While the exact number depends on a variety of factors including your genre, fanbase, and goals as an artist, aiming for an average of 10,000-50,000 monthly listeners can help you earn anywhere between $100-$600 USD per month. This estimate may vary depending on how many streams each monthly listener provides.

So what's the difference between streams and monthly listeners, and how can you increase both? Today we'll look at decoding monthly listeners, plus learn which artist has the most monthly listeners on Spotify.

The Difference Between Streams & Monthly Listeners

Before we dive into earning potential, it's important to define Spotify streams and monthly listeners. You can confirm your personal numbers for both streams and monthly listeners in your professional music analytics suite.

What Are Spotify Streams?

A stream is generated when a user listens to at least 30 seconds of your track. A single user can generate multiple streams by listening to the same song repeatedly.

NOTE: Muted song plays don't count as streams!

What Are Spotify Monthly Listeners?

So how are Spotify monthly listeners calculated? Spotify listeners refer to the number of unique listeners that play your tracks in the last 28 days. That means if one unique monthly listener listens to your track twice, they will represent one monthly listener but two stream counts.

The monthly listeners count takes into consideration active listeners, meaning users who have listened to at least one of your tracks within the last 28 days. Passive listeners from before the fresh 28 day cycle do not roll over

How Much Can You Earn Per Monthly Listener?

The answer is: it depends. Spotify pays an average of $0.003-$0.005 USD per Spotify stream, so an artist's earnings per listener may vary depending on how many times that specific user listened to that artist's music. Two monthly listeners might have wildly different listening habits, which makes it difficult to provide a concrete estimate.

That's why it's so important to gain more monthly listeners and increase your earning potential. The more unique users you have tuning into your artists page, the more monthly income you can generate. While more streams might sound more appealing, widening your reach to having increased distinct listeners will result in steadier long term growth.

How To Check Your Monthly Listener Count

You can view your monthly listener count from your artist page in two locations.

The first is directly underneath your artist name at the top of your page:

The second is on your About section.

To locate this, scroll to the bottom of your artist page:

How To Increase Spotify Monthly Listener Count

Ready to rise to the top of the Spotify charts and potentially the music industry? If you're ready to take your musical journey to the next level, there are a few straightforward ways to start boosting your monthly listener count.

Share Your Tracks On Other Social Media Platforms

Announcing your latest release on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or even hosting a listening party on Twitch can help build awareness of your music and can quickly cement you as one of the more established artists.

Use Multiple Streaming Platforms

While Spotify is definitely the most popular music streaming platform, don't limit yourself! Other artists diversify by uploading their tracks across a wide range of platforms, including Apple Music, YouTube Music, Soundcloud, and Audiomack.

Make Sure Your Tracks Are Being Seen

Appearing in front of listeners on Spotify is the only way your tracks will get heard in the first place. You can boost engagement on individual tracks with Spotify SMM services, increasing their chances of appearing on the Spotify homepage or recommended to users.

The more engagement your tracks have, the more likely they are to appear in front of new listeners. Gaining a thousand monthly listeners doesn't have to be an impossible dream, thanks to social media marketing tools like Spotify saves or followers.

The Most Popular Artists On Spotify

It goes without saying that the most famous artists are gaining the most monthly listeners, streams, and follows. But who's at the top of the list as of 2024?

Which Artist Has The Most Monthly Listeners?

As of April 2024, The Weeknd has the most monthly listeners on Spotify with 113.48 million listeners.

Which Artist Has The Most Streams?

As of April 2024, Taylor Swift is the most streamed artist of both 2023 and of all time.

Which Artist Is The Most Followed?

As of April 2024, Ed Sheeran is the most followed artist on Spotify, with 113.37 million followers.