No, streaming benefits far more than the biggest stars. Based on our analysis of RIAA data, the music industry in the CD era favored superstars twice as much as it does today. Unlike the CD era, when the top 50 artists drove nearly 25% of U.S. sales, they now account for only 13% of U.S. streams on Spotify — meaning that today, revenue opportunities reach far beyond the superstars.
In 2024, over 71,000 artists earned at least $10,000 from Spotify alone, and between 2017 and 2024, the 10,000th-ranked artist on Spotify has seen their royalties increase from $34K to $131K. Meanwhile, over 80% of the nearly 1,500 artists earning $1 million on Spotify never had a song in our Top 50 chart.
Streaming has fundamentally changed the music ecosystem, lowering barriers to entry for artists of all levels and democratizing access to audio for listeners across the world. Artists no longer need to be superstars with access to big budgets to create, distribute, and amplify their music globally.