Overview
- Spotify, which released Canada-specific Loud & Clear data Tuesday, reported $544 million CAD in 2025 royalties for Canadian artists, up 19% year over year and nearly 60% since 2021.
- More artists reached higher income tiers on Spotify in 2025, with over 370 earning more than $100,000 CAD, more than 100 topping $500,000, and nearly 70 generating over $1 million, roughly double 2018 levels at each tier.
- International listeners generated about 92% of royalties for Canadian artists, reflecting how careers scale outside a small home market and how streaming helps acts find global audiences.
- Spotify highlighted discovery and diversity gains, citing 3.56 billion first-time discoveries in 2025, a 38% rise in royalties for French-language music since 2023, and women making up over 40% of Canadian artists earning more than $1 million USD.
- Media coverage set Spotify’s growth against IFPI Canada’s slower industry totals, noting a 5.6% rise in recorded music revenue and 4.5% for streaming, with Exclaim! also pointing to ongoing debates over per-stream payouts across services and examples of higher returns on Tidal.