Spotify User Stats (Updated March 2023)
Written by Brian Dean

Spotify launched in October 2008 as a music streaming service.
\nIt took Spotify over two years to reach the 1 million subscriber milestone.
\nToday, as a publicly traded company, Spotify has 165 million subscribers. And it has expanded beyond music, with more than 2.9 million podcast titles available.
\nHere\u2019s an overview of what you\u2019ll learn about Spotify in 2023:
\n- \n
- Spotify monthly active users \n
- Distribution of Spotify monthly active users by region \n
- Spotify paying subscribers \n
- Distribution of Spotify Premium subscribers by region \n
- Spotify revenue \n
- Spotify revenue by segment: Premium subscribers \n
- Spotify revenue by segment: ad-supported \n
- Spotify market share \n
- Spotify for podcasts \n
- What are the most popular podcasts on Spotify? \n
- What are the most popular podcast genres on Spotify? \n
- How many podcast titles are available on Spotify? \n
- In how many countries is Spotify available? \n
- Spotify availability by platform \n
- How many playlists are available on Spotify? \n
- What are the most popular playlists on Spotify? \n
- How many tracks are available on Spotify? \n
- Who are the most popular artists on Spotify? \n
- How many employees work at Spotify? \n
Spotify monthly active users
\nAccording to company-published data, Spotify has 365 million monthly active users. Spotify has seen consistent quarter-on-quarter growth of its active user base since 2015.
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In fact, Spotify has added 133 million monthly active users over the last two years (Q2 2020 – Q2 2021).
\nAccording to insights shared in a recent Spotify shareholder letter, Spotify estimates that it will have 400-407 million monthly active users by the end of 2021. A forecasted increase of\u00a0 17.97% compared to the same time last year.
\n
Here\u2019s a full breakdown of Spotify monthly user growth since 2015:
\nQuarter, year | \nMonthly active users | \n
---|---|
Q1 2015 | \n68 million | \n
Q2 2015 | \n77 million | \n
Q3 2015 | \n82 million | \n
Q4 2015 | \n91 million | \n
Q1 2016 | \n96 million | \n
Q2 2016 | \n104 million | \n
Q3 2016 | \n113 million | \n
Q4 2016 | \n123 million | \n
Q1 2017 | \n132 million | \n
Q2 2017 | \n138 million | \n
Q3 2017 | \n149 million | \n
Q4 2017 | \n160 million | \n
Q1 2018 | \n157 million | \n
Q2 2018 | \n180 million | \n
Q3 2018 | \n191 million | \n
Q4 2018 | \n207 million | \n
Q1 2019 | \n217 million | \n
Q2 2019 | \n232 million | \n
Q3 2019 | \n248 million | \n
Q4 2019 | \n271 million | \n
Q1 2020 | \n286 million | \n
Q2 2020 | \n299 million | \n
Q3 2020 | \n320 million | \n
Q4 2020 | \n345 million | \n
Q1 2021 | \n356 million | \n
Q2 2021 | \n365 million | \n
Q3 2021* | \n377-382 million | \n
Q4 2021* | \n400-407 million | \n
Distribution of Spotify monthly active users
\n34% of Spotify\u2019s monthly active users live in Europe. That equates to over 124.1 million monthly active users in the EU alone.
\n
A further 46% of Spotify MAUs are based in North & Latin America.
\nEurope & North America combined make up the majority (58%) of Spotify\u2019s active user base, totaling 211.7 million monthly active users.
\nHere\u2019s the complete distribution of Spotify MAUs by region:
\nRegion | \nShare of monthly active users | \n
---|---|
Europe | \n34% | \n
North America | \n24% | \n
Latin America | \n22% | \n
Rest of the World | \n20% | \n
Source: Spotify
\nSpotify paying subscribers
\nSpotify has 165 million Premium subscribers worldwide. An increase from only 100 million subscribers in early 2019.
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Spotify estimates that the audio streaming service is expected to have 177-181 million Premium subscribers by the end of 2021. An annual increase of at least 14.19% (assuming the lowest number in the forecasted range).
