Indian artists dominate Spotify's top 50 playlists

Spotify's latest report shows that local artists are leading the charts in India, particularly in the daily top 50 playlists. In 2024, Indian artists were played over 11.2 billion times by listeners on the platform, marking a 13 percent increase from the previous year. The report noted that more than 90 percent of the tracks in Spotify India’s daily top 50 were by local artists. This represents a six percent rise from 2023. Consequently, the number of Indian musicians earning over ₹ 50 lakh in royalties has doubled since 2022. There was also a significant rise in artists making over ₹ 1 crore and ₹ 5 crore in royalties. In terms of royalties, Indian artists earned two-thirds of the total generated in India. Worldwide, Spotify distributed over $10 billion in music royalties in 2024, a tenfold increase from a decade ago. Since its start, the platform has paid around $60 billion to artists globally. The report highlights that nearly 50 percent of royalties from Indian artists came from listeners outside India, up from 40 percent in 2023. The USA, UK, and UAE are among the top countries streaming Indian music. Additionally, over 9,000 Indian artists were included in Spotify's global and local playlists in 2024. The growth of independent artists is notable, with more than 65 percent of the most popular songs from India not tied to the film industry. The royalties for music in Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu have more than doubled since 2021. Telugu music, in particular, saw a 39 percent rise in global royalties in 2024. Key Indian artists driving this growth include Arijit Singh, Pritam, and Shreya Ghoshal, among others. Their work plays a crucial role in the international appeal of Indian music.