip-hop artists Drake—who released Certified Lover Boy in September—and Justin Bieber—whose 2021 album Justice featured collaborations with artists from across the globe—take spots four and five, respectively.

The top song of 2021 globally is Olivia Rodrigo’s runaway “drivers license,” which garnered over 1.1 billion streams. Lil Nas X’s viral “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” dances its way to second place and heralded the artist’s first studio album. The Kid LAROI enters the ranks for the first time, with his Justin Bieber collaboration “STAY” taking third. The fourth spot sees Olivia Rodrigo once again, this time with “good 4 u,” which also earned the title of 2021 Spotify Song of the Summer. The fifth most streamed song to rise in the ranks is Dua Lipa’s “Levitating (feat. DaBaby).” 

When it comes to top albums of 2021 globally, Olivia Rodrigo once again claims the crown—her debut album SOUR clearly held a bit of sweetness. Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia ranks second, with Justin Bieber’s Justice, Ed Sheeran’s =, and Doja Cat’s Planet Her coming in third, fourth, and fifth. 

The top podcasts globally

Coming out of its first full year as a Spotify exclusive, The Joe Rogan Experience remains the number-one podcast on Spotify globally. It is followed by the fearless Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy, which also became exclusive to Spotify in 2021. True crime and news continue to be popular genres within the medium, with Crime Junkie, TED Talks Daily, and The Daily rounding out the list. 

Notable trends of 2021

When we looked at trends on Spotify in 2021, the top songs, artists, albums, and podcasts weren’t the only things we found. We learned about the moments that united listeners—and the ones that were notable for their uniqueness. 

Nostalgia played a role in people’s listening in 2021 as fans rediscovered old favorites—and new generations adopted them as well. Let’s face it: There are certain songs and albums that just sound like home (in a good way).

Today’s Top Hits Is the World’s Destination for the Very Best in Music

June 24, 2021

Ed Sheeran. Ariana Grande. Kali Uchis. There’s one place fans go to find a mix of music from their favorite groundbreaking artists—and that’s Today’s Top Hits.

Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits (TTH) is the world’s biggest playlist. With over 28 million followers, it’s also the top destination for emerging and established artists across all genres to reach millions of fans and provide them with chart-topping, show-stopping songs each day. And TTH influences more than culture—it has helped kickstart the careers of many emerging artists—like The Kid Laroi, Tate McRae, and Conan Gray—and supported music favorites like Billie Eilish, SZA, and Juice WRLD. 

Today’s Top Hits is the leading global destination for popular music, supporting artists across all genres and bringing their music to a wider, global audience. As Spotify’s largest, most international playlist, we identified the opportunity to position Today’s Top Hits as our global music brand, complete with a distinct visual aesthetic and voice. The visual rebrand consists of a fresh, bold, colorful design, including a unique lockup with the TTH acronym, as well as a new brand tagline, “Hits Made Here.” The campaign, which centers around a 60-second video, “The Hit Station,” celebrates the breadth of artists and tracks that are defining culture today, including hitmakers like Billie Eilish, Travis Scott, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, and BLACKPINK.

“Today’s Top Hits is a true reflection of music culture today, as defined by the fans,” said Ned Monahan, Spotify’s Head of Global Hits. “So many factors go into the process of making a song a hit, and TTH has become a key catalyst and proving ground for a song reaching its full hit potential. Whether you’re emerging or established, no matter the genre—TTH gives artists the opportunity to connect with millions of fans across the globe, and fans a destination to support their favorite artist.”

Check out some notable TTH moments in this new style:

Today’s Top Hits has become so influential due to its diverse curation process, which supports various genres and artists beyond the traditional confines of how popular music has been defined in the past. It showcases the latest top hits driven by fans, combined with specially curated picks from editors who analyze music culture, data, and trends. Artists, industry professionals, and fans alike look to Today’s Top Hits as representative of what today’s music is—and what fans are listening to. 

Get to know the world’s top tracks. Stream Today’s Top Hits for the very best in music today.

‘Spotify: For the Record’ Takes a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Success of Spotify Singles

June 3, 2021

In May, For the Record shared that Spotify Singles collectively hit over 5 billion streams. The premise of the program is simple: We bring an artist into the studio to record a reimagined version of one of their own songs as well as a cover song—an homage to the two-sided 45 record. Spotify Singles has amassed a playlist of more than 650 songs across dozens of genres that features the biggest stars and emerging artists.

