Latest news with #BillionsClub
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Spotify Boosts Subscriber Count to 276 Million in Q2, Misses Revenue Target and Swings to Net Loss
Spotify reported solid gains in paid subscribers and overall users for the second quarter of 2025, but the streamer came up short of its revenue target and posted a net loss for the period. The company highlighted the positives: In the first half of 2025, subscriber net additions grew more than 30% compared with the first half of 2024, according to Spotify. The quarter also marked the company's second-highest Q2 for monthly active user net additions. More from Variety YouTube Pumps Up Ad Revenue 13% in Q2 to Reach $9.8 Billion Miley Cyrus' Billions Club Concert Film Now Available to Stream on Spotify TelevisaUnivision Cuts Expenses to Boost Q2 Profit Amid Dips in Ad, Subscription Revenue Spotify Premium subscribers climbed to 12% year over year to 276 million, a net gain of 8 million in the quarter. Total MAUs grew 11% to 696 million. And Spotify expects Q3 growth in subs and MAUs to be robust. Total revenue for Q2 increased 10% to €4.2 billion and gross margin improved to 31.5% (versus 29.2% a year ago). However, that was shy of Spotify's guidance for Q2 on those metrics. Spotify posted a net loss of €86 million in the June 2025 quarter, compared with a net profit of €274 million in the year-ago quarter. Operating expenses increased 8% the most recent quarter, driven primarily by an increase in personnel and related costs, professional services and marketing spend, the company said. In addition, net finance costs for Q2 2025 were €358 million, compared with net finance income of €4 million a year earlier. 'By constantly evolving, we create more and more value for the almost 700 million people using our platform,' Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek said in prepared remarks. 'This value not only benefits users but it's attracting more people to streaming and as a result, it's also boosted the industries of music, podcasts and audiobooks.' For Q3 2025, Spotify anticipates total revenue of €4.2 billion (up from €4.0 billion a year prior); paid subscribers of 281 million and total MAUs of 710 million; gross margin of 31.1%; and operating income of €485 million. Spotify now hosts about 7 million podcast titles and more than 430,000 video podcast shows, the company said. It offers 350,000-plus audiobooks available for a la carte purchase. At the end of Q2, Spotify had 7,309 full-time employees globally (up from 7,261 at the end of 2024 but down from 9,123 at the end of 2023). Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Miley Cyrus Unveils Spotify Billions Club Concert Film Weeks After Paris Performance
Miley Cyrus' recent show in Paris celebrating her biggest streaming hits on Spotify was an intimate affair, with only a few of her most devoted listeners on the platform getting to attend. But now, everyone else can see what they missed with Wednesday's (July 23) release of a concert film documenting the event. Now available to play back on Spotify, the pop star's Billions Club Live With Miley Cyrus: A Concert Film features her exclusive 30-minute set at Maxim's de Paris on June 18, performed in front of a group of handpicked admirers making up her top listeners on Spotify. Singing a handful of the biggest hits from her nearly two-decade career — including a mash-up of fan-favorite smashes 'The Climb' and 'We Can't Stop' — the rare performance gave Cyrus a chance to pay tribute to all of the songs she's had surpass a billion Spotify streams. More from Billboard Miley Cyrus' Magnifique Mash-Up of 'The Climb' & 'We Can't Stop,' Plus More Highlights Inside Paris Spotify Concert Jeremy Zucker Announces 2025 Australian Tour Black Sabbath Members Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne: 'Goodbye Dear Friend' 'Tonight we're celebrating the Billions Club,' the star, dressed in a glamorous blue crystal gown, told the crowd after opening the show with eight-week Billboard Hot 100-topper 'Flowers' in the film. 'That's something I'm very proud to be a part of. Without each of you, the billion doesn't even exist. That's how important and crucial you are to the success in my life, the confidence and the goals that I've achieved because of you and your support.' The event — and now, the concert film — mark the latest chapters in Spotify's mission to commemorate its top artists and the fanbases they nurture on the platform. Ariana Grande and Cardi B have both looked back on their ten-digit-surpassing tracks on episodes of the streamer's Billions Club video series, while The Weeknd played the first-ever Spotify Billions Club Live show in December. Cyrus is fresh off the release of new full-length Something Beautiful, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in June. With it, the Hannah Montana alum unveiled an accompanying film, emphasizing throughout the rollout that the LP is a visual album. Her show in Paris was particularly special, as Cyrus rarely performs live these days. The Grammy winner has been open about why she's chosen not to tour anymore, most recently speaking on the subject with Good Morning America. 'I do have the physical ability, and I have the opportunities to tour,' she explained on the program earlier in July. 'I wish I had the desire, but I don't … It's really hard to maintain sobriety when you're on the road, which is a really important pillar of stability in my life. It's really hard to keep mental wellness [on tour]. You have so many thousands of people screaming at you, so dopamine, you're feeling a lot of love, and then you totally crash at the end of the show. You start thinking that one person loving you's not enough, it needs to be 10,000, it needs to be 80,000.' Watch Cyrus' Spotify Billions Club concert film below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Time Out
