There are artists making big money on Spotify

From too-low payouts to investments in AI warfare, artists have a lot to think about when it comes to the music streaming platform created by Daniel Ek. But it’s also true there are artists who make big money on Spotify.

There are artists making big money on Spotify

by Bobby Owsinski from Music 3.0

While Spotify is currently in the crosshairs of many artists due to founder Daniel Ek’s investment in an AI warfare company, there are some artists that still make substantial money from the platform. Yes, they’re the exception to the rule, but it’s pretty eye opening when you see the kind of money they’re bringing in.

The finance research platform TradingPlatforms issued a report that estimated the revenue generated by major artists from that one platform. It used data from Kworb, and reviewed Spotify’s all-time charts for the top domestic performer in 73 available countries.

For each track, they estimated global and local revenue by multiplying total streams by $0.004, the midpoint of Spotify’s reported payout range ($0.003-$0.005 per stream).

They also analyzed global and historical data using the same model to assess top songs from past decades and today’s most-streamed artists, along with 2025’s fastest-growing releases.

The Report Says. . .

According to the report, the most profitable songs dominating local all-time weekly Spotify charts include hits from established artists like The Weeknd, Hozier, and Avicii, each generating over $11 million in revenue, alongside emerging stars such as K-pop sensation Jimin, whose most-streamed song (Who) amassed $8.16 million in revenue in just a single year.

Here are the highest-earning songs on Spotify from local artists:

1. The Weeknd – Blinding Lights – $20,259,662, 3.14% from Canada
2. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved – $16,321,708, 8.13% from the UK
3. Vance Joy – Riptide – $13,266,795, 6.24% from Australia
4. Hozier – Take Me To Church – $12,826,765, 0.84% from Ireland
5. Avicii – Wake Me Up – $11,501,902, 5.21% from Sweden
6. J. Cole – No Role Modelz – $10,810,239, 44.33% from the U.S.
7. Alan Walker – Faded – $9,031,440, 2.16% from Norway
8. Jimin – Who – $8,164,895, 3.89% from South Korea
9. FloyyMenor – Gata Only – $7,262,755, 6.57% from Chile
10. Lost Frequencies – Where Are You Now – $6,458,798, 1.96% from Belgium

There are other key takeaways from the report:

• Blinding Lights is Spotify’s all-time most-streamed song not only globally but also in The Weeknd’s home country, Canada, amassing over 5 billion streams and generating more than $20 million in revenue, though just 3.14% of that revenue comes from Canadian listeners. Beyond this single track, The Weeknd is currently the platform’s most-listened-to artist, boasting 117.7 million monthly listeners, cementing his dominance in both streams and audience reach.
• Some songs generate the bulk of their earnings from concentrated national audiences rather than global streams. Indonesia’s Runtuh by Feby Putri earned $2.67 million, with a striking 92.5% coming from local listeners, while India’s Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage by Arijit Singh brought in $2.41 million, 85.9% of which was domestic.
• Tracks like Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody (2.93B streams, $11.74M in estimated revenue) and Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (1.3B streams, $5.20M in earnings), recorded decades ago, still generate millions of streams from younger audiences. Even 1960s and 70s classics like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Fortunate Son (1.76B streams, $7.06M in revenue) and The Police’s Every Breath You Take (2.95B streams, $11.78M in payouts) pull in substantial revenue.
• Bad Bunny dominates the chart for most-streamed songs, released in 2025. The Puerto Rican superstar has six tracks exceeding half a billion streams, including DtMF (1.11B), BAILE INoLVIDABLE (890.7M), and NUEVAYoL (719M), with daily streams ranging from 1.35M to 2.37M.
• In the 2025 chart, new hits are quickly becoming viral, showing how fan engagement and social media buzz can rapidly propel songs to global prominence. HUNTR/X’s Golden reached 781 million streams, generating around $3.12 million, while Jin’s Don’t Say You Love Me hit 542 million streams, earning approximately $2.17 million, both in just a few months since release.

The bottom line is that it’s still possible for an artist to generate millions of dollars just from one streaming service. We’re still talking about the 1% of the 1%, but with the right breaks, marketing, and infrastructure, there’s money in those streams.

A lot more interesting data on the subject can be found here.