To celebrate this monumental milestone, the Spotify: For the Record podcast is taking listeners inside the rooms where those recordings were made for an intimate look at the creative process. In the episode, artists and Spotify employees closely involved with the program share some of the stories behind these successful tracks.

  • Ed Sheeran, English singer-songwriter and the most-followed artist on Spotify, explains the full-circle moment that occurred when cellist Yo-Yo Ma covered his hit song “Shape of You” for Spotify Singles.
  • Jon Batiste, an Oscar-winning American jazz musician, shares his experience recording 2pac‘s “Changes” on the piano.
  • Nina Nesbitt, a Scottish pop singer-songwriter who has participated in two Spotify Singles sessions, explains what it was like to record in legendary spots like London’s Metropolis Studio.  
  • William Garrett, an experienced audio engineer and the Senior Producer for Spotify Singles, shares what it’s like for an artist to reimagine a fresh new take on one of their own classics. He also shares some fun stories about recording with artists like Elton John, Alanis Morissette, and Wilco.
  • Michele Santucci, Recorded Music Lead at Spotify, talks about how the covers allow for a crossover between genres and open up new audiences for the Spotify Singles artists. She also gives a sneak peek of who’s up next for future Spotify Singles recordings. 

Hear these tales and more on “Spotify Singles: The Path to 5 Billion Streams.”

A Close Look at India’s Love for International Pop

May 4, 2020

Did you know there was once a Danish band that was more popular in India than in Denmark? The group Michael Learns to Rock shot to fame with singles like “The Actor” and “That’s Why You Go Away” in the ’90s. At the height of their success, they made tour stops in the Indian cities of Bengaluru and Chennai. The band was so well received that they amassed an enormous cult following across the country for years to come. 

“They got into cabs and went to the airport in Copenhagen—living the normal life. And when they landed in India, there was a huge entourage that greeted them with garlands, and limousines carried them to their hotels,” Padmanabhan Nurani, Spotify’s Head of Artists and Label Marketing India, tells For the Record. 

It’s just a mere glimpse of how the country’s music fans have long embraced local and global artists. 

Home to countless Bollywood stars, along with raga virtuosos, indie talent, and more, India has been a vibrant hub for international music and a top tour destination for world-class acts like Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen. Sneha Singh, Head of Music Culture and Editorial India, credits the rich diversity of the country’s music landscape for this broad acceptance of global sounds.

“Because we have so many languages, it’s just ingrained in us to take in and to respect each other’s cultures,” Singh tells For the Record. “Acceptance is fairly easy and this means we listen to all kinds of music.”

The robust and rich content on Spotify India ranges from locally curated favorites like Top Hits Hindi and Punjabi 101 to global playlists like Today’s Top Hits and New Music Friday. Now, with the recent addition of the Warner Music Group catalog in India, listeners are also streaming the latest tracks from global stars such as Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, and Cardi B, and rock fans have access to entire discographies of Coldplay, Linkin Park, and The Doors, among others.

In the first two weeks of the catalog’s availability in India, Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa were the top two most-searched Warner Music artists, respectively. The most-searched-for tracks were “Dance Monkey“ by Australian songwriter Tones And I, followed by Roddy Ricch’s infectious hip-hop anthem “The Box.” 

Nurani says it’s no surprise that Ed Sheeran comes up tops for the nation of 1.3 billion people. Sheeran has performed in India twice. In 2017 he greeted his audience with a respectful “namaste” (“hello” in Hindi) before performing dressed in a blue silk kurta, the traditional shirt worn across South Asia. The “Shape of You” star’s choice of wardrobe made national headlines, and the song played on the radio for the next two years. 

Like Sheeran, Dua Lipa is also a regular in India and shows her appreciation for local culture whenever she performs there. Before playing in Mumbai last year, Dua Lipa took some time to meet with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and even picked up a few of his dance moves. Khan’s post to Instagram fed a local media frenzy online and delighted fans everywhere—such is the interest in “Bollywood meets Hollywood.”

To editorial expert Singh, these cross-cultural collaborations are all a natural expression of how pop culture works in this diverse, music-savvy country. “We have borrowed from the West, and the other way around,” she says. “Music has always been about inspiration and evolving it for the listener’s ears.”

Looking for a deep dive into Indian pop? Start with Spotify’s Hot Hits India playlist and keep going with New Music Friday India and This Is Arjit Singh.

