The cross-border streaming business has brought a glimpse of joy to the Australian music community in 2022, when travel was precarious and a full-blown international tour was more hope than reality.
This is one of the takeaways from Spotify’s Loud & Clear report.
The streamer’s annual document, published last week, featured prominently in his efforts to champion Australian talent.
Australian artists earned around $250 million on the platform last year, with almost 80% of that royalties coming from fans outside these parts, according to the report.
And Spotify reports that the growth of the Australian music community far exceeds the market as a whole. According to the IFPI, domestic music industry revenues have risen 14.2% overall since 2018, with Australian artists earning 75% more from Spotify during that time.
All of these suggest that something is being clicked.
Spotify Managing Director AUNZ Mikaela Lancaster elaborated in a Q&A. music network, It was done by e-mail before the document went viral.
Loud & Clear reports Australian artist hit $250 million in gross revenue in 2022? Are there equivalent figures for 2021?
This is the first time we have been able to provide this data, and although we did not compare 2021 earnings numbers, we have looked at IFPI and broader Australian industry earnings growth as a comparison. This is because we thought it was important to highlight the significant impact of the IFPI. Streaming into the music economy.
Does this figure include foreign-based Australians like Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave, AC/DC and Gang of Youth?
Yes, not just those celebrities, but also many of the amazing talents we support every day through programs like RADAR, EQUAL and Spotify Singles.
Keenan Te, Spacey Jane, and Dom Dolla are just a few of the up-and-coming artists who have made significant progress in the last 12-24 months.
Did the data reveal a range of income for Australian artists? Apparently the average income here is $90,000. How many Australian artists have achieved that national average through Spotify?
Data on the range of income earned on Spotify is on a global level only.
Over 10,000 artists have earned over $100,000 on Spotify in the first year ever. Additionally, these artists hail from over 100 countries around the world.
Overall, streaming is lowering the barrier to entry.
The data shows that the revenue generated by Australian artists on Spotify increased by 75% from 2018 to 2022, well above the average of 14%. Any thoughts on why and why?
Streaming is generating more revenue than ever before, allowing more artists to benefit from it.
Spotify’s expansion over the years has provided more opportunities for more artists to find new audiences around the world.
That’s the power of our global platform and our ability to give Australian artists the help they need to breakthrough and find an audience.
One great example of this is Ruel.
We provided marketing support for his recent album release, which debuted at #8 on the Spotify US chart and #13 on the global chart.
About 80% of these revenues come from the rest of the world outside of Australia. Such an export is the dream of every artist and label. Are there any themes about how you achieved that?
We put a lot of effort into discovering artists and ensuring their success.
Beyond playlists, our commitment to marketing, artist education and in-kind support beyond hefty royalty payments has helped Australian artists grow.
Spotify Australia’s editorial team has curated 160 locally edited playlists showcasing Australian artists, including 24 playlists dedicated entirely to local artists.
There is also an emerging artist program, RADAR. One of her recent artists supported through this program is grentperez.
After garnering attention as a radar artist of 2022, the new work “My Heart It Beats for You” has been playlisted in multiple editorial playlists, leading to thousands of new discoveries.
Over 80% of listeners to these playlists discovered grentperez for the first time. His biggest market is now the United States, where he has just been featured on a billboard in Times Square.
Gran Perez Billboard in Times Square
Of course, much of that reporting period coincided with the pandemic. Back when most people were stuck at home playing with their thumbs. Has the lockdown resulted in an unexpected boom for Australian artists?
What we’ve really seen through the pandemic has been a change in where and when people listen.
Commuting regularly and listening to music on mobile devices were no longer part of listeners’ daily lives. Instead, listening through desktops and smart TVs has increased.
In terms of music trends, Australians leaned towards nostalgia during this period, which led to an increase in listening to catalog music.
Can you identify a ‘moment’ that caught the Australian artist’s attention? Perhaps TikTok’s ‘virality’ influenced streaming on Spotify and performance on US late-night TV.
Culture happens on Spotify, and what happens in culture is reflected in Spotify.
Our editorial team looks at music trends and what audiences are searching for on our platform to ensure we are serving our audiences and building a stronghold for the music our artists create. I’m trying
The trend usually revolves around artists touring, with streams increasing as listeners continue to connect with the music.
Supporting Australian artists on local radio and big radio moments like Triple J’s Hot Test 100 also generally give rise to streams.
Any advice for Australian recording artists looking to get their hands on some action?
We have a wealth of education and information to offer, but this is part of our approach to lowering the barriers to entry primarily through streaming on Spotify for Artists.
It’s a hub for artists and their teams to promote their work through managing profiles, marketing tools, educational resources, and audience statistics.
Additionally, it’s important for artists to actively market their music to the media so that fans are always aware of when new songs are released.
Encouraging your fans to “follow” your artist page is also a great way to maximize your music’s chances of being included in their personalized playlists like Release Radar and Discover Weekly.
Streaming is one of the major parts of the music ecosystem, so we use the data we provide to understand our audience and mean how we can maximize opportunities for not just tours, but merchandise. All contribute to growing the fan base.
