Tag: latin music

Spotify’s 10-Year Journey Elevating Latin Creators

December 18, 2023

In 2013, Spotify embarked on a transformative journey in most of Latin America’s Spanish-speaking countries, a journey that has since reshaped the rhythm of global music. This tenth anniversary of our presence in the region is not just a landmark in the history of Spotify; it’s also a celebration of how Latin creators—propelled by the power of streaming—have taken the world by storm.

Back then, Spotify’s global Top 100 charts featured no Latin songs. Today the musical landscape is radically different. Latin beats have not only appeared on these charts, but they’ve conquered them, growing at 28% annually on Spotify. More than one out of every five songs in the global Top 100 is Latin—a clear indication of the genre’s rising dominance and widespread appeal.

This era has been marked by the emergence of groundbreaking artists from cultural hotspots like Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Puerto Rico who have topped charts and reshaped the cultural fabric. “The music scene has experienced a revolution in recent years, where Latin rhythms from reggaeton to música Mexicana are dictating the global pulse,” says Mia Nygren, general manager of Spotify in Latin America. “At Spotify, more than simply witnesses to this phenomenon, we have been facilitators; we’ve seen constant and permanent growth of the industry in the last decade. It is an honor to be the bridge that unites these talented artists with global audiences.” 

The impact of Spotify in this Latin music surge is undeniable. It’s been the digital confluence where artists have met fans, resulting in a 986% increase in Latin music listeners on Spotify worldwide from 2014 to 2023.

 

“I am extremely excited about the future for us in Latin America. We’ve come so far and we have room to grow, but of course that comes with a huge responsibility,” Mia continues. “There is still more talent to be discovered, and we are excited to help them go from local stages to regional to finally the global scene. It’s noteworthy that 21% of all Spotify global users are in Latin America, highlighting the significant impact and potential of this market.”

For the Record also had the opportunity to hear from a few artists who’ve been with Spotify from the beginning of our journey in Latin America. Read on for thoughts from Argentina’s Yami Safdie, Mexico’s Ha*Ash, and Colombia’s TIMO below.

Yami Safdie

How do you think Spotify has played a role in advancing your career?

Spotify is absolutely essential for anyone starting out in the music industry. It’s been a key player in my journey, unlocking opportunities from being featured on playlists to recommendations that introduce my music to potential fans. I’m so thankful for this; I don’t think I could have come this far without Spotify’s platform.

Can you share a story that highlights how Spotify has changed the way you connect with your audience?

I absolutely love checking out the playlists that feature my songs. It’s thrilling to see that a significant portion of my tracks’ streams come from these playlists and the listeners’ own libraries. The creative titles of these playlists are always a highlight for me—they’re just so much fun. I often share these playlists on my social media and have great conversations about them with my friends and family.

Ha*Ash

How do you think Spotify has played a role in advancing your career?

Spotify has played an essential role in the growth of our career. The playlists and the platform’s wide audience have allowed people who possibly weren’t familiar with our music to now know and enjoy it.

Can you share a specific case or story that highlights how Spotify has changed the way you connect with your audience?

Spotify has democratized music in every sense. Today an artist can create a song at home and freely release it for the whole world to listen to. Similarly, the audience has the freedom to decide whether they like it or not, without any intermediary. It’s democratic for both musicians and audiences alike.

TIMO

How do you think music streaming has transformed the consumption habits of fans around the world?

We think the most significant impact since Spotify entered our lives is the expanded access it provided to music and artists. Previously there were numerous constraints with the formats available, but streaming has simplified everything. This simplicity has skyrocketed the number of times artists’ music is played. Undoubtedly, the advent of Spotify has transformed our lives.

Can you share a specific case or story that highlights how Spotify has changed the way you connect with your audience?

We leverage features like Canvas for our music promotion. When releasing a new track, we invite our audience to share videos of them singing or enjoying the song. We always select the best ones and include them in our Canvas. This helps us attract more listeners to our music on the platform and fosters a deeper connection with the song.

Los 10 años de Spotify elevando a los creadores latinos

December 18, 2023

En 2013, Spotify comenzó un viaje transformador en la mayoría de los países de habla hispana de América Latina, un viaje que, desde entonces, ha redefinido el ritmo de la música global. Este décimo aniversario de presencia en la región no es solo un hito en la historia de Spotify; es una celebración de cómo los creadores latinos, impulsados por el poder del streaming, han conquistado al mundo.

