As the long-running recording sessions chalks up a major milestone, the Swedish music platform opens up its Stockholm studio to European artists.
The Spotify Singles programme from the Swedish music streaming service has hit 10 billion streams. First launched in 2016, Spotify Singles is the firm’s longest-running original music recording franchise and has featured more than 750 artists and created over 1,000 recordings.
“We are thrilled to have reached the 10 billion stream milestone for Spotify Singles. Since 2016, the program has been an outlet for hundreds of artists to express themselves, engage their fans with new music, and connect with new listeners around the world,” said Bryan Johnson, International Head of Artist and Industry Partnerships at Spotify.
Since the creation of Spotify Singles, the number one most streamed song is Harry Styles’ cover of Little Big Town’s ‘Girl Crush’, followed by Luke Combs’ cover of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Drive’, and Lewis Capaldi’s cover of Billie Eilish’s ‘when the party’s over’.
As the repertoire has expanded across 750 artists, the Spotify Singles sessions have spanned genres including jazz, hip-hop and country, and has had artists from Mexico, Korea, India and Japan.
The sessions have also produced record-breakers outside of the Spotify platform. Swedish singer-songwriter Snoh Aalegra’s cover of Bobby Caldwell’s 1978 classic ‘What You Won’t Do For Love’ – retitled as ‘Do 4 Love’ – was the first Spotify Single to be nominated for a Grammy Award.
Recorded at the Spotify Studios in New York City, the first musician to release music through Spotify Singles was Icelandic rock band Kaleo. Since then, Spotify added more studios in the US and Europe, opening a Stockholm Studio in 2018.
To celebrate hitting the 10 billion stream milestone, Spotify is opening up the Stockholm studio for artists across Europe to participate in the Singles programme from today.
Previously, the Stockholm studio played host to exclusively Nordic acts. Kicking off the sessions, Italian band Måneskin’s singer Damiano David used the Stockholm to record a cover of the Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus track ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’ from 2018.
“By opening up our award-winning Stockholm studio to artists, including emerging artists from all over Europe, we plan to enable even more beneficiaries of the program, while encouraging new opportunities for creative collaboration,” Johnson said.
Federica Tremolada, General Manager Europe at Spotify, said: “This isn’t just about having another recording space; it’s a symbol of our dedication to the rich tapestry of creative diversity and the spirit of collaboration that thrives across Europe.”
“We believe that these values are the engines of economic growth, social unity, and cultural exchange. By opening up our Stockholm studio to artists all over Europe – commemorating our 10 billion stream milestone – we’re reaffirming Spotify’s enduring commitment to nurturing talent from Europe and beyond, giving artists the power to make a living from their art and share it with the world,” Tremolada added.
Artists set to also record in the Stockholm studio include Spanish singer-songwriter Judeline, who recently became a double MME Award and peoples’ choice-award winner.
