Title: The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ Makes History with 4 Billion Streams on Spotify
Singer-songwriter The Weeknd achieves a groundbreaking milestone as his hit track ‘Blinding Lights’ becomes the first song to surpass the 4 billion stream mark on Spotify. Having overtaken Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’ as the all-time most-streamed song on the platform over a year ago, ‘Blinding Lights’ continues to dominate, securing its place in streaming history.
Variety reports that The Weeknd’s chart-topping success extends beyond ‘Blinding Lights,’ with his 2016 track ‘Starboy’ holding the sixth position in the top 10 most-streamed songs on Spotify, boasting nearly 2.5 billion streams.
The financial implications of this streaming feat are substantial, with estimated royalties for the sound recording ranging between $15.5 million and $17.5 million, complemented by an additional $4.5 million in publishing. Spotify, known for paying between $.003 and $.004 per stream, contributes significantly to this massive sum.
While The Weeknd does not solely pocket this immense amount, sharing songwriting credits with Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Ahmad Balshe, and Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville, as well as co-producing with Martin and Holter, demonstrates the collaborative effort behind the success. The Weeknd’s ownership of the master recordings, licensed to Universal’s Republic Records, positions him as the primary beneficiary of these extraordinary royalties.
