As we unveil 2024 Spotify Wrapped, a celebration of the fans, artists, and creators that defined the year, we're thrilled to spotlight two global initiatives: EQUAL and GLOW. These programs amplify the voices of talented women and LGBTQIA+ artists through local and global playlists, partnerships, activations, and more. With EQUAL, we've continued our mission to foster equity for women in the music industry, while GLOW has shined as a beacon for inclusivity, celebrating the diverse contributions of queer artists and creators.
In 2024, we supported more than 200 ambassadors with increased editorial and on- and off-platform support, and generated more than 51 million discoveries through EQUAL and GLOW playlists. We also hosted more than 20 activations worldwide-from launching South Africa's GLOW playlist during Pride Month to honoring the pioneering U.K. artist SOPHIE in her hometown; from running EQUAL networking and educational events in Mexico and Japan to planning charity galas in Italy and Spain.
These programs are very special because of the immense global network and opportunities they represent, said Bel Aztiria, Lead, Social and Equity Music Programs at Spotify. At Spotify, a large team of us work on the programs as part of our core responsibilities, supporting the mission globally while honoring each market's culture and needs. We maintain a constant pulse because we believe these communities are to be supported and celebrated year-round. This mission is ongoing, and while there's still much to achieve, we're proud to continue showing up globally to drive meaningful change.
So without further ado, check out our top EQUAL and GLOW ambassadors of 2024 and hear from some of them about their standout year and the impact of women and queer artists.
Most-streamed artists within our EQUAL global playlist
C line Dion
ILLIT
DANNA
LISA
CLARA
Sevdaliza
Elsa y Elmar
Yseult
DOROFEEVA
Jana Kirschner
Having just debuted this year, South Korean girl group ILLIT has already captured the hearts of fans.
We have had the privilege of spending a truly joyful year connecting with our fans, they said. One of the most fulfilling and memorable aspects of this year has been the overwhelming love that Magnetic' has received from fans worldwide. We were also deeply honored to receive several prestigious awards for the song.
ILLIT
As for Mexican pop star DANNA, her happiest moment of 2024 was the release of CHILDSTAR.
This album changed my life and has transformed me as a person and as a human being, she said. It was very special that [my fans] received it so beautifully and loved it as much as I do. Thank you for giving me this moment-I love you. You've made this the best year so far, and I can't wait for everything that's coming!
DANNA
Turn up the volume on women artists with our EQUAL global playlist.
Most-streamed artists within our GLOW global playlist
Karin Ann
Giol & Assia
Mustii
V C t T ng
Benedict Cork
BATHSHEBA
Rina Sawayama
Zamilska
Gianna Nannini
Luisa Almaguer
For the Record had the opportunity to catch up with Slovakian alt-pop sensation Karin Ann, Italian electronic dance music duo Giol & Assia, and Belgian electro-pop artist Mustii about their whirlwind 2024, the importance of representation, and more.
What were some of your 2024 highlights? Karin Ann
Karin Ann: Putting out my debut album, through the telescope, was a big one. I also played SXSW for the first time, I shot my first indie movie, I had a cameo in Suki Waterhouse's music video, and I got to do an incredible European tour with mehro. I played a show in Turkey and I also played in Canada for the first time while opening for renforshort. And obviously I became a Spotify GLOW ambassador. It was a crazy year full of amazing things.
I also just released a surprise cover of one of my all-time favorite songs, Wicked Game, to end the year. I decided to include a cover of that song on my set list while touring and the response has been absolutely insane. So many people came up to me after the show and asked me if I was going to release it, and even after the tour people continued to message me about it, so I decided to do it as a little treat for everyone who's shown me so much love and support.
Giol & Assia: Our live tour all around the world with special sold-out shows in cities like New York, Toronto, and more, but also our first back-to-back set with the legend Black Coffee in Ibiza.
Mustii
Mustii: The music video release of BEFORE THE PARTY'S OVER, which was the first single from my upcoming album, THE MAZE, and also my Eurovision entry for Belgium. People's reactions were so touching and amazing! THE MAZE is a new era for me-this album is so personal and queer, and I'm really proud of it.
Which queer artists have you listened to the most this year? Karin Ann: Rene Rapp, Chappell Roan, and The Last Dinner Party.
What do you wish for queer artists in the years to come? Karin Ann: It's so important, now more than ever, to have representation in media and to continue being brave and proud and show other queer people that there are safe spaces for us. I hope we never stop creating safe communities for people and that more amazing new queer artists will arise.
Giol & Assia
Giol & Assia: To see them headlining all major festivals in the world, but also to keep being so unapologetically queer and authentic-more and more!
Mustii: That we can hear their voices louder and louder, that they continue to spread freedom, self-love, to create some new doors and new ways against obscurantism and narrow-minded souls. Now more than ever, we need them so much.
What do you have planned for 2025? Karin Ann: Where would be the fun in revealing my secrets like that! I love to be a little mysterious. I do have some very exc
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
13/03/2026
Spotify has always been built around your taste. More than 80% of listeners say personalization is what they love most about us. Now we're taking that even ...
13/03/2026
The new Spotify Legends Club has opened its doors. Its members: select German-sp...
13/03/2026
Pushing drum sampler technology into new territories
The latest version of Klevgrand's software drum sampler has just arrived, boasting a newly designe...
13/03/2026
Expanded headphone support & engine improvements
IK Multimedia's recently introduced ARC On-Ear system brings the power of their monitoring-correction s...
13/03/2026
Extra sound collections, more presets & new Keys category
UVI's rhythm and pattern instrument has just received a major update that introduces four new ...
