Spotify Paid Over $100 Million to Podcasters in Early 2025 – Here’s What Happened
Spotify, the popular music and podcast streaming app, has shared some big news. In the first three months of 2025, the company paid more than $100 million to podcast creators around the world. This is the first time Spotify has ever paid this much money to podcasters in just one quarter.
Why Did This Happen?
The main reason for this big payout is that Spotify has been working hard to add video podcasts and music videos to its platform. Before, Spotify was mostly for listening to music and audio podcasts. But now, they are also letting creators upload videos, which helps them earn more money.
Spotify said this is a very important moment for the company. They want to support all kinds of creators, whether they make audio podcasts, video podcasts, or music.
How Are Podcasters Earning Money on Spotify?
There are a few ways podcasters can make money on Spotify:
Ads – When people listen to or watch podcasts for free, Spotify plays ads, and creators earn money from them.
Spotify Partner Program – This is a new system where podcasters can earn extra money if their fans watch video podcasts or if they get sponsorships from big companies.
Premium Subscriptions – Some of the money people pay for Spotify Premium goes to the creators they listen to or watch.
Since Spotify started focusing more on video, podcasters are earning much more. From January to March 2025, their earnings grew by 23% and then 29% each month. Also, the number of video podcasts on Spotify increased by 28%.
Big Podcasts Are Growing Fast
Some popular podcasts have seen huge growth because of Spotify’s video features. For example:
Your Mom’s House (a comedy podcast)
The Rest Is Politics (a news and politics podcast)
These shows got 45% more listeners every week in the U.S. because people could now watch them, not just listen.
Big Companies Are Advertising on Spotify
Spotify has also partnered with famous brands like McDonald’s, Google, and even Chelsea Football Club. These companies pay to advertise on podcasts, which means more money for creators.
What Does This Mean for Listeners?
If you use Spotify, you now have more choices. You can:
Watch music videos (like on YouTube)
Switch between audio and video podcasts with one click
Discover new shows with better visuals
Spotify says that if someone watches a music video on their app, they are 34% more likely to listen to that song again later.
What About Africa and Nigeria?
Spotify is also growing in Africa. Last year, Nigerian artists earned ₦58 billion from Spotify that’s 232% more than in 2023. Now, with video podcasts and music videos coming, African creators might have even more ways to earn money in the future.
What’s Next for Spotify?
Spotify says they will keep improving their platform so creators can make more money. They want to help podcasters, musicians, and video makers build successful careers on their app.
This $100 million payout shows that Spotify is serious about supporting creators. As more people use video on Spotify, podcasters and musicians could earn even bigger payouts in the future.