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
How to get tickets for Ed Sheeran in Australia: pre-sale, cities, dates and more
'Loving can hurt,' but not as much as waiting for Ed Sheeran's tour news. Luckily, the ginger prince has just announced that he's finally heading back Down Under in early 2026! Sheeran hardly needs an introduction – he's sold more than 2.5 million tickets across Australia and New Zealand, has 12 tracks in Spotify's Billions Club (yep, with a B), and is the platform's fourth-most streamed artist in history. It's been two long years since Sheeran last graced Aussie shores, where he played to a record-breaking 200,000 fans across two nights at Melbourne's MCG. Now, the ginger popstar is back with a massive run of shows for his Loop Tour in January and February 2026, including stops in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Those lucky to snag tickets can expect to hear fresh tracks from his new album Play, like 'Sapphire' and 'Old Phone', along with all the classics (we're manifesting 'Thinking Out Loud' and 'Give Me Love'). Here's everything you need to know about getting tickets to Ed Sheeran's Australian tour. When is Ed Sheeran's 2025 Australian tour? Teddy will be bringing his Loop Tour to stadiums across Australia, including: Perth 's Opus Stadium – Saturday, January 31 Sydney 's Accor Stadium – Friday, February 13 and Saturday, February 14 Brisbane 's Suncorp Stadium – Friday, February 20 and Saturday, February 21 Melbourne 's Marvel Stadium – Thursday, February 26 and Friday, February 27 Adelaide Oval – Thursday, March 5 We have no doubt Sheeran will release more dates, as these ones are gonna sell out in no time! When do Ed Sheeran Australia tickets go on sale? Tickets go on sale at staggered times via Frontier Touring on Tuesday, July 29 including: Perth – 3pm AWST Sydney – 1pm AEST Brisbane – 4pm AEST Melbourne – 3pm AEST Adelaide – 11.30am ACST Is there an Ed Sheeran pre-sale? Oh, you know it! The Telstra Plus member pre-sale kicks off on Friday, July 25 at: Perth – 1pm AWST Sydney – 11pm AEST Brisbane – 2pm AEST Melbourne – 1pm AEST Adelaide – 9.30am ACST Note that the pre-sale access opens 30 minutes before the start time! A Frontier member pre-sale will follow on Monday, July 28 at: Perth – 2pm AWST Sydney – 12pm AEST Brisbane – 3pm AEST Melbourne – 2pm AEST Adelaide – 10.30am ACST How much are Ed Sheeran tickets in Australia? Tickets kick off at $109.90 for D reserve seating, then move up to $149.90 for C reserve, $199.90 for B reserve and rear GA standing, and $249.90 for A reserve and front GA standing. Who is the support act for Ed Sheeran's Australian tour? Sheeran hasn't announced his support act/s yet, but we'll let you know once he does.
USA Today
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
This '70s pop band has won over Gen Z (again) with 1 billion Spotify streams.
It's not 1979, but ABBA is bewitching a whole new generation with its disco magic. The iconic Swedish pop group, beloved for its infectious blend of Europop and danceable grooves, has made Spotify history with its late-'70s hit "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)." The song, cowritten and coproduced by members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, entered Spotify's Billions Club on Sunday, July 20, after surpassing one billion streams on the music platform, Spotify exclusively confirmed to USA TODAY. This isn't the first time ABBA has dominated the streaming universe with its timeless tunes. The band's enduring anthem, "Dancing Queen," entered the Billions Club in July 2023. Released in October 1979 as part of the group's compilation album "Greatest Hits Vol. 2," "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" peaked at No. 1 in several territories, including Europe, Denmark, Japan and Switzerland, and cracked the top 20 in ABBA's native Sweden. The song has received a number of revivals over the years thanks to various covers and samples. '80s diva and "Queen of Pop" Madonna featured the track's opening synth line in her 2005 song "Hung Up," which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. ABBA book revelations: AC/DC connection, the unlikely inspiration for 'Mamma Mia!', more Additionally, the 2008 film "Mamma Mia!" — a musical based on ABBA's hits-heavy catalog — included a version sung by stars Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley and Rachel McDowall. More recently, "Gimme!" has enjoyed a digital resurgence with Gen Z, as seen on the social media platform TikTok. Several clips show young fans embracing the song's disco sound with lively, choreographed routines. (dc: ??) am I too late for this trend?😆🪩 #fyp #xyzbca ABBA racks up Gen Z fans by the millions on Spotify ABBA's streaming dominance is in part due to the group's sizable Gen Z audience. Globally, Gen Zers have accounted for 50% of ABBA's total streams on Spotify in 2025, according to the streaming service. Additionally, there have been over 11 million ABBA discoveries by Gen Z listeners on Spotify, which makes up half of the band's discoveries from all users worldwide. See the photos: A 'very emotional' ABBA reunites to receive Swedish royal honors The top 10 most-streamed ABBA tracks among Gen Z listeners in 2025 are as follows:
