Once you get a song on Spotify, you’ll be waiting for the listeners to flood in. Even great tracks can struggle to pick up plays, however. Luckily, there are ways to get more Spotify streams and earn money in the process. In this post, we’ll show you how more streams help you and how to get more of them.
What Counts as a Stream on Spotify?
When someone listens to your song on Spotify, it only counts after thirty seconds. If they quickly skim through it for less than this time, it won’t count. Someone could listen to a whole verse, or even the chorus, without hitting this threshold.
Streams are important for a number of reasons. They tell Spotify that people enjoy your music. They also show up next to your songs on your profile. Streams are an instant reading of how popular you are on the music platform.
Spotify counts offline streams where possible. When the listener goes back online, the platform simply adds their streams to the song(s). Spotify also works hard to combat fake/bot listeners.
Benefits of Getting More Spotify Streams
More streams mean more fans who enjoy your music. Earning more online listeners will propel your music career to new heights. Here are just some of the benefits you can expect when you get extra Spotify listeners:
- More money: Once you get over 1,000 listens, you’ll start earning royalties. When more people listen to your music on Spotify, you’ll get higher artist payments.
- Playlist features: Spotify likes to feature growing tracks in their own curated playlists. If your song ends up on one of these, it will then grow even faster.
- Social proof: When people see a song with a high stream count, it gets their interest. More users will give your song a chance, knowing it’s worth a listen.
- Industry credibility: Similarly, you can also build your connections in the music industry. For example, you could get big enough to duet with local artists you listen to.
- Bigger fan base: More viewers means more people who will choose to follow you. They will then keep up with future releases; they might even buy your merch.
- More feedback: Extra views is also a chance for you to improve yourself. If people get in touch to offer their thoughts, this could lead to even better music.
- Sync licensing: If the right people hear your track, they might add it to a show or movie. They’ll even pay you to license the song for their use.
What Is the Most-Streamed Song on Spotify?
The Weeknd’s 2019 song Blinding Lights is currently Spotify’s most-streamed song. It has over 4.5 billion streams as of November 2024. This is publicly visible on the track itself.
A key factor in this is the song’s high quality. The song received immediate critical acclaim upon release. Blinding Lights was successful enough that it received no Grammy Award nominations, which was a major controversy. In addition, the song is an 80s synth-pop throwback. Its release during a time of high 80s nostalgia was likely another factor.
The song topped the national weekly charts in over fifty countries. It was also 2020’s best-selling single. Returning to Spotify, Blinding Lights reached four billion streams in January 2024. It was the first song to reach this milestone. Only Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You has done so since.
Who Are Spotify’s Most-Streamed Artists?
Spotify releases an annual list of its most-streamed music artists. Any music lover will recognize at least some of the names. Here are 2023’s top 10 artists:
- Taylor Swift
- Bad Bunny
- The Weeknd
- Drake
- Peso Pluma
- Feid
- Travis Scott
- SZA
- KAROL G
- Lana Del Rey
This shows a good mixture of genres, proving that the platform isn’t limited to just pop music. It’s possible to get big with great music, no matter which category your songs fall into.
Interestingly, if we check who has the most monthly streams, the list changes dramatically. Here are Spotify’s stats as of November 2024:
- Bruno Mars (124.72 million)
- The Weeknd (120.41 million)
- Lady Gaga (112.96 million)
- Billie Eilish (108.20 million)
- Coldplay (91.51 million)
- Taylor Swift (91.08 million)
- Rihanna (86.78 million)
- Ariana Grande (83.02 million)
- Justin Bieber (81.86 million)
- Sabrina Carpenter (78.54 million)
Many of the above have hit 2024 albums. Sabrina Carpenter, in particular, has had rapid growth this year. Spotify is the biggest music streaming platform globally. This means these lists are a clear reflection of general music tastes.
Earning Money on Spotify
To earn Spotify royalty payments, you must first get your music on the platform. This involves choosing a distributor, who usually charges a fee per song. You won’t be able to make money from your tracks right away, however.
As of April 2024, tracks with over 1,000 streams in the past year are eligible for monetization, according to Spotify. If you’re below this threshold, you need to earn more streams. You also need a certain number of unique listeners. The platform doesn’t divulge this, mainly to stop bots from gaming the system.
