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Audio streaming platform Spotify which has been entertaining global markets since 2008 officially launched in Pakistan with a commitment to help local artists reach new heights almost a year ago.
Celebrating its first anniversary this year, the streaming portal shared how Pakistani music is being uncovered and appreciated around the world.
However, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the top-streamed Pakistani artist outside the country continues to be Atif Aslam with his hits
Kadi Te Has Bol with Velo Sound Station,
Jeena Jeena (Badlapur), and
Tere Sang Yaara ranking in the top 10 most-streamed songs from Pakistan abroad.
Singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was the second most-streamed Pakistani artist followed by the legendary qawwali maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who came in third.
Singer Momina Mustehsan and Bilal Saeed came fourth and fifth respectively. Their song
Baari, the ultimate love song for millions of listeners, has earned the number one spot as the most-streamed local song abroad.
Rap duo Young Stunners’ hits
Gumaan,
Don’t Mind with Rap Demon and
Afsanay made it to the list acquiring the third, seventh and eighth spots respectively.
According the the press release, Pakistani music crossing borders had another notable moment over the past year, with 11% of the Pakistani Indie genre being streamed in the US, seeing a growth of more than 150% globally in the last year.
Additionally, Pakistani Electronic is gaining momentum locally and internationally, with 23% of the genre being streamed in the US, Canada, UK, and Germany, paving the way to a 223% increase in global streams since Spotify’s launch.
Speaking about how things have changed for him since Spotify entered the local scene, Turhan James, a Pakistani electronic music producer, said, “I’m so glad to see that my music is being heard so much since Spotify launched in Pakistan. I personally feel that it has been an absolute game-changer for our music industry. The platform has given artists the opportunity to have their work showcased to millions of people, not just in Pakistan but around the world, while giving listeners the ability to consume music they would never come across. It’s been a blessing!”
Local hip-hop was also amongst the most popular genres abroad.
“Spotify continues to be committed to providing equal opportunities to all local artists, enabling them to connect with a global audience by creating an ecosystem where they can propel their careers, while breaking lingual and cultural barriers,” said Claudius Boller, Managing Director of Spotify MENAP, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
According to Spotify’s data, there have been over 19,590 songs added to the platform from creators in Pakistan over the past year. Amongst the 184 markets, with 406 million listeners worldwide in which Spotify operates, the top countries listening to Pakistani music are India, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Read More:
#SpotifyWrapped: Atif Aslam continues to be the most streamed local artist in Pakistan