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Miley Cyrus' Magnifique Mash-Up of ‘The Climb' & ‘We Can't Stop,' Plus More Highlights Inside Paris Spotify Concert
As fortunate fans spilled into the intimate and sweaty Maxim's de Paris on Wednesday night (June 18), no one knew exactly what to expect. Vocals? For sure. Fashion? Absolutely. This is Miley Cyrus, after all. But when the superstar combined two of her biggest hits – none other than 'The Climb' and 'We Can't Stop' – into a special one-off medley, fans were floored. 'We put this together just for all of you tonight,' shared Cyrus, in her first of two Mugler looks. More from Billboard Miley Cyrus Teases Spotify Billions Club Live Show in Paris (And a Concert Film Is Coming, Too) Rachel Zegler Serenades Crowd Outside Theater for Free in a New London Production of 'Evita' Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to Receive Vanguard Award at The Guitar Center Music Foundation Gala & Benefit Concert The special and career-spanning fusion – reminiscent of two distinct times in the pop star's life – was fitting for an equally special evening. Cyrus hadn't performed in Paris for over 10 years, and she made sure her grand return was well worth the wait. The evening's set was for Spotify's Billions Club Live, making Cyrus only the second artist, after The Weeknd, to ever earn a Billions Club concert. (As Spotify previously confirmed to Billboard, Cyrus' Billions Club Live show was filmed to be released later this summer.) Despite such a massive milestone, Cyrus stayed true to form and kept the setting and guest list rather intimate, with only a few hundred fans packed into Maxim's downstairs venue. But unlike her famed Chateau Marmont sets in Los Angeles or her recent performance at an equally intimate New York space — all in support of her latest album, Something Beautiful — Wednesday night was perhaps the most wide-ranging setlist fans have enjoyed for some time. Thanks to the nature of Spotify's Billions Club Live, Cyrus' set was a tight hour (including an outfit change) of her biggest hits on the platform — all of which, yes, have reached more than 1 billion streams. (On the pre-show playlist, deep cuts including 'Cattitude' off her She Is Coming EP satiated superfans.) 'Being a part of the Billions Club is only a part of me – it's an honor, but in no means is it holistic,' Cyrus said. 'Each of you are a piece of a billion, and without each of you, the billion doesn't even exist. That's how important and crucial you are to the success in my life. The confidence and goals that I have achieved [is] because of you and your support. And I've never really been too interested in numbers because math is done from the mind, but true authentic beauty is from the heart.' During her set, Cyrus demonstrated just how much of her heart has always been in her hits – and is likely what has pushed these in particular to become some of her biggest. During opener 'Flowers,' she emphasized and riffed on the line 'no regrets, baby' while holding up a bouquet of flowers gifted by a fan. And while introducing 'The Climb,' she shared that the song is 'inspired by the effort and the struggles that it takes to become the person you want to be. … I truly believe the most authentic version of yourself is deep within the struggle. … Everything in my life that I can stand here and be proud of at one point was towering over me like a mountain.' (The mere mention of a mountain elicited emphatic cheering.) And before performing her Plastic Hearts hit 'Angels Like You' accompanied by nothing more than a piano, Cyrus told her fans: 'You are the earth angels that make my life heaven.' And in another unexpected twist, she performed the impassioned 'Wrecking Ball' next while still backed by only keys. After an outfit and hairdo change – from teased waves and a Mugler dress dripping with crystals to an updo with a Mugler crystal corset and suit jacket – Cyrus returned to the stage alongside her full backing band, which included a four-person string section and guitarist Maxx Morando. A front-row fan declared that Cyrus looked 'super French,' to which Cyrus replied that they've actually been discussing what to name her current backing band, before concluding that 'Super French' was the best idea they've heard yet. Cyrus then closed the show with a one-two punch of Something Beautiful standouts: 'End of the World' and 'More to Lose.' Before performing the latter, she said, 'A lot of my songs are about resilience, and I'm very proud of that,' noting that the theme of resilience is one not only personal to her and her music, but that is universally felt – and desperately needed right now. Halfway through 'More to Lose,' she turned to Morando and said she's tired of crying and wanted to do something a bit more fun. The solution? 'Easy Lover.' Cyrus performed the song with an extended outro, during which she strutted from one side of the small stage to the other, blowing kisses to fans who were within arm's length before returning to its center to take a bow. And after showing off her outfit one last time, Cyrus seamlessly disappeared behind thick red velvet curtains, as if bringing her 'End of the World' lyric to life: 'Let's go to Paris, I don't care if we get lost in the scene.' As the wide-eyed expressions across the room proved, there's hardly a better scene to get lost in. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