Hace diez años, las listas globales Top 100 de Spotify no incluían canciones latinas, hoy en día el panorama musical es totalmente diferente. Los ritmos latinos no sólo han aparecido en estas listas; los han conquistado, teniendo un crecimiento del 28% anual en Spotify. Actualmente, más de una de cada cinco canciones en el Top 100 global es latina, una clara indicación de su creciente dominio y atractivo en general.

Esta era ha estado marcada por el surgimiento de artistas innovadores que no sólo encabezaron las listas de éxitos, sino que también redefinieron nuestra cultura. “La escena musical ha experimentado una revolución en los últimos años, donde los géneros latinos, desde el Reggaetón hasta la Música Mexicana, están dictando el pulso global”, comentó Mia Nygren, General Manager de Spotify en Latino América. “En Spotify, más que simples testigos de este fenómeno, hemos sido facilitadores, hemos visto un crecimiento constante y permanente de la industria en la última década. Es un honor ser el puente que une a estos talentosos artistas con audiencias globales. Es importante mencionar que el 21% de todos los usuarios de Spotify están en América Latina, lo que definitivamente demuestra el impacto y potencial del mercado”.

El impacto de Spotify en este auge de la música latina es innegable. Ha servido como puente digital donde los artistas conectaron con sus fans, lo que resultó en un aumento del 986% en los oyentes de música latina en Spotify a nivel global entre 2014 y 2023.

 

El extraordinario impulso de la música de habla hispana está profundamente arraigado en el género latino. Artistas de puntos culturales clave como México, Colombia, Argentina y Puerto Rico están a la vanguardia y sirven como embajadores globales.

“Estoy muy emocionada acerca del futuro para nosotros en Latino América. Hemos llegado muy lejos y tenemos espacio para crecer, pero, por supuesto, eso conlleva una gran responsabilidad”, comentó Mia. “Todavía hay más talento por descubrir y estamos emocionados de ayudarlos a pasar de los escenarios locales, a los regionales y finalmente a la escena global. Vale la penadestacar que el 21% de todos los usuarios globales de Spotify se encuentran en Latino América, lo que resalta el importante impacto y potencial de este mercado”.

For the Record también tuvo la oportunidad de hablar con algunos artistas que han estado con Spotify desde el inicio de nuestro viaje en Latino América. Sigue leyendo para conocer las opiniones de Yami Safdie de Argentina, Ha*Ash de México y TIMO de Colombia.

Yami Safdie

¿De qué manera crees que Spotify ha jugado un papel en el avance de tu carrera?

Creo que Spotify es totalmente fundamental a la hora de ser un artista emergente y empezar a construir una carrera musical. A mi me abrió muchísimas puertas, desde las playlists, hasta las funciones de exploración algorítmicas, como le va sugiriendo mi música a gente que le puede llegar a gustar. Estoy super agradecida con eso y probablemente no hubiese sido nada posible si no hubiese tenido la herramienta de Spotify.

¿Puedes compartir un caso o historia específica o que destaques como Spotify ha cambiado la forma con la que t e conectas con tu audiencia?

Me gusta mucho ver las playlists a las que agregan mis canciones, ya que gran porcentaje de las reproducciones de mis temas, vienen de ellas, y de las bibliotecas de los oyentes.  Disfruto mucho poder ver los títulos creativos de las playlists, son muy divertidos. Siempre las comparto en mis redes y converso mucho sobre el tema con las personas cercanas.

Ha*Ash

¿De qué manera crees que Spotify ha jugado un papel en el avance de tu carrera?

Spotify ha desempeñado un rol esencial en el crecimiento de nuestra carrera. Las playlists y la amplia audiencia de la plataforma han permitido que personas que posiblemente no estaban familiarizadas con nuestra música, ahora la conozcan y disfruten.

¿Puedes compartir un caso o historia específica o que destaques como Spotify ha cambiado la forma con la que te conectas con tu audiencia?

Spotify es la verdadera democratización de la música en todo sentido. Hoy un artista puede hacer una canción en su casa, y ponerla libremente a que literalmente la escuchen en todo el mundo a través de la plataforma. Del mismo modo, la audiencia decide con la misma libertad si le gusta o no, sin tener ningún tipo de intermediario. Es democratico para los músicos y para las audiencias por igual.

TIMO

¿Cómo crees que el streaming de música ha llevado a transformar los hábitos de consumo de los fans de todo el mundo?

Consideramos que lo más importante, desde que llegó Spotify a nuestras vidas, fue el mayor acceso que generó a la música y a los artistas. Antes existían muchas limitaciones en los otros formatos que existían, con el streaming todo se volvió mucho más sencillo, lo que ha disparado la cantidad de reproducciones de los artistas. Sin duda, la llegada de Spotify nos cambió la vida.

