New data has revealed a rising appetite for non-English artists, with songs in 16 languages, including Spanish, Korean, Portuguese, Turkish, Indonesian, and Arabic, reaching streaming giant Spotify’s top 50 last year – more than double that of 2020.
Artists like Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, who accumulated 21 billion listens last year, are leading the charge, with the Super Bowl performer singing almost exclusively in Spanish.
Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía, who sang in more than 13 languages on her latest album, has also pushed for growing representation for non-English artists in the charts.
“Today’s biggest hits speak more languages than ever,” Spotify said.
“What makes this moment so powerful is where it’s coming from. Artists creating in Portuguese, Korean, Spanish, and more — often outside traditional industry hubs — are building massive global audiences. Fans are choosing what to stream based on what they love, not where it’s from.”
Despite these gains, English remains the most listened to language, with 14 of the top 20 global albums being in the language, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
“The music industry is now more global, is more diverse, and supports more artists than at any point in history,” Spotify said.
“The goal remains the same: to ensure the path for artists to reach fans and success is even wider tomorrow than it is today.”
Overall, the amount Spotify paid out in royalties reached $11 billion, up more than 10 per cent on the previous year. Almost 14,000 artists generated at least $100,000, which is more than were earning half that amount five years ago.
The UK recorded music market exceeded £1.5 billion in annual revenue for the first time last year, propelled by a new generation of artists including Olivia Dean, Lola Young, and Skye Newman, according to the BPI, the record industry body.
The bulk of this revenue continued to be generated from streaming services, with Alex Warren’s Ordinary racking up 200 million listens, but sales of vinyl and CDs also continued to grow. Annual physical music revenue totalled more than £250 million for the first time in eight years, as vinyl sales jumped by 20 per cent.