These are Spotify’s Top Workout & Wellness Trends – Plus 2020 Predictions to Help Kick-Start Your Resolutions

December 31, 2019

As we enter the New Year—or better yet, new decade—there are endless ways to get on that fitness, wellness, or self-care resolution. Since there are plenty of songs, podcasts, and playlists dedicated to helping people achieve their wellness goals on Spotify, we took a look at how listeners have been using music and podcasts to stay on track. Plus, we made some predictions for what trends the new year will bring.

So, with more than 54 million workout-themed playlists on Spotify, what songs do listeners sweat to the most? Eminem’s “‘Till I Collapse” is the most-streamed track on workout lists at the moment. Ed Sheeran’s “I Don’t Care” with Justin Bieber is second highest, followed by Tones and I’s “Dance Monkey,” “If I Can’t Have You” by Shawn Mendes, and “Beautiful People” by Ed Sheeran and Khalid.

It turns out that our listeners have a particular workout preference—running. Spotify listeners around the world have created more running playlists than any other workout type. Yoga follows in popularity, so you can be sure listeners are staying flexible as well.

We found that people want to learn about wellness from podcasts, too. Listening in the fitness and wellness podcast genre increased 145% in the past year. Plus, listeners are falling asleep—and in love—with sleep podcasts. The most popular podcast in the health and fitness category is Sleepy, where host Otis Gray reads classic stories to help listeners doze off. Is this what sweet dreams are made of?

As for 2020 predictions, we have reason to believe there’s going to be more meditating than ever before. We saw a 113% increase in streams of meditation playlists in the past year, higher than any other workout or wellness type.

Plus, we feel self-love will continue to reign supreme, with pump-up empowerment anthems like Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next,” Lizzo’s “Good as Hell,” and Hailee Steinfeld’s “Love Myself,” popular on self-care playlists. These powerful women are here to say You’ve got this.

Keep up the motivation with even more workout and wellness trends:


Download the infographic here.

Get inspired by our Wellness hub or get your heart racing with Spotify’s most-followed workout playlist, Beast Mode.

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.

Spotify’s Most Streamed Songs of Summer 2019

August 27, 2019

We know what they did this summer. Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello turned up the heat with their second collaboration, “Señorita,” which is Spotify’s most-streamed global song of the summer for 2019. With more than 565 million streams since its June release, the hit track has simmered atop Spotify’s Global Top 50 chart for eight straight weeks. 

Understandably, Shawn is pretty excited about this: 

 

Listeners also favored another collaboration during the Northern Hemisphere’s warmer months: Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s “I Don’t Care” is the second most-streamed song this summer globally, followed by “bad guy” by Billie Eilish. 

And a tip of the (cowboy) hat must go to breakout rapper-singer Lil Nas X, whose “Old Town Road” took off in the Spring – as both a meme and a hit song – and the remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus is the summer’s fourth most-streamed track globally. Proving that he’s no one-hit-wonder, Lil Nas X has a smash in follow-up single “Panini,” too, which is also featured on our global top summer songs list. 

Rapper Lizzo has also had an impressive breakout year, and this summer, her sleeper hit “Truth Hurts” reached fever pitch. Scotish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi also stepped into the (sun)light; our listeners around the world couldn’t get enough of his piano ballad “Someone You Loved” this summer. 

Another newcomer is Panamanian singer Sech, whose R&B twist on reggaeton is resonating with Spotify listeners as a fresh sound. His collaboration with Darell on “Otro Trago” is one of five Spanish-language songs to land in the top 20 most-streamed songs globally. Also taking off is Puerto Rico’s Lunay, whose “Soltera – Remix” got a great boost from Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny.

In the US, the most-streamed song of the summer comes from breakout rapper Lil Tecca. His track “Ransom” shot to the top of our US Top 50 chart three weeks ago, and since then, Lil Tecca’s audience has grown from 12 million monthly listeners to more than 19 million on Spotify. 

It’s the breakout artist story we love to tell at Spotify. Our music editors saw Lil Tecca’s potential from the get-go, and in March added his track “Molly Girl” to our Fresh Finds playlist. After debuting “Ransom” in our Most Necessary playlist in May, the track’s momentum was clear, and it continued to resonate with listeners and grow in multiple playlists, like New Music Friday, Pop Rising, Clout Culture, Today’s Top Hits and of course, on our signature hip-hop playlist, RapCaviar. 

