Spotify expands monetisation model to Ireland and eight other countries

In April 2024, Spotify made a significant move by expanding its monetization model for content creators to nine new countries, which notably includes Ireland. This expansion follows the initial launch of the Spotify Partner Program that commenced at the beginning of this year, specifically targeting creators in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The primary focus of this initiative is to provide content creators with the capability to earn via audience-driven payouts from Spotify Premium video engagement, along with ad monetization opportunities on Spotify Free and other podcast platforms. The countries receiving this expansion are France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Ireland, with the launch date set for April 29. This initiative allows creators to monetize their content more effectively, incentivizing more individuals to create quality podcasts and video content on the platform. Notably, Spotify already hosts over 300,000 video podcast shows, including well-known programs like The Joe Rogan Experience and Call Her Daddy. It is essential for creators to meet specific eligibility requirements to benefit from the program including a legal address in one of the eligible markets and a minimum amount of content published. To be eligible, creators must have a show listed on Spotify for Creators and must have published at least 12 episodes with at least 10,000 consumption hours and an audience of 2,000 people on Spotify within the last 30 days. Since its inception, the Spotify Partner Program has reportedly generated positive results. The streaming service highlighted that over the first month, creator payouts increased significantly, with hundreds of podcast creators reportedly earning over $10,000 and some top earners surpassing six figures. Moreover, as part of its ongoing service to the music industry, Spotify announced that it paid an unprecedented $10 billion last year, although this figure gained criticism for only benefiting top artists. The discrepancy in earnings per streaming across platforms has raised questions among creators and listeners alike, especially as a recent report indicated that the revenue per 1,000 streams had decreased significantly for artists. According to the data available, artists now earn an average of $3 per 1,000 streams on Spotify as of 2024, a stark contrast to the $8.80 artists earn for the same number of streams on Amazon Music. Notably, Spotify has disputed these findings, calling into question the accuracy of claims about reduced earnings for creators, which adds to the ongoing debate regarding fair compensation in the streaming industry.