\n
Here\u2019s a complete breakdown of Spotify Premium subscriber growth since Q1 2015:
\nQuarter, year | \nPaying subscribers | \n
---|---|
Q1 2015 | \n18 million | \n
Q2 2015 | \n22 million | \n
Q3 2015 | \n24 million | \n
Q4 2015 | \n28 million | \n
Q1 2016 | \n30 million | \n
Q2 2016 | \n36 million | \n
Q3 2016 | \n40 million | \n
Q4 2016 | \n48 million | \n
Q1 2017 | \n52 million | \n
Q2 2017 | \n59 million | \n
Q3 2017 | \n62 million | \n
Q4 2017 | \n71 million | \n
Q1 2018 | \n75 million | \n
Q2 2018 | \n83 million | \n
Q3 2018 | \n87 million | \n
Q4 2018 | \n96 million | \n
Q1 2019 | \n100 million | \n
Q2 2019 | \n108 million | \n
Q3 2019 | \n113 million | \n
Q4 2019 | \n124 million | \n
Q1 2020 | \n130 million | \n
Q2 2020 | \n138 million | \n
Q3 2020 | \n144 million | \n
Q4 2020 | \n155 million | \n
Q1 2021 | \n158 million | \n
Q2 2021 | \n165 million | \n
Q3 2021* | \n170-174 million | \n
Q4 2021* | \n177-181 million | \n
Distribution of Spotify Premium subscribers by region
\n69% of Spotify Premium subscribers are based in Europe and North America.
\n
Here\u2019s the regional distribution of Spotify Premium subscribers:
\nRegion | \nShare of Premium subscribers | \n
---|---|
Europe | \n40% | \n
North America | \n29% | \n
Latin America | \n20% | \n
Rest of the World | \n11% | \n
Source: Spotify
\nSpotify revenue
\nSpotify is expected to register between $10.7 and $11.17 billion (\u20ac9.26 – 9.66b) in annual revenue by the end of 2021. An increase from $9.11 billion (\u20ac7.88b) in 2020.
\n
Here\u2019s a comprehensive overview of Spotify\u2019s revenue since 2012:
\nYear | \nRevenue (in Euros) | \n
---|---|
2009 | \n13.36 million | \n
2010 | \n73.9 million | \n
2011 | \n187.8 million | \n
2012 | \n430.1 million | \n
2013 | \n746 million | \n
2014 | \n1.08 billion | \n
2015 | \n1.94 billion | \n
2016 | \n2.95 billion | \n
2017 | \n4.09 billion | \n
2018 | \n5.26 billion | \n
2019 | \n6.76 billion | \n
2020 | \n7.88 billion | \n
2021* | \n9.26 – 9.66 billion | \n
Spotify revenue by segment: Premium subscribers
\nSpotify has two revenue streams: subscription fees from Premium subscribers and an ad-supported business.
\nSpotify registered $8.25 billion (\u20ac7.13b) in revenue in 2020 from Premium subscribers.
\nIn fact, Spotify’s Premium subscriber revenue has increased $1.2 billion (\u20ac1.04b) in 2020 alone.
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For the first two quarters of 2021, premium revenue amounted to $4.6 billion (\u20ac3.98b).
\nWe\u2019ve charted the growth of Spotify revenue from Premium subscribers since 2012:
\nYear | \nRevenue from Premium subscribers (in Euros) | \n
---|---|
2012 | \n374.6 million | \n
2013 | \n677.89 million | \n
2014 | \n982.7 million | \n
2015 | \n1.74 billion | \n
2016 | \n2.657 billion | \n
2017 | \n3.67 billion | \n
2018 | \n4.717 billion | \n
2019 | \n6.086 billion | \n
2020 | \n7.13 billion | \n
2021 (Q1+Q2) | \n3.98 billion | \n
Spotify revenue by segment: ad-supported users
\nSpotify generated $851 million (\u20ac745m) in annual ad revenue in 2020. An increase from $975.6 million (\u20ac542m) in 2018.
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By the second quarter of 2021, ad-supported users generated $567 million (\u20ac491m) for Spotify.
\nHere\u2019s an overview of Spotify\u2019s ad-supported revenue since 2012:
\nYear | \nAd-supported revenue (in euros) | \n
---|---|
2012 | \n55.5 million | \n
2013 | \n68.16 million | \n
2014 | \n102 million | \n
2015 | \n196 million | \n
2016 | \n295 million | \n
2017 | \n416 million | \n
2018 | \n542 million | \n
2019 | \n678 million | \n
2020 | \n745 million | \n
2021 (Q1+Q2) | \n491 million | \n
Spotify market share
\nSpotify has a 33.8% market share in the music streaming space. Among the 487 million people that have a music streaming subscription, 165 million of them are subscribed to Spotify (as of mid-2021).