You can only withdraw your earnings once you reach a certain amount. This could be as low as $2, though some distributors have a minimum as high as $50. You’ll also have to contend with a withdrawal fee, generally between $1 and $20.
It’s also possible to lose eligibility for this. Every month, Spotify looks at your total streams in the past year. If it recalculates and only finds 999 listeners, you can’t earn royalties that month. The platform also charges a music distributor if they artificially inflate stream counts.
How Much Does Spotify Pay per Stream?
A song’s per-stream rate on Spotify is $0.003-0.005. This means a track will need at least 2,000 streams to make $10. A number of factors will affect how much you get overall. Spotify Premium users, for example, contribute more money per stream than free listeners.
The platform is always changing its royalty rules to reflect the greater industry. However, it offers notably less than other popular music services. In the competitive music streaming industry, it is vital that you spread your tracks across several platforms.
For example, Amazon’s service offers per-stream payouts of $0.004-0.008. This means there is roughly double the earning potential. However, Spotify is more popular than Amazon Music. You might still earn more overall from Spotify.
How To Get More Streams on Spotify
There are many ways you can boost your stream numbers on Spotify. This can help you unlock monetization or simply prove your place in the industry. Here are eight ways to get more plays on the platform:
- Make great music: It takes 30 seconds to register a play on Spotify. You’ll need to share great songs that keep people’s attention for that long.
- Promote tracks online: You can share your music on Instagram and other platforms. It might even be worth adding the track’s link to your bio.
- Use a promo service: Several sites let you build a Spotify campaign around your latest track. The right music promotion service can give you long-term growth.
- Optimize your artist profile: Give your page a profile picture, a bio, and an “Artist Pick.” This gives you a chance to share other music you love.
- Embed your tracks: Spotify lets you embed a song on your own website. Squarespace has its own features to promote music across many platforms.
- Keep sharing music: Consistency is key to growing on any online platform. Don’t give up, as this tells the algorithm not to bother sharing your tracks.
- Pick a great thumbnail: Give your song an eye-catching thumbnail. This can even be a piece of original artwork you made or commissioned yourself.
- Avoid bot streams: Don’t buy bots to get more listens. Spotify will see this and remove them from the final count. They might even fine your distributor.
How To Estimate Future Streams on Spotify
There is no reliable way to estimate your stream count. However, following the above tips could easily help you get more listeners.
Spotify does give artists a number of analytics and information sources. You could use these to see how your listeners are behaving. This might give you a vague idea of how many people will stream your next release.
Spotify for Artists splits your listeners into the following segments:
- Active audience: People who have intentionally and specifically streamed your tracks within the last 28 days.
- Previously active audience: Active audience members who haven’t specifically played your music in the last 28 days.
- Programmed audience: Anyone who has heard your music in somebody else’s playlist within the past two years.
Your goal as an artist is always to shepherd people toward the first category.
Does Spotify Count Streams on Repeat?
When artists release new songs, their fans often encourage people to stream them on repeat. In some cases, the fans loop the songs for days on end. But does Spotify count these separately?
Yes, Spotify counts repeat streams to a point. However, you can’t get people to loop your music to open up monetization. Unique listeners are also paramount for earning royalties. Exactly how Spotify tallies up repeat streams is still unclear. This is to stop people from gaming the platform.
It’s possible that looping a song 100 times won’t count as 100 new streams. Spotify looks at a user’s intent first and foremost. Switching between songs, for example, may make it more likely to count.
Get More Music Listeners Today
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Our team will make sure you get more listeners in no time. Try GoRead.io today, and your music career is sure to reach new heights.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I see how many streams a song has on Spotify?
Any song publicly displays its Spotify stream count on the artist’s profile. For new releases, this updates every few seconds. Your own streams are visible on your Spotify dashboard.
How much is 1,000 streams on Spotify worth?
This is usually around $3-5. However, you need more than 1,000 streams from the past year to start making money. You must also reach a minimum amount before withdrawing royalties.
How much do songs earn on Apple’s music service?
Apple Music currently pays $0.005-0.009 per stream. This means its minimum rate is the same as Spotify’s maximum. However, Spotify is still much more popular as a service.
What are streams on Spotify?
Spotify counts a stream after 30 seconds of listening. Anything less than this, and it won’t count. The platform even factors in offline streams if the user goes back online within 30 days.