Rock in Rio, Lollapalooza, and The Town may soon gain a new competitor in Brazil: Spotify.

Music festivals move billions in the Brazilian economy. In 2024, it is estimated that the most established festivals generated over R$ 5 billion (US$ 920 million), and among the more than 40 held, 10 had their first edition last year — including the I Wanna Be Tour, which attracted over 150,000 people to stadiums in five capitals.

According to Spotify’s global public relations director, Dustee Jenkins, it may be the platform’s turn to enter this market. “We are evaluating it with our marketing team. A proposal like this would be fun,” she said in an exclusive interview with EXAME during her visit to Rio de Janeiro.

Although not known for major music festivals of its own, the streaming platform has already organized smaller regional live shows. Spotify Live (formerly Greenroom), for example, has hosted live streams, parties, and chats with artists for music and album launches over the years.

“We are diligent and conscious about where we are investing, but that doesn’t mean we won’t bet on opportunity areas we see. In the United States or Brazil, if we see an opportunity to develop new technology or launch a new feature or experience, we will do it,” Jenkins explained.

Brazil in the Spotlight?

In 2025, Spotify marks 11 years of presence in Brazil. Jenkins noted that the country could be targeted by the company for a potential large-scale festival experience, particularly given the size of the market and its associated opportunities.

This would not be an impulsive or entirely new idea. In 2024, Spotify organized This Is Marília Mendonça, a live music festival at Allianz Parque in São Paulo. The artist, who passed away in 2021, was the first Brazilian to surpass 10 billion streams on the platform. The event attracted 25,000 people.

“We are growing faster than the industry, and Brazil is a rapidly growing market, which in itself creates a different kind of match,” she explained. “It is one of Spotify’s largest and most important markets today, within our Top 10, which is very exciting for us.”

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which ranks the world’s largest audio and music markets, Brazil ranks ninth and alone earned R$ 3.486 billion (US$ 639 million) in 2024. It is currently one of the largest in Latin America —which accounts for 23% of Spotify’s global subscribers— and continues to grow, both in subscription base and in artist presence on the platform.

Data from Spotify’s Loud and Clear study show that local consumption grew 22% last year, maintaining an average annual growth of +103% since 2014 — when the company first entered Brazil. Just last year, Brazilian artists generated over R$ 1.6 billion in royalties on the streaming platform, a 31% increase compared to 2023 and above the national music market average.

This value has doubled since 2021 and increased ninefold since 2017, when Jenkins assumed her position at the company.

Other reasons position the country as an ideal candidate for a potential music festival. In 2024, Spotify users worldwide streamed Brazilian artists over 179 billion times, with new listeners discovering them nearly 12 billion times — a 19% increase compared to 2023.

Beyond Headphones

If realized, Spotify’s potential entry into Brazil’s festival market could be a major financial driver for the company. The idea comes at a promising time: in 2024, Spotify reported its first-ever annual profit of €1.14 billion (US$1.2 billion), after nearly 20 years in the music business.

The company’s global expansion continues in 2025, as it aims to become the world leader in audio streaming. Between April and June of 2025, Spotify reached nearly 700 million active users, with 276 million paid subscribers — a 12% year-over-year growth. Revenue rose by 10%, reaching €4.2 billion (US$5.01 billion), while operating profit for the period stood at €406 million (US$473 million). However, the company still posted a net loss of €86 million (US$100 million).

To curb the deficit, the company is updating prices in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region, according to a recently released statement. In Brazil, the individual Premium subscription will cost R$23.90 (US$ 4,40). The Duo plan will cost R$31.90 (US$ 5,85), and the Family plan R$40.90 (US$ 7,50).

“This is the first profitable year, which is great. But we want to ensure the standard is very high for the things we will invest in. We want to move very quickly and, at the same time, be very efficient while doing so,” Jenkins added.

At Spotify since 2017, the executive began her career in American politics, working within the Capitol and even directly for the White House. A public relations specialist, she worked at other retail giants like Target before fully joining the music streaming platform, shortly before the company went public in the United States in 2018.

As the company continues to expand and innovate, it remains to be seen whether the idea of hosting its own festival will move from concept to reality within Spotify’s broader investment strategy.

The text was translated with artificial intelligence. If you have any questions or corrections, please write to rafael.balago (at) exame.com.