Spotify has reported its first quarter 2026 earnings, confirming continued user growth, rising revenue, and new product features aimed at deepening engagement across music, podcasts, and audiobooks.
The company announced it reached 761 million monthly active users (MAUs) in Q1 2026, alongside €4.5 billion in revenue and €715 million in operating income. The results reflect strong year-on-year growth across key metrics and ongoing investment in platform innovation.
Key figures from Spotify Q1 2026 earnings
Spotify’s latest results show steady expansion across both its free and paid tiers:
- Premium subscribers increased 9% year-on-year to 293 million
- Monthly active users rose 12% year-on-year to 761 million
- Total revenue grew 14% year-on-year (constant currency) to €4.5 billion
- Gross margin improved to 33%, up around 140 basis points
- Operating income reached €715 million
New features focus on discovery and personalisation
Spotify introduced several new tools in Q1 aimed at giving users more control over what they hear and how they discover content:
- Taste Profile allows users to view and shape how Spotify interprets their listening habits. The feature is currently in beta in New Zealand.
- Prompted Playlist expanded to more Premium users in the US and Canada, and now includes podcasts alongside music.
- SongDNA rolled out globally for Premium users, offering deeper insight into song credits, collaborators, samples, and influences.
- About the Song delivers contextual storytelling through swipeable in-app cards, currently in limited beta markets.
- Audiobook Charts launched in the US and UK, ranking popular titles by genre and overall listening trends.
Artist and fan engagement initiatives
The platform also highlighted live and fan-focused activations during the quarter.
Bad Bunny performed a Billions Club Live show in Tokyo for over 2,300 fans, later released globally as a concert film. Meanwhile, BTS returned to the US stage in New York City for a Spotify-hosted event celebrating their project ARIRANG, performing to a select audience of around 1,000 fans.
Creator economy and industry impact
Spotify reiterated its role in the wider music ecosystem, revealing it paid out more than $11 billion to the music industry in 2025, bringing its all-time total to nearly $70 billion.
The company also introduced new advertising tools, including Sponsored Playlists and automated bidding features, aimed at helping brands connect more effectively with music audiences.
In podcasting, the platform noted continued growth in creator monetisation, alongside cultural milestones such as Good Hang with Amy Poehler winning the first Golden Globe award for Best Podcast.
Support for artists and music professionals
Spotify also backed the launch of B-LINE, a 24/7 mental health support service for the US music industry, created in partnership with Backline. The service is designed for artists, their teams, and families.
