Spotify Adds Six Million Subscribers as Q3 Revenue Rises 16%

Spotify grew its subscriber base and advertising revenue in Q3 2026, while expanding its creator and audiobook offerings internationally.

Key figures:

• Premium subscribers rose 9% year-on-year to 306 million, adding six million net subscribers during the quarter, with growth across every region.

• Monthly active users increased 11% year-on-year to 788 million, following a net addition of 11 million users.

• Total revenue climbed 16% to €4.97 billion, or 14% in constant currency.

• Ad-supported revenue grew 10% to €482 million, with automated sales channels remaining the largest contributors to advertising growth.

• Gross margin improved 136 basis points year-on-year to 33.0%, while operating income reached €672 million, ahead of expectations.

Q4 outlook and expansion:

• Spotify forecasts 316 million Premium subscribers and 818 million monthly active users for Q4, alongside revenue of €5.2 billion.

• Audiobooks will expand from 22 markets to more than 180 by year-end 2026, providing access to over 350,000 titles across more than 120 languages.

• The Spotify Partner Program has expanded to more than 35 additional markets, while Creator Memberships launched in 34 markets, offering podcasters new subscription-based revenue opportunities.

What they said:

• Alex Norström, Co-CEO: “This was a quarter where we did what we said. We’ve built a strong business that keeps compounding, we invest when we see a path for growth, our costs are moderating, and there is more runway ahead…Spotify not only enjoys industry-leading engagement, but we also have the most passionate and engaged music, podcast and book fans in the world on our platform. That’s why we continue to grow and take share. Every time we expand what’s on Spotify, we bring in new listeners and give existing ones more reasons to come back, almost every day.”