The numbers in Spotify for Artists follow a few published rules. Knowing them explains most of the "why doesn't this match" questions artists ask.
The rules
| Question | What Spotify says |
|---|---|
| When does a play count as a stream? | When a listener plays the song for at least 30 seconds |
| What about downloaded music? | Offline plays are counted when the listener goes online, which they must do at least once every 30 days |
| What is a release's stream count? | The total streams of all its tracks; a song on several releases counts toward each release |
| Which songs count toward my total? | Songs where you are credited as a main artist or remixer |
| What if a release is taken down? | Its all-time count is kept for 90 days; if it returns after that, the old count is not restored |
| Which time zone? | Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and it cannot be changed |
What this means for you
- Skips under 30 seconds do not count. A strong opening matters more than a long intro.
- Offline listening shows up late. A fan who listens on a flight appears in your stats when they reconnect.
- Do not take down to "reset". Re-releasing after more than 90 days starts the count from zero.
- Read days in UTC. For artists in the Gulf or South Asia, "yesterday" in the stats ends several hours after your local midnight.
- Credits decide what you see. If a song lists you only as a featured artist, it does not add to your total; get the credit right at delivery.
With Mazufa
Releasing with Mazufa is free: no upload fee, no subscription and no per-release fee, with the revenue share set out in your written agreement. Your role on each song is delivered exactly as you set it, so your streams land on your profile. Apply at mazufa.com/apply
Sources
- Spotify for Artists, How your streams are counted — https://support.spotify.com/artists/article/how-we-count-streams/
On the limits of this guide. This describes Spotify for Artists statistics, not royalty calculation. Spotify can change these rules.