Spotify Canada Marks 11 Years Investing in Creators, Fans and Culture - with a Spotlight on Quebec and Francophone Culture

MONTREAL, Nov. 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Fresh off an unforgettable performance by Charlotte Cardin at Spotify's EQUAL Fest - its very first large-scale festival dedicated to Francophone female artists from around the world — Spotify Canada is marking its 11th anniversary in Quebec with record growth, new investments in creators and fans, and a deepening commitment to Francophone culture. From international stages to local playlists, Spotify continues to amplify Quebec's voices and bring the province's rich musical identity to audiences around the world.

Spotlighting the Quebec Artists and Francophone Music Making It Big on Spotify

For more than a decade, Spotify has grown from its roots in Sweden to help artists worldwide build loyal audiences — and in 2025, that partnership is reaching new heights both in and expanding out of Quebec.

Over the past year, Spotify's royalty payments generated by Quebec artists has expanded significantly. Quebec artists are defined as artists self-reporting a Quebec city as their locality. Royalties generated by self-reporting Quebec artists on Spotify alone in 2024 grew over 20% year on year, and the number of self-reporting Quebec artists generating above $10k is growing at each threshold.

Spotify makes discovering Francophone music easier – and Quebecers agree:

• 4 in 5 Quebecers (82%) agree they can easily find French-Canadian content on Spotify^*.
• Francophone music continues to gain popularity, with streams in Quebec up 16% YOY, outpacing global growth in streams of Francophone music throughout 2024 (+15%).
• More than half (55%) of all Francophone music streamed in Quebec comes from Canadian artists.
• Streams of Francophone music among 18–24-year-olds jumped 32% YOY, with nearly 4 in 10 Francophone streams coming from listeners under 29.

Altogether, Quebecers streamed 7.8B minutes of Francophone music in 2025, with listening more than doubling on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (+115%) — proof that Quebecers are embracing Spotify as a home for cultural expression.

Building Fan-First Experiences

Spotify is also investing in how Quebecers listen, with a new lineup of features that make music more vivid, personal, and connected. These new tools are more than just technical upgrades — they make it easier for Quebec fans to experience more music, including music in French, discover local cultural moments, and share playlists that celebrate their favourite artists.

• Venue Search, letting fans follow their favourite local stages like Montreal's Bell Centre
• In-app music sharing and chat, for easier discovery and conversation
• Fine-tuned Taste Profiles and playlist blending for greater personalization
• Lossless audio, delivering crystal-clear sound for all Premium users

Listeners in Quebec and Canada are also engaging with Spotify's newly launched audiobooks offer, with Francophone audiobook listening in Canada up 121% year-over-year - another sign that digital discoverability is augmenting French-language storytelling. And with the launch of Audiobooks+, listeners now have even more choice and additional hours of storytelling — perfect for Quebec's most devoted book lovers.

Spotify Canada continues to dive deeper into artists and groups from Québec, and now features Francophone artists on 24 playlists, with 15 playlists totally dedicated to Québec and its incredible music scenes - whether it's new Country music, trending R&B, edgy Alternative, or classics for the whole family.

Investing in Quebec Talent

To build on this momentum, Spotify is expanding its on-the-ground presence with new hires dedicated to supporting Canadian and Quebecois artists and audiences.

• Nick Younès joins as Francophone Editor, Spotify Canada, curating playlists that spotlight French-Canadian artists for listeners around the world.
• Ali Hills joins as Artist and Label Partnerships Manager, Spotify Canada, focused on helping Quebec's artists and labels grow their careers and deepen fan connections.

"Quebec's Francophone music has never travelled this far, this fast — and Spotify is investing in that growth," said Elizabeth Phipps, Artist and Label Partnerships Lead, Spotify Canada. "We aspire to be a cultural ally to Quebec's fans and artists. When creators have the freedom and tools to connect with fans on their own terms, Quebec's culture doesn't just survive — it thrives."

Empowering Quebec's Creators

Innovation extends to creators too, with new features helping Quebec voices grow and connect more deeply with audiences:

• Tools in Spotify for Artists include Countdown Pages to build anticipation, the Campaign Kit to promote new music, and Clips and Canvas visuals to bring releases to life.
• Spotify for Podcasters has rolled out Clips, Host Recommendations and an expanded Partner Program, helping Quebec creators grow their audiences, engage with fans, and earn directly from their shows.
• Spotify for Authors now offers direct publication, promo tools, and audience insights - empowering Francophone authors to better understand and expand their listenership.

Together, these tools are helping Quebec's artists, podcasters, and storytellers build engaged communities, share their craft, and strengthen the province's growing influence in global audio culture. They give Quebec artists and storytellers the ability to directly engage with fans — empowering them to earn discoverability through their craft and creativity.

As Spotify marks 11 years in Canada and Quebec, the nation's cultural heartbeat has never sounded stronger - with Canadian and French-Canadian culture strengthened in the digital age. With every investment, innovation, playlist, partnership, and performance, Canadian and Quebecois artists are finding new audiences - and Spotify is proud to help their stories travel the world.

^*  Independent research was conducted by Burson based on 400 Spotify users in Quebec, from September 29 to October 3, 2025.

SOURCE Spotify Canada