¿Puedes compartir un caso o historia específica o que destaques como Spotify ha cambiado la forma con la que te conectas con tu audiencia?

Usamos herramientas como los canvas para promocionar nuestra música. Por ejemplo, al lanzar una nueva canción, animamos a las personas a enviarnos videos cantándola o disfrutándola. Siempre seleccionamos los mejores y los incluimos en nuestro canvas. Esto nos ayuda a atraer más oyentes a nuestra música en la plataforma y fomenta una mayor conexión con la canción.

Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month on Spotify With Our ‘Estamos Ready’ Campaign

September 20, 2023

Latinx culture continues to set the tone around the world, as evidenced by the rise of genres like Música Mexicana, corridos, and urbano. September 15 through October 15 marks Latinx Heritage Month, and we’re celebrating with our “Estamos Ready” campaign, honoring the stories, the diversity, and the power of Latinx creators and fans. 

On our dedicated Latinx Heritage Month hub, listeners can discover top playlists, including Hyphenated, Mixto, Fuego, and Los Que Mandan, as well as podcasts, like I.E In Friends, Gay & Afraid with Eric Sedeño, The Super Secret Bestie Club, and Fool Coverage with Manny MUA and Laura Lee.

We also wanted to explore the impact of Latin music in the U.S., so we took a look at Spotify listener data from every U.S. state. We discovered that Peso Pluma and Bad Bunny are lighting up the Latin streaming charts, with each standing as the most popular artist in 31 states and 15 states, respectively. Meanwhile, Música Mexicana (26 states), Trap Latino (12 states), and urbano (10 states) represent the most popular genres.

Top 10 U.S. States With the Highest Percentage of Latin Music Streams on Spotify

(June 15–September 15)

  1. Texas
  2. California
  3. Florida
  4. Nevada
  5. Arizona
  6. New Mexico
  7. Illinois
  8. New Jersey
  9. Georgia
  10. Utah

Over the past few years, Latin music on Spotify has also seen rapid growth in some surprising states. Between September 2020 and September 2023, Latin music streams in North Dakota surged an impressive 370%, followed by a 284% bump in Minnesota and a 253% increase in Mississippi. Indiana, the home state of Latinx star Omar Apollo, has seen its Latin music streams grow by 182%.

In addition to our data discoveries, For the Record also chatted with Omar, along with artists Kali Uchis, DannyLux, Elena Rose, and Prince Royce, to find out more about their favorite aspects of Latinx culture. 

How does your culture bring joy to your music?

Prince Royce: I’ve been visiting the Dominican Republic since I was very young, and I think in general, there is a lot of life in the culture. They are always dancing, which comes with genres like merengue and bachata. Dominicans love to party. My family, for example, will come up with any excuse for a barbeque, a birthday party, a baby shower, or a get together, and that definitely reflects a lot in my music. 

Omar Apollo: When I first started doing shows, it was all really young Latino kids in the crowd. I was probably like 19 when I started touring. I am from Indiana, and there wasn’t much of a diaspora of Latino kids. Going around the world showed me there was somewhere that people can find community in the music, celebrate how we grew up, and share the same stories. It’s beautiful. 

Explain your Latinx accent in one sentence.

DannyLux: I think my accent is more of a Mexicali accent from Baja California, because I basically grew up there. Whenever I go to another part of Mexico they tell me that I have a different accent.

Prince Royce: Definitely a very New York/Spanglish accent.

Elena Rose: My accent in one sentence has to be: Caraqueña/Boriqua/Hialeah from Miami. Venezolana because of my parents, so Caracas is there. Puerto Rico because that is where I lived as a kid. And I stayed in Hialeah for almost six years so yeah, I have the Miami right there—the 305, baby!

What is one thing from your culture that you want to share with the rest of the world?

Kali Uchis: One thing I would share with everybody about my culture is definitely our food. I feel like everybody loves food, everybody should have a good arepa, a good Colombian hot dog. All of our snacks, the salty and the sweet combinations, everybody should try it!

Elena Rose: I really like burning palo santo wood. I think it’s been more popular in recent years. And I really like ginger, honey, and lemon tea. That just recently saved me from a very bad cold!

Omar Apollo: It would probably be chilaquiles because I love chilaquiles and I think everyone should have chilaquiles. I am not sure if other Latino communities make chilaquiles, but the ones that my mom makes . . . anyone would go crazy for them!

