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​Spotify's 2015 revenue surges beyond $2 billion, but still no profit

Increasing numbers of us are willing to shell out $10 per month for the streaming music service that's expanding into video, too.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
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Nearly 90 percent of the company's revenue comes from subscriptions.

Spotify

Spotify's pioneering streaming-music business, now emulated by the likes of Google and Apple, pulled in revenue of 1.95 billion euros ($2.18 billion) in 2015, a healthy 81 percent over the $1.21 billion the Swedish company garnered the year before.

But according to the figures, released in a regulatory filing and published by the Wall Street Journal and Music Business Worldwide, the company remains unprofitable. Its loss widened from about $181 million to $193 million.

The vast majority of the revenue -- 89 percent -- came from subscriptions. In March, Chief Executive Daniel Ek said Spotify had 30 million music subscribers, and it's adding video services, too. Most people pay about $10, £10 or AU$12 per month to stream the music to computers and phones, but the company cut the price of its family plan to $15, £15 or AU$18 per month on Monday. The company also offers a free but ad-supported service and a cheaper tier for those who don't want the service on their phones.

Spotify didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.