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Over the past 5 years, Spotify\u2019s market share has been consistently in the 32%-43% range. Although Spotify’s market share has decreased slightly over the past three years.
\nWe\u2019ve charted the Spotify market share among paying music streaming users since 2015:
\nYear | \nMarket share | \n
---|---|
2015 | \n41.2% | \n
2016 | \n42.8% | \n
2017 | \n40.3% | \n
2018 | \n42.7% | \n
2019 | \n36.4% | \n
2020 (Q1) | \n32.5% | \n
2021 (Q1) | \n32% | \n
Sources: Midia, Statista, Spotify
\nSpotify as a podcast listening app
\nSpotify is reported to be the 2nd most used app for listening podcasts in the US, with 40% of listeners frequently using it. That is a 33% increase from 2019.
\nFor Android mobile phone owners in the US, Spotify, along with YouTube, is the most used app for podcast listening, with a 26% market share (up from 23% in 2020).
\nAmong American millennials aged 18-34 who listen to podcasts on a regular basis, Spotify is the most used platform for podcasts (50% are frequently using it).
\nSource: Westwood One
\nWhat are the most popular podcasts on Spotify?
\nGlobally, the Joe Rogan Experience is the most popular podcast on Spotify. Other popular podcast streams include Crime Junkie and Call Her Daddy.
\nHere\u2019s the complete list of the top 5 most popular podcasts on Spotify globally:
\n- \n
- The Joe Rogan Experience \n
- Crime Junkie \n
- Call Her Daddy \n
- The Daily \n
- Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard \n
Source: Spotify
\nWhat are the most popular podcast genres on Spotify?
\nAmong global Spotify podcast listeners, Society & Culture is the most popular podcast genre on the platform. Comedy and Lifestyle & Health round out the top 3 podcast genres on Spotify.
\nHere\u2019s are the top 5 most popular podcast genres among Spotify\u2019s worldwide audience:
\n- \n
- Society & Culture \n
- Comedy \n
- Lifestyle & Health. \n
- Arts & Entertainment. \n
- Education. \n
Source: Spotify
\nHow many podcasts are available on Spotify?
\nSpotify has over 2.9 million podcasts in its catalog. An increase of 5.8x since 2019.
\nSpotify added 1,700,000 new podcasts in 2020 alone.
\nSources: The Guardian, Spotify
\nIn how many countries is Spotify available?
\nSpotify is currently available in 178 countries. Since 2020, Spotify has expanded its presence to additional 85 countries.
\nBack in 2017, Spotify was available in 61 markets across the world. Between 2018 and 2021, the audio streaming service became available in 117 additional countries.
\nSources: Spotify, TechCrunch, Wikipedia
\nSpotify app geographic availability by platform
\nAccording to Appfigures data, the iOS Spotify mobile app is available for download in 157 countries in the App Store.
\nAs of October 2021, Spotify is available in 90% of countries where the iOS App Store operates.
\nBesides their desktop offering, the Spotify Music app is available for install on smart TVs via the Roku Channel Store. Spotify for Roku is available in all 17 countries where Roku operates.
\nIn the Amazon App Store, the Spotify app is available in 9 countries among the 11 countries where the Amazon App Store works. The two excluded countries are China and Japan.
\nSource: Appfigures
\nHow many playlists are available on Spotify?
\nSpotify has over 4 billion playlists available in its catalog.
\nThe audio streaming platform has added over 1 billion new playlists in 2020 alone.
\nSource: Spotify
\nWhat are the most popular playlists on Spotify?
\nAll of the top 20 most-followed playlists on Spotify are curated by the company itself.
\n50% of Spotify’s top 20 most followed playlists are personalized.
\n
Categorized by genre, 50% of the top 20 Spotify playlists feature pop music. While pop and Latin music genres are responsible for 10% of total playlist popularity.
\n70% of Spotify\u2019s top 20 most followed playlists are composed of mostly new tracks (tracks less than 18 months old).
\nThe remaining 30% of Spotify\u2019s top 20 most popular playlists include a minority of new tracks (tracks less than 18 months old).
\n
Spotify has 27 playlists with over 5 million followers.
