Across music, podcasts, and audiobooks, Spotify listeners are turning toward French-language content. In fact, more than 100 million users worldwide listened to at least one piece of audio content in French between August 2023 and July 2024. This phenomenon is driven by the richness and diversity of said content, as well as Spotify's efforts to boost the export of French-speaking music and podcasts through programs like RADAR.When it comes to music, the French touch had already conquered the world in the '90s, thanks to the success of several French artists on the international scene. But today, in addition to francophone songs performed by artists from France, hitmakers from Quebec, Belgium, and Algeria also have the world dancing.
To date, 39 million Spotify users have added at least one track sung in French to a personal playlist. And since 2019, French-language music streams have surged by 94%, indicating that the sounds and rhythms created by artists from French-speaking countries are appealing to an ever-growing audience.
In the span of 12 months, more than 83 million hours of French-language music resonated in more than 180 countries on Spotify. This represents an average of 50 minutes of music listening per month by non-French-speaking audiences-and when French-language podcasts and audiobooks are added to the mix, that average monthly consumption reaches four hours.
Let's take a closer look at how francophone music is transcending language barriers on Spotify.
Spotify's most-streamed French-language songs globally
Je te laisserai des mots - Patrick Watson
Derni re danse - Indila
Alors on danse - Stromae
Casanova - Gazo and Soolking
B cane A COLORS SHOW - Yam
Spotify's most-streamed French-speaking artists by region North America
Les Cowboys Fringants
Patrick Watson
Stromae
Souldia
Indila
South Africa, Middle East, and Asia
Tayc
Ninho
Gazo
Dadju
Soolking
Asia Pacific
Indila
Patrick Watson
Aya Nakamura
GIMS
Stromae
Europe
Jul
Gazo
Werenoi
Ninho
PLK
Latin America
Stromae
Patrick Watson
Videoclub
Indila
Ad le Castillon
For the Record sat down with Jeremy Erlich, Vice President, Head of Music Content at Spotify, to learn more about the rise of French-language content on our platform.
Tell us more about the francophone music scene and its runaway success. French-language music has always been the stuff of dreams the world over, but physical constraints have not always made it easy for certain artists to export their music and meet their audiences in the four corners of the globe. Spotify has played a key role over the last few years in the rise and export of French-speaking artists from many countries. Our editorial teams on different continents regularly exchange information on emerging and more established talent that might appeal to our users, enabling these artists to be integrated into local playlists outside French-speaking markets. This gives them visibility and allows them to be heard and discovered by other audiences.
Also, it's a credit to French-speaking artists and the power of this music that these artists feature their peers from all over the world-like Dua Lipa and Ang le with Fever, or Aya Nakamura and Stormzy with Plus Jamais, or more recently, Aya Nakamura and Ayra Starr with Hyp . And then sometimes we have an artist like Yseult, who found herself at the top of our world charts for several weeks with Alibi, a track in collaboration with other international artists. She's the first French female artist to enter the Billboard 200 in more than 30 years, the last being Jane Birkin! She's one of my latest favorites, and I invite you to discover her just-released album, MENTAL.
Is there one continent or region that appreciates francophone music the most on Spotify? That's what's so striking-all regions of the world are embracing the richness and diversity of the French-language music scene. What we notice is that from one place to another, we don't necessarily find the same sounds or the same artists resonating with audiences. In Latin America, electro-pop or indie music in French are particularly popular with our users, embodied by artists like Stromae, Patrick Watson, or Ad le Castillon. If we look at Asia Pacific, users gravitate toward artists like Aya Nakamura or GIMS, who are more into R&B, pop, or French variety. But there really are people embracing the French language everywhere, and that's something we've been noticing for several years now. There's been a sharp rise in the number of French-language music listeners on Spotify, which goes hand in hand with our development in many markets, and the language barrier is no longer an issue.
What's on your personal playlist? Which French-speaking artists have impressed you in recent years? It's a long list! Like our users, I have quite varied and eclectic tastes. I'll never tire of the Fonky Family, a group from Marseilles who played a key role in the explosion of the Marseilles hip-hop scene. I'm proud that we support and partner with Les Flammes-the first music awards ceremony dedicated to rap and popular culture in France-and I was delighted to see Le Rat Luciano, one of the members of the Fonky Family, win the Flamme Eternelle last year, which was well deserved.
Belgian artists, meanwhile, are omnipresent in my playlists. Ang le never ceases to surprise and reinvent herself, including with the latest version of Nightcall with Phoenix and Kavinsky, following that incredible performance at the closing ceremony of the summer games. Stromae is another avant-garde artist with undeniable talent who has conquered the world. His festival performance in Palm Desert two years ago thrilled the entire audience, just like Daft Punk in their day, or Gesaffelstein.
Serge Gainsbourg's
