Spotify says more than 1,500 artists earned over $1 million in royalties from the platform in 2025. The numbers come from the company’s latest Loud & Clear report, which explains how streaming money is distributed in the music industry.
The report says Spotify paid out a record $11 billion to the music industry last year. That brings the platform’s total payouts to nearly $70 billion since it launched.
According to the report, more than 13,800 artists generated at least $100,000 from Spotify alone in 2025. That number is about 1,400 higher than the previous year.
At the very top level, around 80 artists each made more than $10 million from Spotify streams. Ten years ago, reaching $10 million in annual royalties on the platform was considered a huge milestone.
Spotify also said earnings have grown across the platform. In 2025, the 100,000th highest-earning artist made more than $7,300 from Spotify. Back in 2015, the same position earned around $350.
However, many musicians and songwriters still criticize streaming payouts. Platforms like Spotify pay labels and publishers first, and those companies then distribute the money to artists and songwriters after taking their share.
Spotify also highlighted global growth in music. In 2025, artists from 75 countries earned more than $500,000 on the platform. Songs in 16 different languages also reached Spotify’s Global Top 50 chart.
Some genres are growing faster than others. The report says Brazilian Funk, K-Pop, Trap Latino, Urban Latino, and Reggaeton were among the fastest-growing genres on the platform in 2025.
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