“Seeing Lil Tecca’s track pop as a result of our team throwing support behind it is so rewarding,” said Spotify’s Head of Urban Music, Carl Chery. “As usual, our listeners guide the way, and the energy around ‘Ransom’ is evident from the moment it hits each playlist.” 

Relive the sound of summer 2019 by streaming the top 20 on our Songs of the Summer playlist. 

 

Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber Release New Joint Single ‘I Don’t Care’

May 10, 2019

Four years ago, Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber released their first collaboration, “Love Yourself.” Now, after a few weeks of teasing fans and listeners around the world, the duo is back today with a new joint single, “I Don’t Care.”

Neither Ed nor Justin are strangers to this type of project. Ed Sheeran’s best-known collaboration is his “Perfect Duet” with Beyoncé, followed by the Stormzy “Shape of You” remix. Bieber, a collaboration king, has worked with the likes of Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi (“Despacito Remix”), as well as Nicki Minaj (“Beauty and a Beat”). Separately, both artists are stars in their own right. Together, they’re nothing short of a supernova.

In celebration of today’s new release, we’ve taken a deep dive into their star power. Check out the infographic below to see just how impressive these global record-breaking artists are—together and apart.

Moms Listen to Top Artists, Too—Just Ask Latham Thomas and Her Teen DJ Son

May 11, 2018

Wondering what to add to your mom’s breakfast-in-bed Spotify playlist this Mother’s Day? It might not be so different from what you’d add to your own. Spotify’s latest data on the top artists for women between the ages of 20 and 70-plus show that hits are hits—no matter what your age.

In a list of top listened-to artists by gender and age group, Post Malone and Ed Sheeran take the top two slots for women ages 30 through 59, with Drake, Avicii, and Adele also scoring high. For women 60 and up, it’s all about Ed Sheeran and perennial favorite The Beatles.

Parents have a big opportunity to influence what their kids listen to, and based on the data, it looks like the next generation is repaying the favor by keeping Mom in the musical know.

Take the musical preferences of Latham Thomas, wellness and lifestyle specialist and founder of Mama Glow. Latham and her 14-year-old son, Fulano Librizzi—an accomplished DJ and musician who has spun for everyone from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to the New York Knicks—both get down to Stevie Wonder, but also thrive on sharing everything from jazz to J. Cole.

We spoke to Latham about what her family is listening to now, and how to bridge the generation gap with the right tunes.

What are your early memories of music?

My mom was always playing music; she would throw on a record and make pancakes in the morning. Especially on weekends, it was Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross. I went to my first Prince concert when I was 3, and Sheila E threw her drumsticks in the audience and my aunt caught them. My whole childhood was always punctuated with music.

How did you begin sharing your love of music with your son, Fulano?

When I was pregnant with my son, his father had a radio show on WKCR [in New York City] called “Jazz Alternatives.” We would hang out in the studio and pull records that looked interesting­­. We had Sicilian tarantellas, blues like Lead Belly, Sun Ra, Funkadelic, and Parliament—which my son loves now. He would actually kick to the rhythm of certain things. I think playing a lot of different music for him definitely helped with shaping his aptitude. Not only is he a DJ, he arranges music; he plays guitar and bass, ukulele. I think all those instruments also help him with understanding how to create a song. It’s nice to be able to know that just our passion and love for music helped to shape him to be very musical.

Does Fulano now introduce you to new music?

Yes. All the music that is current, I only know because of my son. He’s the one who’s like, “Oh, you’ve got to listen to J. Cole, you’ve got to listen to Migos.” I find out about a lot of indie or underground artists. He’ll play me a list of stuff and say, “This is really big right now” or, “This person’s on the come up.” I don’t know all the names, but I stay in the pulse that way.

What songs are at the top of both of your playlists right now?

We both maintain a lot of the same soul classics, like Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. As far as the more current music, we both have been listening to J. Cole. We both like Cardi B.

How can parents better get along musically with their kids?

If you have a different musical style than your kids, spend some time and get to know who the artists are that they’re listening to, because those people are definitely influencing them. It’s a point of entry for conversation and connection, and it’s a point of coolness for you. Every generation has music that the previous generation just doesn’t get. But if you can gather around what matters to kids, you can ride the soundtrack of their lives and get to know better what’s happening in their own world. Music just has that ability to make people come together.

Happy Mother’s Day!