13/03/2026
13 Mar 2026
VEON Delivers Record Digital Growth: 4Q25 Digital Revenues Grow 84%...
13/03/2026
Friday 13 March 2026
Sky Adds Blood on Snow to Original Film Slate in Acquisiti...
13/03/2026
RT has announced today that Rick O'Shea is the new presenter of Arena RT Radio 1's flagship weeknight arts and culture programme. Rick has been pres...
13/03/2026
Lights! Camera! Action! The 98th Oscars set to air live as RT backs the Irish n...
12/03/2026
Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 11th March, 2026 - Yospace, the trusted leader in Dyna...
12/03/2026
In Latin America, women are shaping music and defining its future. To kick off t...
12/03/2026
En Am rica Latina, las mujeres est n moldeando la m sica y definiendo su futuro....
12/03/2026
Let's turn back the clock 20 years: The music landscape was a world away fro...
12/03/2026
Bad Bunny is no stranger to Spotify's Billions Club. In fact, he has a whopp...
12/03/2026
Spotify was at the London Book Fair this week, joining conversations across the publishing industry about how people can make reading part of their daily lives....
12/03/2026
Mastering tool improves mono compatibility
Tokyo Dawn Labs' Ohlhorst Digital range is a series of mastering-focused plug-ins developed by Jan Ohlhorst, ...
12/03/2026
Wave FX processor integrated into four products
Lewitt have teamed up with Elgato to create a new processor for the company's Wave Next product range, i...
12/03/2026
Free tool for annotating audio files
Mix Notes is a new, free iOS App that provides users with a simple way to annotate their audio files. It's been cre...
12/03/2026
Side-chain ducking tool gets an upgrade
Devious Machines' popular side-chaining and envelope-shaping tool has just been kitted out with an improved enve...
12/03/2026
Ceremony to take place on 16 April 2026
The MPG (Music Producers Guild) have revealed the full shortlist for this year's MPG Awards, which will be takin...
12/03/2026
Emulates three classic dbx 160 variants
The latest arrival to Overloud's Gem Series plug-in range faithfully recreates not one, but three versions of th...
12/03/2026
New granular soft synth announced
Said to be their most advanced software synthesizer to date, Baby Audio's latest release has been built on a new granu...
12/03/2026
Latest version now live!
Edit 11 March 2026 - Bitwig Studio 6 is now live, and available for all to download!
The latest version of Bitwig's DAW softwa...
12/03/2026
Latest free eBook now available!
Designed for recording engineers, audio-technology students and technically minded musicians, our latest free eBook deliver...
12/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity expands SITLine network encryptor portfolio - more...
12/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to showcase future-proof EMC testing solutions at EMV 2026 Rohde & Schwarz will participate in EMV 2026, Europe's premier trade fair and c...
12/03/2026
Modern media operations demand a platform that unites automation, orchestration, and human oversight without compromise. In this post, we explore the six key te...
12/03/2026
A deep dive into the platform
Architecture The Blue Lucy platform follows a distributed microservices architecture, meaning the overall operational capability...
12/03/2026
Orchestration platform enables broadcasters to deploy multiple AI models safely with full auditability, rights protection, and regulatory oversight.
LONDON, En...
12/03/2026
Wuppertal March 12, 2026
Riedel Expands Managed Technology Division in the Ame...
12/03/2026
Advanced Media Server Delivers Double the Channel Density at Half the Cost per C...
12/03/2026
The Late Late Show Show St Patrick's Day special
Dancing with the Stars f...
11/03/2026
First Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) deployment of the emergency.lu platform for refugees and their host communities' use provides dependable broadband for humani...
11/03/2026
Following a successful first series, UKTV today announces the commission of two ...
11/03/2026
Wednesday 11 March 2026
Sky and CANAL launch new partnership to develop English-language drama
Sky and CANAL are today announcing a strategic co commissioni...
11/03/2026
NTCA, Cartesian Release New Report on the Business Case for USF
March 11, 2026
Network Economics
News
NTCA - March 11, 2026 - As the FCC and Congr...
11/03/2026
TELL US YOUR (SHORT) STORIES
The 2026 RT Short Story Competition is now open for entries
Recognising and rewarding the best new Irish fiction writing for...
11/03/2026
RT 's The Traitors Ireland is among the nominees for the 2026 Celtic Media Festival Torc Awards for Excellence, announced today....
10/03/2026
10 Mar 2026
VEON's Largest Market Pakistan Almost Triples Mobile Spectrum i...
09/03/2026
Contains all six dual-ensemble libraries
VSL's Duality Strings series offers an intriguing alternative to your average string library, capturing two str...
09/03/2026
Outstanding Contribution To UK Music
Photo: Samuel Bradley
Ahead of their upcoming MPG Awards, the Music Producers Guild (MPG) have revealed the latest win...
09/03/2026
Two new high-quality DI boxes announced
Boasting some impressive technical specifications and versatile routing options, Strymon's latest active DI boxe...
09/03/2026
Latest MPE-capable Soundbox library released
The follow-up release for Sonora Cinematic's Pure Nylon has arrived, and becomes the latest addition to the...
09/03/2026
Popular wireless mic head design revived
Sennheiser have revealed that the MD 9235, a cardioid mic head designed to pair up with their handheld wireless sys...
As we unveil 2024 Spotify Wrapped, a celebration of the fans, artists, and creators that defined the year, we're thrilled to spotlight two global initiatives: EQUAL and GLOW. These programs amplify the voices of talented women and LGBTQIA+ artists through local and global playlists, partnerships, activations, and more. With EQUAL, we've continued our mission to foster equity for women in the music industry, while GLOW has shined as a beacon for inclusivity, celebrating the diverse contributions of queer artists and creators.
