10 Top Earning Spotify Artists
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As the iPhone, GPS and the fastest Speedo swimsuit released to the market in 2008, so did the music platform Spotify, giving listeners their favorite music at their fingertips and disrupting CD sales in the U.S.
No longer, did music fans need stacks of their favorite tunes in square plastic cases – all they needed was a phone and a free or premium account.
Today, Spotify has a net worth of $67 billion with share prices tripling in the last year. While some artists are making millions off of the streaming service, others argue the platform treats artists unfairly. According to Rolling Stone magazine, artists in the bottom 98 percent are earning approximately $12 a month, causing some, like singer Taylor Swift to be outspoken about the service.
Who tops the list of profiting stars making millions from the service?
The Weekend: $23 Million
With more than nine billion streams for songs like “The Hills”, “Blinding Lights” and “Save Your Tears”, and as the star of Superbowl’s LV Halftime Show, it’s not surprising the popular singer earns plenty from the music platform.
Khalid: $24 Million
The R&B artist, not to be confused with DJ Khaled, has topped more than nine billion streams. The “Young Dumb & Broke” singer has been seen in several collaborations with Ed Sheeran, “Beautiful People”, Benny Blanco, “Eastside”, and more.
Ariana Grande: $27 Million
The young pop star rose to fame as Cat Valentine in Nickelodeon’s Sam & Cat series. Her first album released in the winter of 2011 and since then, Grande has released numerous hits such as “7 Rings”, “Thank U, Next” and “No Tears Left to Cry”. According to Accredited Debt Relief, Grande is the top-earning woman on Spotify and makes her the eighth highest earner of all.
Ozuna: $30 Million
The Latin artist has gained fame through songs like “Caramelo”, “Despeinada” and “Una Locura”. According to Spotify, Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado writes positive and uplifting songs without the use of profanity so his daughter can listen to his music. Guinness Book of World Records claims the singer held four world records by the age of 27.
Justin Bieber: $33 Million
Breaking onto the scene as a young boy in 2010 with “Baby”, the star has continued to release chart stoppers and collaborations, resulting in more than 13 billion downloads through Spotify. His 2020 release brought songs like, “Yummy”, “Holy” and “Anyone”. The Canadian singer became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut record chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ed Sheeran: $36 Million
The singer/songwriter has had a string of hits from, “Perfect”, “Thinking Out Loud” and Photograph”. Spotify’s top grossing song of all time is “Shape of You” which earned Sheeran $6.5 Million just in downloads. With more than 14 billion total streams, Sheeran’s popularity continues to climb and he’s often sought after by peers for collaborations and songwriting.
Bad Bunny: $36 Million
Another Latin artist with hits like “Hoy Cobre”, “Callaita” and “Ni Bien Ni Mal” has raked in just slightly more than Sheeran at $14.7 billion streams. His first album was released in the winter of 2018 and his popularity has only grown through more than a dozen songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and collaborations with Cardi B and J Balvin.
Post Malone: $37 Million
In 2016, the rapper/singer released his first album and landed on the Billboard Hot 100 by 2017, rocketing to stardom with songs like, “Better Now”, “Rockstar” and “Circles”. He’s received more than 15 billion downloads through Spotify. The songwriter is known for new tattoos and his easy-going persona and the hits just keep coming.
J Balvin: $40 Million
Jose Alvaro Osorio Balvin is a Columbian reggaeton singer and is a best-selling Latin music artist with five Billboard Latin Music Awards and four Latin Grammy Awards to his name. With hits, “I Like It” nominated for the Grammy’s Record of the Year, the sky is the limit for Balvin. His most recent album released in March 2020.
Drake: $53 Million
Drake takes title of top Spotify earner to date with over 21 billion downloads. Far exceeding number two on the list, he’s long-since been a favorite of Spotify, as they even add his image to playlists that don’t feature his music. With top chart singles such as “Toosie Slide”, “God’s Plan” and “One Dance”, the singer has 196 Hot 100 entries, the most for solo artists to date.
The streaming giant announced last month their plans to double their geographic footprint, according to CNBC, launching in 85 more countries and adding 36 languages to its platform. With the expansion, Spotify expects to offer services to an additional billion people. Today, they welcome 345 million monthly active users and 155 million premium, paying members.
Sources: Rolling Stone, Accredited Debt Relief, Spotify
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