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Spotify is the world’s leading music streaming platform, with millions of users listening to their favorite artists daily. One of the most important metrics on Spotify is monthly listeners, which reflects how many unique users have streamed an artist’s music within the past 28 days. This metric helps gauge an artist’s popularity, influence, and global reach. But who holds the record for the most monthly listeners on Spotify? Let’s dive into the latest rankings, trends, and what makes an artist dominate the streaming world.
Monthly Listeners on Spotify
Before jumping into the rankings, let’s clarify what monthly listeners mean. Unlike total streams, which count every time a song is played, monthly listeners measure the number of unique users who listen to an artist’s music over 28 days. This makes it a strong indicator of an artist’s global reach and popularity at any given time. A high monthly listener count signifies that an artist’s music is consistently being discovered and replayed by a vast audience.
Who Has the Most Monthly Listeners on Spotify?
As of March 2025, the artist with the most monthly listeners on Spotify is Bruno Mars, surpassing other global superstars. Below is a breakdown of the top 10 artists with the highest monthly listeners. These artists have consistently performed well on the platform due to their music releases, collaborations, and fan engagement.
Top 10 Artists with the Most Monthly Listeners on Spotify (March 2025)
| Rank | Artist | Monthly Listeners (Millions) | Notable Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bruno Mars | 149.82 | First artist to surpass 149 million listeners |
| 2 | The Weeknd | 126.07 | First artist to exceed 100 million listeners |
| 3 | Lady Gaga | 124.43 | Top female pop artist on the platform |
| 4 | Kendrick Lamar | 110.15 | First rapper to cross 110 million listeners |
| 5 | Billie Eilish | 107.92 | Youngest artist to reach 100 million listeners |
| 6 | SZA | 97.51 | Leading R&B artist with consistent growth |
| 7 | Coldplay | 92.70 | Most streamed band in Spotify history |
| 8 | Bad Bunny | 91.67 | Most streamed Latin artist in history |
| 9 | Rihanna | 91.44 | Pop and R&B icon with a loyal fan base |
| 10 | Taylor Swift | 87.41 | First female artist to surpass 100 million listeners |
These numbers show how dynamic the Spotify charts are, with some artists seeing massive gains while others experience fluctuations based on new releases, viral trends, and collaborations.
What Drives an Artist’s Monthly Listeners?
Several factors influence an artist’s monthly listener count. Let’s take a closer look at some key elements contributing to an artist’s ranking on Spotify.
1. New Music Releases
- Artists who release new albums, singles, or collaborations tend to see spikes in their monthly listeners.
- For example, Taylor Swift saw a massive surge when she dropped new versions of her albums.
2. Playlists & Algorithmic Recommendations
- Spotify’s curated playlists, like Today’s Top Hits, RapCaviar, and Hot Hits Global, boost visibility.
- Artists featured on multiple high-traffic playlists see increased streams and monthly listeners.
3. Collaborations & Features
- Collaborations between high-profile artists, such as The Weeknd featuring Ariana Grande, can introduce their music to each other’s fan bases, leading to significant listener boosts.
4. Viral Trends & Social Media Impact
- TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter have become major drivers of streaming trends.
- Viral challenges or trending sounds can propel an artist’s old and new tracks to millions of listeners overnight.
5. Concert Tours & Live Events
- Artists currently on tour often experience surges in streaming as fans rediscover their music before attending concerts.
- Coldplay’s world tour significantly boosted their monthly listeners, pushing them into the top 10.
Notable Records & Milestones
Artists on Spotify have continuously broken records over the years. Here are some of the most remarkable achievements:
1. First Artist to Surpass 100 Million Monthly Listeners
- The Weeknd made history as the first artist to cross 100 million monthly listeners in 2023, a milestone that signified his dominance on the platform.
2. First Female Artist to Achieve 100 Million Listeners
- Taylor Swift followed as the first female artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners, solidifying her status as one of the most influential musicians worldwide.
3. The Rise of Latin Music
- Bad Bunny has consistently ranked among the top-streamed artists, proving the global appeal of Latin music.
- His dominance from 2020 to 2022 as Spotify’s most-streamed artist highlights the genre’s growth.
4. The Group with the Most Monthly Listeners
- Coldplay holds the record for groups with over 90 million monthly listeners, being the first band to reach the 60M, 70M, 80M, and 90M milestones.
How Often Do Rankings Change?
The rankings of Spotify’s most-listened artists fluctuate based on releases, collaborations, and trends. While some artists maintain consistent numbers, others see seasonal spikes. For example:
- Billie Eilish’s numbers rise around album releases and award seasons.
- Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s monthly listeners often increase after major rap album drops.
- Christmas classics bring seasonal boosts to artists like Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé in December.
Conclusion
Spotify’s monthly listeners metric is a dynamic measure of an artist’s current reach and engagement. While artists like Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, and Taylor Swift dominate the charts now, the music industry is constantly evolving.
With new albums, emerging artists, and streaming trends shaping the industry, the Spotify charts will continue shifting, making it exciting to see who will claim the top spot next!