What’s your favorite Spanish word (or phrase) that’s original to your culture? 

Omar Apollo: It’s probably chambear, which means “to work.” You know, the girls are always working—they are clocked in, they’re ready to go. You can say “chambas,” “estamos en una chamba,” “ando chambeando,” whatever you want to say. That’s my favorite; I say it all the time. 

Kali Uchis: I think my favorite Latin phrases have always been “sin miedo,” but also “sana, sana, colita de rana.”

DannyLux: My favorite phrase is that “everything happens for a reason,” and I always live thinking about that, and I know it has a lot of truth.

Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month by discovering the hottest sounds on our Fuego mixtape.

Spotify’s Innovative Fuego Playlist Turns Fans Into Music Curators

May 10, 2023

graphic cover art showing the logo of fuego mixtapes

Spotify’s Fuego has been red hot since launching last year, with surprise updates each week redefining how listeners discover Latin music. But continuously alerting fans to hot new music isn’t the only thing that sets Fuego apart. The compilation of songs is a result of open and collaborative curation between music editors and guest curators. Now Spotify is taking Fuego and its archive of weekly mixtapes to the next level by giving users the chance to curate the playlist themselves, for the first time ever.

Listeners can submit their own music lineup by visiting the Fuego Mixtape microsite. From there, select playlists will have the chance to be featured as the Fuego playlist of the week. This adds a new way to engage with favorite tracks and share them with others.

Creating an opportunity for user-generated playlists is just one of the many ways Fuego is taking music curation in a new direction. In the past, Fuego has featured guest artist curators like Feid, Myke Towers, and Eladio Carrion. In the coming months, Fuego will expand the helm to playlist takeovers from influencers like Jess Judith, Santea, and Sofia Bella. 

Reggaetón Artist J Balvin Gets Personal in the New Spotify Original Podcast ‘Made in Medellín’

January 23, 2020

J Balvin isn’t only one of the biggest names in reggaetón—he’s one of the biggest names in music today, period. How big? Try fourth-most-played artist in the world big. That’s 58 million Spotify listeners every month. In summer 2018, his fans’ streaming propelled him to a level few artists ever achieve—the number one artist on Spotify. Now, fans can get up close and personal with the reggaetón artist in the new Spotify original podcast Made in Medellín.

The six-episode series tells the story of J Balvin, who was born José Álvaro Osorio Balvin. It follows his dreams of becoming a singer and rising to global fame and shows the challenges that came along with it. Narrated by J Balvin himself and featuring stories from the friends and family closest to him, the podcast offers an intimate look at the artist’s life.

Before you tune into the podcast, see what he and his loved ones had to say about his journey by scrolling through the quotes below. 

Who Will Win the Latin Grammy Awards? Here’s What Our Streaming Data Says

November 14, 2018

Honoring the biggest stars in Latin music, the 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards on November 15 are just around the corner, and the lucky winners are anyone’s guess. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun projecting which talented artists will take home the coveted gold gramophones.

First, let’s look at what we know for sure. The breakout hitmakers topping the charts lead the pack of this year’s Latin Grammy hopefuls, including Colombian reggaeton sensation J Balvin, who racked up eight nominations. Flamenco fusion standout Rosalía isn’t far behind, with five nominations total, a testament to the Barcelona native’s sizzling sophomore album. Meanwhile, Afro-Colombian gypsy jazz ensemble Monsieur Periné is riding the worldwide Latin music wave to what could be the band’s second Latin Grammy win in just three years (the group won the Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2015). Taking home the 2018 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Award will be Maná. The iconic six-time Latin Grammy-winning and four-time Grammy-winning Mexican rock-pop superstars will receive the coveted award for the group’s outstanding contributions to the Latin music community and for its dedication to environmental preservation and support for human rights.

Maná, the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Award

Now, just for fun, let’s gaze into our data-driven crystal ball. Drawing on Spotify’s own statistics—based on what the listeners are streaming—we put together projections for the leading hopefuls in four top Latin Grammy Award categories. Since we rooted our predictions in Spotify user behavior, our listeners are in the future-gazing driver seat. So, based on the total plays on Spotify in the past month (drumroll, please), the potential winners are:

Record of the Year

“X” – Nicky Jam & J Balvin, 17 million streams in the last month

“Mi Gente” – J Balvin con Willy William, 15.2 million streams in the last month

“Malamente” – Rosalía, 5.6 million streams in the last month

Album of the Year

“Vibras” – J Balvin, 45 million streams in the last month

“Prometo” – Pablo Alborán, 9.4 million streams in the last month

“¡México Por Siempre!” – Luis Miguel, 5.4 million streams in the last month

Song of the Year

“Robarte Un Beso” – Mauricio Rengifo, Andrés Torres, Carlos Vives & Sebastian Yatra, songwriters (Carlos Vives & Sebastian Yatra), 7.3 million streams in the last month

