• Taylor Swift topped Spotify's most-streamed artists list in 2024, with her album 'The Tortured Poets Department' breaking several records.
• The album's success led to a banner year for women artists, who claimed eight of the top ten spots for the most-streamed albums worldwide.
• Following Swift, the most-streamed artists worldwide were the Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Drake, and Billie Eilish.
• Streaming now accounts for most of the money generated by the music industry, highlighting the changing dynamics of the industry.

Pop icon Taylor Swift has once again proven her enduring appeal, topping Spotify's list of the most-streamed artists globally in 2024. This marks the second consecutive year that Swift has claimed this title, a testament to her continued popularity and the strength of her latest album, 'The Tortured Poets Department'. The album has not only been the most-streamed album of the year on Spotify but has also broken several records on the platform. It became the first album to top 300 million streams in a single day and surpassed 1 billion streams in its first week of release.

Swift's Impact on Women in Music

The success of 'The Tortured Poets Department' has had a significant impact on the representation of women artists on Spotify. The album's popularity has led to a banner year for women artists, who have claimed eight of the top ten spots for the most-streamed albums worldwide on Spotify. This list includes 'Hit Me Hard and Soft' by Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter's 'Short n' Sweet', Karol G's 'Manana Sera Bonito', Ariana Grande 's 'Eternal Sunshine', Swift's '1989 (Taylor's Version)', SZA's 'SOS' and Swift's 'Lover'. In recognition of Swift's achievements, Spotify has introduced a Wrapped badge to her profile. This marks the inaugural year of what the company says will be an annual distinction.

The Global Music Landscape

Following Swift, the most-streamed artists of the year worldwide on Spotify were the Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Drake, and Billie Eilish. The most-streamed songs worldwide in 2024 were Sabrina Carpenter's 'Espresso', with more than 1.6 billion streams globally, followed by Benson Boone's 'Beautiful Things', Eilish's 'Birds of a Feather', 'Gata Only' by FloyyMenor and Cris MJ, and Teddy Swims' 'Lose Control'. In addition to music, Spotify also unveiled the top podcasts of the year, led by 'The Joe Rogan Experience' and Alex Cooper's 'Call Her Daddy'. This highlights the platform's commitment to providing diverse content and catering to the varied interests of its users.

Swift's dominance on Spotify is not an isolated event but is reflective of a broader trend in the music industry. Streaming now accounts for most of the money generated by the music industry - a whopping 84% in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, and 67.3% worldwide, according to a 2024 report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.