Spotify

Canadian artists earned nearly $460 million in Spotify royalties in 2024—double what they made five years ago, according to the company’s latest economic report. However, Spotify noted it cannot confirm how much of that income reaches artists due to label and distributor contracts.

Ninety-two percent of royalties for Canadian music came from international listeners. Spotify’s Bryan Johnson called this reach “very difficult” in the CD era. In 2024, Spotify changed its royalty policy to only pay tracks with over 1,000 plays. The company also raised Canadian subscription prices following a federal mandate to support local content.

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Spotify is increasing its subscription prices for Canadian users before year-end. The ad-free individual account will jump by $1.70 to $12.69, while family accounts will rise by $4 to $20.99. Student and duo packages will also see price hikes, with student plans rising by 40 cents to $6.39 and duo accounts increasing by $2.90 to $17.89.

Spotify cited service innovation and macroeconomic factors as reasons for the increase. The company has also challenged new Canadian regulations requiring large streaming platforms to contribute to Canadian content, which some argue could further drive up prices.

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Spotify is enhancing its Premium offering in Canada with the launch of audiobooks, transforming the listening experience for subscribers. Beginning April 9, Premium users gain access to 15 hours of audiobooks monthly, choosing from an expanded catalog of over 250,000 titles.

This addition complements Spotify’s vast library of 100 million music tracks and 5 million podcasts. Users can easily discover audiobooks through Spotify’s Home feed or search function, and a curated selection is available in a dedicated hub. Audiobook listening is tracked in-app, with the option to purchase additional 10-hour top-ups.

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