\nHere\u2019s the ranking of the top 20 most followed playlists on Spotify:
\nPlaylist | \nNumber of followers | \n
---|---|
Today’s Top Hits | \n27.76 million | \n
Global Top 50 | \n15.91 million | \n
RapCaviar | \n13.62 million | \n
\u00a1Viva Latino! | \n10.81 million | \n
Baila Reggaeton | \n10.19 million | \n
Songs to Sing in the Car (personalized) | \n9.78 million | \n
All Out 00s (personalized) | \n9.05 million | \n
Rock Classics (personalized) | \n8.77 million | \n
All Out 80s (personalized) | \n8.17 million | \n
Beast Mode (personalized) | \n7.74 million | \n
All Out 90s (personalized) | \n6.43 million | \n
Mood Booster (personalized) | \n6.39 million | \n
Chill Hits (personalized) | \n6.25 million | \n
Hot Country | \n6.24 million | \n
Peaceful Piano | \n6.13 million | \n
Get Turnt | \n5.96 million | \n
Songs to Sing in the Shower (personalized) | \n5.86 million | \n
Esquenta Sertanejo | \n5.71 million | \n
mint | \n5.57 million | \n
Happy Hits! (personalized) | \n5.52 million | \n
Source: Charmetric, Hypebot
\nHow many tracks are available on Spotify?
\nSpotify has over 70 million tracks on the platform as of late 2021, according to company data. An increase from 50 million tracks in early 2020.
\nBy the end of 2021, Spotify is expected to upload 22 million more tracks (an average of 60,000 tracks per day, or almost one in every second).
\nSources: Music Business Worldwide, Spotify
\nWho are the most popular artists on Spotify?
\nEd Sheeran is the most popular artist on Spotify, with 85.77 million monthly listeners. An estimated 23.5% of Spotify\u2019s monthly active users have listened to Ed Sheeran.
\n
Here\u2019s are the top 20 most popular artists on Spotify ranked by the number of monthly listeners:
\nArtist | \nMonthly listeners | \n
---|---|
Ed Sheeran | \n85.77 million | \n
Ariana Grande | \n69.79 million | \n
Drake | \n57.61 million | \n
Justin Bieber | \n51.06 million | \n
Billie Eilish | \n49.81 million | \n
Eminem | \n48.14 million | \n
Rihanna | \n45.14 million | \n
Taylor Swift | \n43.73 million | \n
BTS | \n39.45 million | \n
Bad Bunny | \n38.13 million | \n
The Weeknd | \n37.14 million | \n
Queen | \n37.02 million | \n
Imagine Dragons | \n36.08 million | \n
Shawn Mendes | \n34.7 million | \n
Post Malone/td> | \n34.34 million | \n
Bruno Mars | \n34.18 million | \n
Arijit Singh | \n33.51 million | \n
Maroon 5 | \n33.2 million | \n
Marshmello | \n32.15 million | \n
Coldplay | \n32.02 million | \n
In 2020, the most streamed artist among the global Spotify audience was Bad Bunny.
\nSources: Charmetric, Spotify
\nHow many people work at Spotify?
\nAccording to a Spotify press release, 7,085 employees work at the company as full-time employees. Employee count has grown by 60.8% since 2019.
\n
We\u2019ve charted the growth of Spotify\u2019s employee headcount since 2011:
\nYear | \nNumber of employees | \n
---|---|
2011 | \n311 | \n
2013 | \n958 | \n
2014 | \n1,365 | \n
2015 | \n1,581 | \n
2016 | \n2,162 | \n
2017 | \n2,960 | \n
2018 | \n3,651 | \n
2019 | \n4,405 | \n
2020 | \n6,554 | \n
2021 (Q2) | \n7,085 | \n
According to Spotify\u2019s annual report, the average annual salary of a full-time employee at Spotify was \u20ac122,814 in 2019. Spotify\u2019s spending on wages and salaries per full-time employee has increased by 9.63% for a year.
\n\nConclusion
\nYou made it! That wraps up my list of Spotify users and revenue statistics.
\nEven though Spotify is a public company, they don\u2019t publish a lot of their data in one place. So I did my best to compile facts and figures available from a range of sources. That way, you could easily find the data that you\u2019re interested in.
\nSpotify has gone beyond music with major investments in podcasts and video. Yet, the company is still not profitable as of late 2021.
\nNow I want to hear from you:
\nDo you have any suggestions for this collection of Spotify statistics? Or questions about the data listed here?
\nGo ahead and leave a quick comment below.