In the fourth quarter of 2024, the music streaming service Spotify reached an all-time high with 675 million active users worldwide. This marked an increase of around 12 percent in just one year. What is Spotify? Spotify is a music streaming service that offers digital audio content. Basic audio content can be accessed for free whereas premium user subscriptions enable users to access offline mobile content as well as listen to music without advertising. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the company reported 263 million paying subscribers. Launched in 2008, Spotify originated in Sweden before expanding to European markets and the United States in 2011. Spotify’s U.S. launch was strongly marketed through Facebook, with the music streaming app profiting from the social listening integration via social media. Part of Spotify’s appeal can be attributed to the user- and brand-curated playlists, which can be shared publicly or between friends. Fans may choose what to listen to based on their current mood or preference, and the ability to share such content provides an element of social connectivity ordinarily reserved for networking sites.