This Insider Spotify Data Is MIND-BLOWING
TLDRThe video discusses the disparity in the number of songs with over a billion plays across music platforms. While Spotify and YouTube have over 400 such songs, Apple Music only recently achieved this with Ed Sheeran's 'Shape of You'. The video also explores Spotify's API data, revealing that the platform has a significant demographic of listeners aged 18 to 34, with females slightly outnumbering males. The top artists by monthly listeners are dominated by pop and rap, with The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran leading the charts. Genre-wise, pop and rap are the most represented, with rock and metal lagging behind. The video also notes the absence of recent artists who gained prominence primarily through platforms like TikTok, suggesting that it's challenging for new artists to break into the top charts. It concludes with a commentary on the difficulty AI artists may face in achieving similar success due to the lack of personal interaction with fans.
Takeaways
- 🎵 Apple Music had its first song with over a billion plays, 'Shape of You' by Ed Sheeran, which is unusual compared to Spotify and YouTube, which have over 400 songs each with over a billion plays.
- 📈 Spotify provides an API that lists the top 500 artists based on monthly listeners, defined as someone who has listened to a song for at least 30 seconds within the last 28 days.
- 👥 The demographic breakdown of Spotify listeners shows that 54% are between 18 and 34 years old, and 56% are female.
- 🏆 The Weeknd tops the list of monthly listeners on Spotify with 108 million, followed by Ed Sheeran with 86 million, indicating a significant lead for The Weeknd.
- 🎶 Genre-wise, pop and rap dominate the top 40 artists, with 45% and 30% respectively, while rock/pop and Latin Pop have a smaller presence.
- 🔍 Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, and Maroon 5 are mentioned as the only artists resembling rock in the top 40, with Coldplay being the highest ranked at number 14.
- 📉 The prominence of rock music on Spotify is low, with the first metal act, Linkin Park, appearing at number 82, and Foo Fighters at number 253.
- ⏳ Most of the top artists have been around since at least 2010, with only a few from the 2000s and even fewer from the 1990s, indicating a long road to the top for new artists.
- 🚫 There are no artists in the top 40 who have primarily broken through on TikTok, suggesting that viral success on the platform does not immediately translate to Spotify chart success.
- 📈 The Beatles, a classic band with multi-generational appeal, are ranked at 120 on the Spotify charts, highlighting their enduring popularity.
- 🤖 AI artists face significant challenges in breaking into the music industry, as the current top artists have spent years building their fanbase and personal connections, something AI cannot replicate.
Q & A
What was the milestone for Apple Music's first song that reached over a billion plays?
-The milestone for Apple Music's first song to reach over a billion plays was 'Shape of You' by Ed Sheeran.
How many songs does Spotify have with over a billion plays?
-Spotify has over 400 songs with over a billion plays.
What is the definition of a monthly listener on Spotify?
-A monthly listener on Spotify is someone who has listened to a song for at least 30 seconds within the last 28 days.
What is the age demographic breakdown for Spotify listeners?
-The age demographic breakdown for Spotify listeners is 26% aged 18 to 24, 29% aged 25 to 34, 16% aged 35 to 44, 11% aged 45 to 54, and 19% aged 55 and over.
What is the gender distribution among Spotify users?
-The gender distribution among Spotify users is 56% female and 44% male.
Who are the top two artists by monthly listeners on Spotify?
-The top two artists by monthly listeners on Spotify are The Weeknd with 108 million monthly listeners and Ed Sheeran with 86 million.
What genre of music is most represented in the top 40 artists on Spotify?
-Pop music is most represented in the top 40 artists on Spotify, making up 45% of the artists.
What is the percentage of artists in the top 40 who released their first record or came to prominence between 2010 and 2020?
-57.6% of the artists in the top 40 released their first record or came to prominence between 2010 and 2020.
Which artists from the 1990s are in the top 40 artists on Spotify?
-The only artists from the 1990s in the top 40 on Spotify are Eminem and Shakira.
What is the ranking of the first metal band on the Spotify monthly listener chart?
-The first metal band on the Spotify monthly listener chart is Linkin Park, ranked at 82 with 35 million monthly listeners.
How does the presence of AI artists on the Spotify charts compare to human artists?
-AI artists are not well represented on the Spotify charts, indicating that it is difficult for them to break into the platform and interact with fans on a human level.
What is the position of The Beatles on the Spotify monthly listener chart?
-The Beatles are ranked 120 on the Spotify monthly listener chart, with 30 million monthly listeners.
Outlines
🎵 Music Streaming Platforms and Demographics
The paragraph discusses the achievement of Ed Sheeran's song 'Shape of You' on Apple Music reaching a billion plays, contrasting it with Spotify and YouTube, which have over 400 songs with such milestones. It explores the demographics of Spotify users, with a significant portion being between the ages of 18 and 34, and a gender split favoring females. The top artists by monthly listeners are listed, with The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran leading the pack. The paragraph also breaks down the top 40 artists by genre, highlighting the dominance of pop and rap, and noting the scarcity of rock and metal artists in the top spots. The discussion also touches on the absence of recent artists and the potential challenges for AI artists to break into the industry, given the long-standing popularity of current top artists.
🔥 Multi-Generational Appeal and the Struggles of Rock Music
This paragraph delves into the multi-generational appeal of artists like Queen and Elton John, who maintain a broad age range of listeners, which is crucial for their high number of monthly listeners on Spotify. It then addresses the low presence of metal bands on the platform, with Linkin Park being the highest-ranked metal act. The Foo Fighters are also mentioned, highlighting the overall lack of rock music in the top listener charts. The paragraph ponders the difficulty for rock bands to gain more listeners due to the smaller market share of rock playlists and the challenges for new artists, including AI artists, to rise to the top given the established fan bases of current popular musicians.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Spotify
💡Monthly Listeners
💡API
💡Demographics
💡Top Artists
💡Genres
💡Pop Rock
💡Latin Pop
💡TikTok
💡Multi-Generational Listeners
💡AI Artists
Highlights
Apple Music had its first song with over a billion plays, 'Shape of You' by Ed Sheeran.
Spotify and YouTube each have over 400 songs with over a billion plays.
Spotify provides an API with a list of the top 500 artists and their monthly listeners.
Spotify's demographic: 54% of listeners are between 18 and 34 years old.
Gender demographics on Spotify: 56% female, 44% male.
The Weeknd is number one on Spotify with 108 million monthly listeners.
Ed Sheeran is second with 86 million monthly listeners, 22 million less than The Weeknd.
Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Ariana Grande, David Guetta, and Bad Bunny round out the top 10 on Spotify.
45% of the top 40 artists on Spotify are pop artists, 30% are rap artists.
Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, and Maroon 5 are the only artists resembling rock in the top 40.
Most artists in the top 40 gained prominence between 2010 and 2020.
No artists from the last three years are in the top 40 on Spotify.
The Beatles are ranked 120 on Spotify's monthly listener chart.
Multi-generational artists like Elton John and Queen have a significant number of monthly listeners.
Metal bands like Linkin Park and Metallica have fewer monthly listeners compared to other genres.
Rock music does not dominate the Spotify charts, with Foo Fighters at 253.
AI artists may find it difficult to break into the top charts due to the established presence of human artists.
Pop music is the easiest genre to be mimicked by AI, but human interaction is crucial for artists' success.