Spotify said its artist development program RADAR has supported over 1,000 artists across more than 180 markets since its launch in 2020.
The streaming giant said the program has generated substantial engagement metrics, with RADAR artists accumulating more than 338 billion streams collectively, while sparking more than 6.5 billion song discoveries on the platform.
RADAR artists’ tracks have also been added to Spotify editorial playlists 1.5 million times and appeared on 1.1 billion user-created playlists worldwide.
Spotify launched RADAR in 2020 “to identify, nurture, and amplify the next generation of global music talent.” At the time, the company said through RADAR, Spotify will be “deepening [its] commitment to emerging artists at all stages of their development and strengthening their connection to audiences.”
Five years since, several RADAR alumni have achieved breakthroughs including Peso Pluma, who joined the program in May 2023. At the time, he held the No. 4 spot on Spotify’s Top Artists globally, helped by his hit song with Eslabon Armado, Ella Baila Sola. In just a month of joining RADAR, Peso Pluma’s monthly listeners increased 55%,
K-pop girl group aespa, whoi joined RADAR Korea in November 2020, saw their monthly listeners surge 1,433% in 30 days, with export streams rising 2,389%. The group now has over 10 million monthly listeners.
“Being a RADAR artist brought us to so many new audiences. We’ve been able to go to America, go overseas, and seeing our faces on playlist covers is crazy—really incredible.”
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Australian Rock Band
Elsewhere, British indie-pop artist Rachel Chinouriri saw her streams increase 155% during her first year in RADAR UK & Ireland. Her monthly listeners grew to 4.3 million from 1.4 million during the same period. She then received two BRIT Award nominations and sold out venues in New York and Los Angeles.
Australian rock band Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, who went from Fresh Finds to GLOW to RADAR artists, witnessed a 224% increase in monthly listeners and 54% follower growth six months after joining RADAR. The band won an ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist and secured opening slots for Pearl Jam tours in Australia and the US.
The band said: “Being a RADAR artist brought us to so many new audiences. We’ve been able to go to America, go overseas, and seeing our faces on playlist covers is crazy—really incredible.”
Commenting on RADAR’s success, Sulinna Ong, Spotify’s Global Head of Editorial, said: “Hitting this milestone in just five years shows that the appetite for discovery is universal. Listeners everywhere want to be part of an artist’s journey from the ground up, and RADAR has become the bridge between that curiosity and real opportunity.”
“RADAR is about development, being there at the fragile moment when early buzz can tip into something bigger. That is what makes discovery exciting, not just finding talent, but helping it grow.”
“Hitting this milestone in just five years shows that the appetite for discovery is universa… RADAR is about development, being there at the fragile moment when early buzz can tip into something bigger.”
Sulinna Ong, Spotify
The program expanded beyond performing artists, launching RADAR Songwriters across 12 markets in April 2022 including the Nordics, Italy, Mexico, Canada, the US, the UK, Germany and Nigeria. Two months later, RADAR again expanded to support podcasters in the US, Australia, Sweden, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico.
RADAR Songwriters has since supported talents like Ines Dunn, Alessandro La Cava, Mbryo, and Bill Maybury, as well as LA-based songwriter and producer uv killin em, who has co-written and produced hits for artists including Drake and Sleepy Hallow.
The Top 25 most-streamed RADAR artists include Peso Pluma, Zach Bryan, Quevedo, Central Cee and The Kid LAROI.
Other notable alumni from RADAR are American singer songwriter Gigi Perez (2025), Filipino pop rock band Cup of Joe (2024), Australian pop duo Royel Otis (2023), British singer-songwriter Cat Burns (2022), Filipino girl group BINI (2022), American rapper Flo Milli (2021), and Japanese singer-songwriter and pianist Fujii Kaze (2020).
The 1,000-artist milestone arrives as music streaming platforms face increasing competition for market share and artist loyalty. In the second quarter of 2025, Spotify’s total number of monthly active users, which combines paying users and ad-supported users, grew 11% YoY to 696 million, while its Premium subscriber base rose by 8 million from Q1 2025 to 276 million in Q2 2025.
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