Spotify says Canadian artists were discovered more than 3.8 billion times in 2023

In its latest ‘Loud & Clear’ report, music streaming service Spotify revealed data regarding how Canadian artists fared on the platform in 2023.

According to the platform, Canadian artists were discovered more than 3.8 billion times on Spotify. Further, 4,500 Canadian artists were added to editorial playlists in 2023.

On the money side, Spotify says that in 2023, royalties paid to Canadian artists doubled compared to 2018, surpassing $435 million. Of that number, 92 percent of these listeners were from outside Canada.

On top of that, the number of artists who generated over $50,000 CAD and over $100,000 CAD in royalties has more than doubled since 2017. 40 percent of royalties generated by artists in Canada on Spotify in 2023 were from independent artists or labels.

You can find Spotify’s full global report here. In a blog post specifically about its Canadian streaming stats, the streaming platform emphasizes the need to update the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)’s Broadcasting Act to broaden the definition of Canadian content.

Netflix has made similar arguments on the movie and television side of CanCon in relation to Bill C-11 — a federal law requiring digital platforms to contribute to and promote Canadian content — lobbying the CRTC to acknowledge existing contributions to Canadian content outside the traditional framework.

It’s worth noting that Spotify previously told the CRTC it may have to raise prices for Canadians or reduce resources for Canadian artists if it faced new fees under Bill C-11.