On Spotify, a stream is counted when someone plays a song or music video for at least 30 seconds. Monthly listeners are the unique people who listened to you in the last 28 days, so one fan who plays a track 20 times adds 20 streams but only one listener. Spotify for Artists also separates out monthly active listeners: people who chose your music intentionally, rather than hearing it on a programmed playlist.
Key points
- A stream counts after at least 30 seconds of play, for songs and music videos.
- Monthly listeners: total unique listeners in the last 28 days, from both active and programmed sources.
- Monthly active listeners: the subset who streamed intentionally from your profile, releases, or their own library and playlists.
- Tracks need at least 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months, plus a minimum number of unique listeners, to earn recording royalties.
- Spotify for Artists stats update once a day, at about 5 PM ET.
How does Spotify count a stream?
| Count | How Spotify defines it |
|---|---|
| Song stream | A play of at least 30 seconds |
| Video stream | A music video played for at least 30 seconds |
| Release stream count | Total song streams for all tracks on a release (a song on several releases counts toward each) |
| All-time streams | All streams, including music video streams. Kept for 90 days if the track becomes unavailable |
| Downloaded music | Counted when the listener goes online (at least once every 30 days) |
Your totals in Spotify for Artists include songs where you are credited as main artist or remixer.
What are monthly listeners on Spotify?
Spotify defines monthly listeners as your total listeners in the last 28 days, including both active and programmed listeners. It is a count of unique people, not plays, which is why it usually sits well below your stream count.
What is the difference between monthly listeners and monthly active listeners?
| Segment | Who it includes |
|---|---|
| Monthly listeners | Everyone who streamed you in the last 28 days, from any source |
| Monthly active listeners | Listeners who intentionally streamed you in the last 28 days, from your profile, release pages, or their own library and playlists |
| Super listeners | Active listeners with 15 or more intentional streams in 28 days |
| Moderate listeners | 3 to 14 intentional streams in 28 days |
| Light listeners | 1 to 2 intentional streams in 28 days |
| Programmed listeners | Heard you only via editorial or user playlists, AI DJ, Discover Weekly, Radio or Autoplay |
Spotify says monthly active listeners, on average, generate more future streams than other listeners, so growing this group usually matters more than a one-off spike from a playlist.
Where can I see my monthly listeners and streams?
On desktop
- Log in to artists.spotify.com.
- Open Audience for listeners and followers, and Audience > Segments for active and programmed listeners.
- Open Music for stream counts by song or release.
On mobile
- Open the Spotify for Artists app.
- Go to the Audience tab, scroll down and tap View all segments.
- Use the Music tab for stream counts.
You can see your total number of followers, but not their names. Stats are recorded in UTC and update once a day. See how often stats update.
How many streams do you need to get paid on Spotify?
Since April 2024, a track must reach at least 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months, and a minimum number of unique listeners that Spotify doesn’t disclose, to count toward recording royalties. Royalties are then shared out each month by “streamshare” among eligible tracks. A track can move in and out of eligibility as its popularity changes. Spotify suggests using the Last 12 months filter on the Music page as an estimate, but says your distributor’s or label’s royalty reports are the source of truth.
Spotify doesn’t publish a fixed per-stream rate, and actual payouts depend on your distributor or label agreement. That is why we don’t quote a “per 1,000 streams” figure here.
Can buying streams increase monthly listeners?
Spotify warns that third-party services that guarantee streams or playlist placement violate its terms, and that music linked to artificial streaming can be removed. Its royalty rules also exclude artificial streams it detects. If you are looking at services like our Spotify plays, understand that risk first. Spotify’s own suggestions for growth are Countdown Pages, Artist Pick, display campaigns and Promo Cards, which aim at active listeners. The same reasoning applies to social follower counts. See a healthy follower-to-engagement ratio.
Sources
- Spotify for Artists: How your streams are counted
- Spotify for Artists: Audience segments
- Spotify for Artists: Listener and follower stats
- Spotify for Artists: Track monetization eligibility
- Spotify for Artists: Third-party services that guarantee streams
- Spotify for Artists: When stats update
FAQ
How long do you have to listen for a Spotify stream to count?
At least 30 seconds, for both songs and music videos.
What counts as a monthly listener on Spotify?
A unique person who streamed your music in the last 28 days, from any source, including playlists and Autoplay.
Why are my streams much higher than my monthly listeners?
Streams count plays and listeners count people. Fans who replay your music add many streams but only one listener each.
How many streams does a song need to earn royalties?
At least 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months, plus a minimum number of unique listeners that Spotify doesn’t make public.
Can I see who my Spotify followers are?
No. Spotify for Artists shows your total follower count, but not individual names.