“Malamente” – Antón Alvarez Alfaro, Pablo Diaz–Reixa & Rosalía, songwriters (Rosalía), 5.6 million streams in the last month

“Bailar Contigo” – Monsieur Periné & Mauricio Rengifo, songwriters (Monsieur Periné), 1.7 million streams in the last month

Best New Artist

Karol G, 83 million streams in the last month

Best New Artist Nominee Karol G

Christian Nodal, 26 million streams in the last month

Best New Artist Nominee Christian Nodal

Angela Aguilar, 18 million streams in the last month

Best New Artist Nominee Angela Aguilar

Don’t forget to tune in to see where our predictions land. The 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards air live Thursday, November, 15th on Univision at 8 p.m. EST/PT.

Get pumped for the big show with our 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards playlist, packed with 127 songs from nominees spanning several Latin music genres—pop, salsa, banda, cumbia, and more.

Let the Music Play Forever: Spotify Honors the Legacies of Legendary Artists on Día de los Muertos

October 29, 2018

Music carries messages across generations, and that’s especially true on Día de los Muertos. To celebrate the traditional holiday, Spotify is honoring some of Mexican music’s most-beloved deceased icons and their lasting impact on the world of Latin music and culture—and helping music fans connect to the special day.

On the Latin music hub, fans can explore a number of original Día de los Muertos playlists that highlight the music of current and past Mexican and Mexican-American artists. What’s more, they’re all decorated with images of the artists or symbols of Día de los Muertos, such as papel picados, or cut paper banners. Music lovers can embrace the holiday’s musical traditions, stream original artist covers, and honor the legacies of stars past with our dedicated playlists.

First up, our eclectic Día de los Muertos playlist features songs from contemporary and legendary Mexican and Mexican-American greats, and includes a few covers of moving, traditional songs by late musicians. We worked with three current artists to cover those legendary hits—Mexican-American singer-songwriter Becky G lends her soulful voice to a moving take of “Por Un Amor, Cucurrucucu Paloma,” Joss Favela performs a gripping rendition of “Eso y Más,” and indie musician Silvana Estrada brings new life to “Amor Eterno.”

These rising stars also spoke to Spotify about the meaning of the holiday and the impact covering one of their legends had on them.

“For Mexicans, Día de los Muertos is a moment with our loved ones who are no longer with us,” explained Joss Favela. “My idols are no longer alive but they live in their music. This song we are recording is our offering.”

Silvana Estrada noted, “It’s a beautiful opportunity to get in touch with my musical predecessors.”

“This Día de los Muertos, I am honoring Jenni Rivera,” explains Becky G. “When I think of her, I think of my mom—I think of my grandmothers. She embodies the voice of women everywhere.”

Jenni Rivera’s music still has a particular hold on listeners across both Mexico and the U.S. To help fans celebrate her life, we proudly honored her musical legacy at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s 19th annual Día de los Muertos festival in Los Angeles on October 27. Los Angeles was Rivera’s home, and the city where many of her family members, friends, and fans still reside.

“It is an incredible honor for our family that Spotify chose to commemorate my mother’s legacy during the Dia de los Muertos festival in Los Angeles,” said Chiquis Rivera, daughter of Jenni Rivera. “Her music had such an incredible impact on our culture, and to be able to celebrate her life alongside her fans is an experience we will never forget.”

At the festival, fans visited an ofrenda to Jenni Rivera, an Aztec marigold-adorned Día de los Muertos memorial bridge to remember the late artist and celebrate her life. The offering, designed by Mexican ofrenda artist Ricardo Soltero, displayed colorful sugar skulls (a common decoration and traditional holiday gift for children), candles and butterfly symbols on an altar dedicated to her memory. The shrine also featured some of the fiery-voiced “Mariposa de Barrio’s” favorite foods, as well as sugar skulls and papel picados with images of Jenni and the names of some of her most-streamed tracks on Spotify.

Craving more Día de los Muertos music? Stream themed hits from playlists such as A Mover el Esqueleto, a Halloween party with Latin rock ’n’ roll; Mujerones, which honors female Mexican singers across generations; and Calaveritas, which pays homage to Latin and non-Latin musicians who have passed.